Travel inspired

Hello:  Kuzu zangpola

Thank You: Kadinchay la

Currency:  Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) - You can change dollars, pounds, or euros and there are ATMs in the larger cities. Credit cards are accepted in some places.  Since lodging and food are included in the per day fee, you will not be spending your cash as in other countries.

Planning Your Trip:  Visiting Bhutan can be easy.  But there are a few challenges.  Once you find a travel company, they arrange for your visa, book hotels, arrange your transport, and even plan for your meals.  That is the easy part.  If you are used to traveling on your own, the hard part is having to use a travel company and finding one that will adapt to your needs and desires while you explore this wonderful country.  My planning started in 2020.  An unfortunate year for any travel plans. The pandemic pushed my plans again and again and then it became a matter of coordinating around work.  Finally, in the winter of 2024, I was ready to visit Bhutan, a country I had wanted to travel to for twenty years. I was lucky in that I found a company called Bridge to Bhutan providing a wonderful guide named Sonam and a wonderful driver named Mr. Samten.  And I found two friends to join me in the adventure.  

The other element of visiting Bhutan is the per day fee for travelers.  The fee is around $250 -$290 a day depending on the time of year and the size of your group (it is more expensive for a solo traveler), but it does include your visa, hotel, food, AND transport (except for your flights in and out of Bhutan).  You can spend more on your per diem if you’d like a fancier hotel (such as the Amankora) but I found the hotels selected by my travel company to be perfectly fine.  If you are working with a smaller local travel company as I did, you will not be able to pay with a credit card and will need to pay through the Bank of Bhutan via a wire transfer. I found the process to be very straightforward and easy but my friends in London had some challenges.  A good travel company will help you work through the process.  On our visit, we chatted with the hotel proprietors and guides about Bhutan and the tourist policy.  Like most things, there are those who are focused on profitability while others focus on well-managed tourism so that the country does not suffer from the effects.

Since flights into Bhutan are limited to two airlines (DrukAir and Bhutan Airlines ) and only a few originating cities, we decided to arrange our round-trip flights from Bangkok to Paro on DrukAir since there were more flight options, and it was easier to enter Thailand for an overnight before the flight to Bhutan.  No visa necessary for any of us.  The flight is only a few hours but the descent into Paro is a bit bumpy as the pilot navigates between the mountains.  The country is so mountainous that I’m sure there were only a few places that could accommodate jet landings and Paro is one of them.  I’ve read that pilots must be specially trained to land at the Paro airport. The pilot even warned us of the potential turbulence as we approached and assured us that he would not hit any mountains.  Nice to know!  The day we arrived was clear, a bonus since it also allowed viewing of the Himalayas in the distance, the snow-covered peaks reminding us that this part of the world was still quite wild.

Both Sonam and Mr. Samten greeted us at the airport when we arrived, wearing their national dress known as a kira for women and a gho for men. Both resemble a skirt with the woman’s kira being around ankle length and the man’s gho being around knee length.  The woven patterns are often quite intricate and usually include an array of beautiful colors in a geometric design. This was their daily uniform and what a great way to keep the Bhutanese culture in view for visitors!  

Our visit included several cities and a multitude of temples.  Daily hikes contributed to our enjoyment of the mountains, just starting to reveal the flowers of spring.  We encountered brilliant red rhododendrons, purple primrose, and other flowers stretching to catch spring’s sunshine.  Since it was late March, we had warmer days and cool nights.  A perfect recipe for enjoyable traveling.

Lodging: Overall, our lodging was excellent with spacious heated rooms, private ensuite bathrooms, and comfortable beds. Even in the hotels, the wood beams are painted with dragons and flowers and other decorations. Below is a list of where we stayed in each area:

·  Paro: Khangkhu Resort – The hotel overlooked the airport (not an issue since there are limited flights) and gave us an excellent view of the dzong across the valley, especially when illuminated at night.  They also offered a small spa where we took advantage of a good massage after our hike to the Tiger’s Nest. 

·  Haa Valley: Risum Resort – The big rooms included a small sitting area next to the bedroom.  Beds had thick wool blankets with a rustic design.

·  Thimphu: Pamtsho Hotel – A very comfortable small hotel with excellent food and incredible attention to the guests.

·  Phobjikha Valley:  Dewachen Hotel – Spacious rooms with a wood burning stove in each room for colder nights.

·  Trongsa: Kaila Guest House – A spacious room with a wood burning stove.

·  Punakha: Meri Puensum Resort – Newly remodeled spacious rooms with beautiful bathrooms and views overlooking the valley.

Food:  Our travel company warned us that the food was not the main feature of Bhutan, and we might find it to be a bit boring.  We found the food to be delicious in most places with a variety of cooked vegetables (broccoli, eggplant, carrots, peas, potatoes, etc.), rice, soups, stir fried noodles, chicken or pork, and plenty of chilis and cheese to spice things up.  Breakfasts tended to be western focused with eggs, pancakes, some fruit, cereal, and a very thin type of porridge.  Don’t expect good coffee (instant coffee usually appeared on the table) except for a few places in Paro and Thimphu.  But do try the honey lemon tea – it is delicious!  

The Bhutanese favor spicy food and a chili/cheese mixture (ema datshi) as a side dish.  It’s made of green chilis in fresh melted cheese and the Bhutanese tend to have it with every meal.  After I had a taste, I began requesting it as well and the spicy factor seemed to vary from place to place.  It was a great way to liven up a serving of rice and was always worth a try.  And remember to sample the butter tea, also popular with the Bhutanese.  

Since my friends and I are always interested and curious about the local cuisine, Sonam took us to local restaurants, when available, for lunch and/or dinner where we could enjoy plenty of momos, a soup/porridge called veg bathup (delicious!), and buckwheat dumplings stuffed with spinach, which were considered to be a specialty of the Haa area.  We enjoyed more traditional Bhutanese foods when eating at a home stay or farmhouse lunch consisting of rice, chiles/cheese, different types of noodles, radishes, potatoes, spinach soup, pork, and butter tea.  All delicious!  In my opinion, these were the better meals.  I have found that when a lodge caters to a western audience and prepares a buffet to satisfy western preferences, the food is never as good as when they embark on cooking their own cuisine.  But I’m sure that some tourists prefer to see familiar foods when in an unfamiliar place.

Transport:  Most of the driving in Bhutan involves winding mountain roads and the main roads are in good shape considering the winter often brings landslides of mud and rock to block the roads.  Although we could see remnants of recent clearings, our path was always clear.  Some roads are “small” (narrow), requiring a certain passing etiquette especially when encountering large trucks or buses.  The good news is that most people seem to be cognizant of the dangers in driving too fast or carelessly on the mountain roads and proceed at a reasonable pace.  And there are few vehicles.  Road signs encourage diligence with sayings such as “Going faster will see disaster.”  Over 70% of the country is still covered by forests but roads are being built and widened in some areas to facilitate travel around the country.

Government: The government is currently a constitutional monarchy with the king as the head of state. Although the first king was in 1907, Bhutan did not adopt their first modern constitution until 2008.  And the country is very fond of the king and queen and their family.  You will see pictures of the king, queen, and their children in homes, restaurants, local shops, and even on small roadside signs.  The current king is the 5th king and became king in 2006 when his father, the 4th king retired (abdicated) from his duties.  In Bhutan, a man can have several wives and the 4th king has four wives, who also happen to be four sisters. The 3rd king (the 4th king’s father) died when only 44 but he was the one to begin the modernization of Bhutan which continued with his son and continues with his grandson. There is also a Prime Minister as head of government and religion is so important in Bhutan that there is a highest religious/spiritual official known as the Je Khenpo.  

Some people are familiar with Bhutan because of its reputation for “Gross National Happiness.”  Rather than a GNP that relies on products, the king and government want their people to be educated, healthy, and living a life that is not focused on external goods for happiness.  People did seem content and less stressed than in many other countries and less rushed on a daily basis. I did enjoy this break from the craziness of normal life in America.  And we did not see homeless people wandering through the cities.  Our one encounter was with an older woman who came into a place we were having lunch and she was asking for money.  We offered to buy her lunch but she wanted money and someone told us that her family was well off and she was cared for but she seemed to have some type of mental illness and was often wandering through the village.  People knew her and looked out for her and the concern for her was real rather than a dismissive attitude towards someone who might be homeless.

Buddhism in Bhutan’s History:  When visiting the various monasteries and temples, you must remove your shoes and no photos are allowed.  You can participate by doing prostrations (watch the butter lamps to make sure you don’t bump into them!) and/or by making small donations at each temple.  Many were built in the 7th century, but others are newer, some rebuilt due to fires destroying the original temple.  In every case, I was stunned at the details in each temple – all different in their celebration of Buddhism.  It wasn’t just the colorful prayer flags of red, yellow, blue, green, and white (representing the elements of fire, earth, water, wood, and iron, respectively), fluttering all along the roads and around the various temples and monasteries; it was the carvings, the painted woodwork, and the detailed murals telling the story of Buddhism everywhere we traveled.

It’s helpful to understand some key figures in Bhutan’s history before you visit.  As we visited each site, Soman explained each statue, the paintings, and the Buddhas, including the poses signifying past, present, or future.  We could not take photos inside any of the temples, and it became more difficult over the days to remember the differences, but one thing was the same no matter which temple we visited - the incredible amount of detail inside.  The polished wide plank wood floors, the walls painted with stories and Buddhas, the carved wooden pillars, the painted ceilings displaying mandalas, the carved wooden reliefs – every surface seemed to offer beautiful and significant stories and information so that it was difficult to take in every exposed surface.  And then there were the various statues of the different Buddhas – the man with the long beard, the lotus-born Buddha (Guru Rimpoche), the divine madman, the god of compassion (with 1000 hands), and the Green and White Taras, to name only a few.  It felt like a quiz each time we entered a new temple as we studied the buddha or figure before us, trying to remember the identity of each.  As the days progressed, we became more and more astute with our answers, but I suspect it would take more time to study, know, and understand all that we were offered.

Some of the key names you will want to remember for your visit are outlined below.  I did feel like I was watching a play sometimes, with all the back stories and drama of the past adding to the story behind each individual.

Cast of Characters:

·  Ngawang Namgyal (many refer to as “the man with the long beard” and also known as Shabdrung) - he first unified Bhutan in the early 1600’s and established the dzongs.

·  Drukpa Kunley (known as the “divine madman”) – his behavior was a bit “nontraditional”, and you will see evidence of his influence in the many phallic paintings and other paraphernalia around the country.

·  Guru Rimpoche (known as the “lotus born Buddha”) – brought the beginnings of Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century when he traveled to Bhutan from India to help a dying king.

·  Thang Tong Gyalpo - builder of the iron bridges; the legend is that he was born as an old man and brought up by animals .

·  Lama – religious master; title may be inherited

Other Cultural Notes:

Smoking: Since 2004 the country prohibits the “cultivation, manufacture, sale, and distribution of tobacco products” in its borders.  It’s a good thing!  It was nice to enjoy meals and walking around without having to constantly avoid smoking.

Recycling:  Bhutan also has a strong focus on the recycling of plastics, building flag poles from recycled plastics and finding other uses such as material for paving roads.

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Following is a summary of the different areas we explored and some key sites to visit. If you are planning a cultural exploration of Bhutan, there are plenty of temples to keep you busy and since access often depends on climbing up and down the mountains, you have the added benefit of some good exercise to complement the hours spent driving the mountain roads.  Work with your guide so that your drives are populated with different stops and chances to see all the country has to offer.

Paro

Kyichu Lhakhang – This was our first temple visit in the country.  I noticed immediately that there were only one or two other visitors, meaning we essentially had the place to ourselves except for the few monks.  As our first introduction to Buddhism in Bhutan, Soman walked around and explained every statue and the meaning, and interpreted the paintings we saw on the walls.  A few locals had come to meditate or pray, and each of us was absorbed in our own activity, so as not to detract from the other’s experience.

National Museum of Bhutan - For a small country, the museum was very well curated with labels in English for everything and spaced in such a way that it was not overwhelming.  The thangkas, masks, stamps, coins, weapons, sculptures, carvings, and multiple Buddhas were amazing, and all was housed in the Ta Dzong watch tower.  It made for an interesting walk as we spiraled around from floor to floor, ducking into small rooms to see what treasures were on display.  As we left the museum, we could look down at the dzong on the hill below to see dancers practicing for an upcoming festival which we would return to watch.

Rimpung Dzong and Local Festival (Paro Tschechu festival) – Festivals usually take place over several days and we were lucky to be able to attend a festival when we returned to Paro after several days of travel around the country.  The dancing took place at the local Rimpung Dzong in a large courtyard.  The dancers twirled and swirled in elaborate costumes of reds, greens, golds, and blues, each dancer wearing a mask depicting an animal-like figure, some with horns and beaks.  Drums and horns created the musical background for the movements as the locals and tourists sat or stood around the edges of the courtyard, watching intently, or jockeying for position to capture the best photo. There was an upper-level balcony overlooking the dancers in the courtyard and we climbed the stairs and looked for a position to watch from above until the crowds thinned below.  Overall, the spectators were well behaved, and you could see how the festival was a family affair for the locals with attendees of all ages, many dressed in their most spectacular kiras and ghos, their brilliant colors adding to the festive nature of the event.

Tiger’s Nest/ Taktshang Goemba – This seems to be the most iconic image representing Bhutan.  The famous Tiger’s Nest is named for Guru Rimpoche, who brought Buddhism to the area, and built a temple on the side of the mountain after riding a tigress through the sky and landing on that spot to subdue a demon.  Most people start the walk to the Tiger’s Nest early as the climb can take 2-3 hours to complete.  The trail is wide and easy to manage overall, but the climb may require several stops to catch your breath and admire the views over the valley.  There is a café about half-way up where many people stop for drinks or a rest.  Once you reach a point on the trail where you can look across to the Tiger’s Nest, you’ll begin a descent down several steps before you climb again to the temples. For anyone with good fitness, it should not be an issue.  Coming down is faster and should take 1-2 hours.  Overall, it’s best to allow about six hours for the visit as you also want to allow time to see the different temples once you reach the Tiger’s Nest.  It is certainly worth the effort!

Shopping - Paro also has plenty of shops if you are looking for souvenirs such as local coffee and honey, traditional ghos and kiras (along with the jackets), festival masks, prayer wheels, buddha statues, thangkas, scarves woven from yak wool and/or silk, and beautiful textiles that can be used for pillow covers, bed spreads, or table clothes to prove you have visited Bhutan.

Haa Valley

Most tours don’t include the Haa Valley and the drive from Paro is a few hours long because of the winding single lane road.  But how else can you cross Chele-la Pass (13,000 feet), the highest road pass in Bhutan? I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many prayer flags in one place before, including the tall white ones that are planted to memorialize the death of a loved one.  We crossed on a clear day, and we had great views of the mountains while trying to stand in a rather aggressive wind.  This was yak country, as we spotted several black and white yaks along the road who galloped away just as we tried to position ourselves to take a photo. 

The White Temple and Black Temple - There are two key monasteries in Haa, the White Temple (Lhakhang Karpo) and the Black Temple (Lhakhang Nagpo).  The legend is that two birds landed in the different locations and that is how they decided the location of the temples.  The White Temple consisted of a large open square surrounded by buildings with the main temple in the center, half of which was built in the 7th century.  When we entered, we encountered a young boy attending with his family and our guide surmised that he was there to start the process to become a monk.  Inside this temple was a large Buddha with an interesting story about its creation. Sonam told us the body for the Buddha was made by one craftsman and when they needed a head, a different craftsman from another area offered to bring a head he had made to see if it would fit the Buddha body.  The crafter transported the head and it fit which seems remarkable since the two craftsmen had worked independently.  But then the maker of the head disappeared, and they didn’t have to pay.  This surprise helped name the village as the word “hay”, pronounced “Haa” means “surprise”. 

The Black Temple (Lhakhang Nagpo) was smaller and a short walk further up the hill.  As is typical in many of the smaller temples, a “keeper” had to let us in to see the temple.  

Katsho Goenpa and Juneydrok Hermitage - After lunch we drove up a very rough road to climb a short distance to the Katsho Goenpa temple.  Once we finished visiting the temple, we decided to attempt a trail over to the Juneydrok Hermitage, a small temple further over on the mountain. The trail from temple to temple was a bit challenging but doable if going slow.  Once we arrived, the monk who was the “keeper”, proceeded to tell us the stories of the different women painted on the walls of the temple, including one who was a reincarnation of a man and women and then showed us the footprint she left in the cave wall, several hundred years earlier.  It definitely looked like a footprint!  He also told us the different legends of each deity in the temple and explained some facets of Buddhism such as how important it was to lose the ego.  He then took a detour to American politics wondering why a certain person whose name begins with a “T” is even a candidate for President.  I could not answer that question.  We left the mountain just in time, as it began to rain while we scooted downhill to the van, crossing a small wooden bridge.  

Thimphu area

From Haa we drove on to Thimphu, making a few stops along the way.  We woke to misty, foggy skies, and as we drove from Haa back to Paro, we could see frost and snow along the road that had been rain for us in the Haa Valley the day before.  The yaks in this area are plentiful and with their long hair and bushy tails, they are well suited for the mountain environment. Once we arrived in Thimphu, we were able to see the one “traffic light” in action – a policeman strategically positioned in the middle of a busy intersection, within a small pagoda-like structure painted with the same decorative reds, greens, and yellows of many of the Bhutan buildings, flawlessly stopping and waving on alternating rows of traffic.

Drak Kharpo - Before lunch we stopped at the Drak Kharpo site and after a short climb to the temple, we joined others as we walked around it for one full circuit of the site.  Locals and other Bhutanese travel here on a mission to walk 108 circuits to achieve merit.  We sufficed with one.  The road up to this local temple was a rough and steep drive over a gravel and dirt road.  

Tamchog Lkakhang - The iron bridge reaching the temple is closed for renovation, but a side bridge allowed us to cross the river to the private temple where a care keeper let us in to explore. The temple includes a walking stick of Thangtong Gyalpo, a lama known for building iron bridges across the country in the 15th century. We had to climb two rather steep ladders to reach the top level.  It was damaged in a more recent earthquake so many of the paintings inside had been done within the last year. No matter the age of the paintings and murals, all have spectacular detail and consistency from place to place.

Motithang Takin Preserve - The takin, the national animal of Bhutan, looks like a creation straight from a Star Wars movie and perhaps served as a model for some of the space creatures.  The shaggy body, short horns, and rectangular head atop a somewhat stumpy body do not create an elegant looking creature but certainly an interesting looking one. In addition to the takin, there are deer, some pigs, birds, and goats being housed in the zoo, some recovering from injury or not able to be released into the wild because of more severe injuries, such as losing a leg.

Wangditse Lhakhang - An afternoon hike led through a forest until we emerged in a big open space with a rather tall building.  It had been damaged in an earthquake more recently and just reopened in the last year.  Inside were huge metal stupas with different Buddhas, all the bases different as well.  A huge Buddha faced the entry and was surrounded by metal work and elaborate designs.

Cheri Monastery – Like many of the temples in Bhutan, you need to be ready to climb a steep hill to enjoy it.  We approached it on a morning hike, first walking across an old bridge, then hoofing it up the hill, with a quick rest for a drink at a stopping point halfway.  It was another incredible temple in the midst of renovations. Workers had to make the walk uphill for the day with supplies arriving in large buckets on a cable from the valley below. To visit an additional small temple further up the hill required climbing more steep steps to reach the top.  At the bottom, across from the hike’s start, was a building with phallic symbols painted on the side. You will see these symbols around Bhutan, tributes to the “divine madman” whose temple we would later visit, and representative of the way he approached life, seeking pleasure and without the same reserve as many other Buddhists.

Great Buddha Dordenma – The GIANT golden buddha on the hill. The buddha was built to celebrate the 60thanniversary of the 4th king.  It was one of the first sights that was somewhat crowded with other tourists, a relative term in a country with well controlled tourism.  Inside, we could see the walls decorated with stacks of mini buddhas, each resting in their own cubby-hole and each requiring a donation of hundreds of dollars from individuals to secure their place on the wall. The objective was to populate and cover the walls on the inside of the temple which now has about 125,000 buddhas in total.  This buddha monument was resplendent in gold, including the deities encircling the giant buddha and the gold tiles around the base. 

Thimphu Post Office – This is a fun little stop as you can select a photo from your travels and have stamps made for sending postcards.  What could be more unique?  However, I’m not sure how quickly those postcards arrive…after one month, there was still no sign of any postcards sent.

Memorial Chorten – A stupa built for the 3rd king who died of tuberculosis.  It is a prominent landmark in the city and there were many people circling the stupa.  

Tashichho Dzong – The local dzong which houses an administrative building and a temple.  More tourists were wandering this site, and there were more mini buddha statues inside, with just as many painted on the walls.

Other sights and experiences: We spent some time wandering through local vegetable markets to see the variety of produce and goods for sale on a daily basis.  In our lives in the U.S., a good vegetable market is hard to find and I’m always envious of the amount of good produce people can shop for in other countries.  We also stopped at a paper making factory to watch traditional paper making with fibers sourced from a local plant. And we went into a local textile store to watch women weaving the colorful fabrics that became the kiras and ghos the Bhutanese wear.  So many colors and patterns!  Our guide, Sonam, even stopped by the small store owned by her and her husband in Thimphu so we could meet her husband and buy some snacks for the upcoming drive.

Phobjikha Valley

Valley is a relative term in Bhutan.  Although we knew that we had entered a valley since we were descending on the mountain roads, we were still about 10,000 feet above sea level, dodging numerous yaks as we drove, their hairy exterior perfect for the cold and windy heights.  We couldn’t help ourselves; we had to stop and take photos of the furry beasts with their horns and long tails.  I had to laugh as I imagined someone stopping in the U.S. to take photos of cows if driving through one of the western states.  We would think they were crazy!

Simtokha Dzong (Demon stove dzong) – This dzong is said to guard a demon that vanished into a nearby rock and may have been the first dzong to combine the monastic and administrative functions.  Like many other dzongs, the paintings inside have darkened with age but are still beautiful.

Dochula pass (3000 M) and the Druk Wangyel Chorten (also known as the Bhutan Victory Stupa with 108 stupas) - We stopped at the top of the pass to walk around the 108 stupas and were lucky it was a day with some sun and scattered clouds.  On our return several days later, it was snowing at the pass and clouds obscured any views of the mountains.  After enjoying the views of the snow-topped mountains framed by fir trees, we walked down the road to start a short hike down the mountain, walking through forests and seeing flowering primrose, rhododendron, and magnolia trees, until we reached our driver waiting on the road below.  

Gangtey Goempa or Gangteng Monastery - A very large building and open square where we met a group of women as they sat preparing vegetables to cook for the monks residing inside. After leaving the temple, we walked through the small village with some scattered shops where you could buy yak hair scarves.  Then we begin another hike through the valley with beautiful views of the open plain as we walked by local farms, skirting herds of cows wandering home for an evening meal, and on to the quiet and soft needle-carpeted trail of the pine forests. Whenever we emerged from the trees, the winds found us and reminded us that we were still among the mountains even if our views extended for miles looking over the grassy valley. 

Black necked cranes – This valley plays hosts to the cranes in the winter months, but we had just missed their migration back to the Tibetan plateau.  However, we were able to see one pair living at the local education center as one had a wing injury too severe to be released.

Trongsa and Bumthang areas

As we left the valley the yak encounters continued, and we were able to shop at some small booths where locals sold yak wool belts, bed blankets, and other goods. 

Chendebji Chorten – A Nepali-style stupa, easy to identify because of the eyes painted on four sides.  A pleasant stop on the drive through the region.

Trongsa Dzong – The largest in Bhutan, in a strategic location with amazing views of the surrounding area.  

Pele la Pass (3300 Meters) – Another high pass as we continued to cross the country.

Jakar Dzong – A large dzong with impressive and colorful woodwork.  From high on a hill, it offers views of the Chokhor valley.

Jampay Lhakhang – One of the oldest chapels in Bhutan, believed to have been built on the same day as Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro to subdue a Tibetan demoness.

Kurjey Lhakhang – A large complex consisting of three temples.  The oldest temple was built in the 1600’s; the second was built by the first king in 1900; and third is much newer, built in the 1980’s by the wife of the third king.

Tamshing (Goemba) Temple – Inside was an impressive display of many masks used in the local festivals.  Our guide said there was a “naked” festival that takes place once a year in October, where the dancers only wear their masks.  Interesting!

Home visit – One of the advantages of having your personal guide in Bhutan is the opportunity to visit her family and learn more about her childhood in Bhutan.  Sonam invited us to see the home where she grew up.  She had described her walk up and down the steep hill to us and we were game to tackle it and meet her family.  We hiked up a steep hill to the house and met her father, mother, aunt, and sister.  Her sister served us some delicious homemade butter cookies and tea in a small room that was the kitchen and eating area.  Her sister then prepared a food “alcohol” treat of rice, eggs, and honey, (perhaps fermented rice) known as Changko, that we sampled. We found it to be a bit strong and politely declined a large serving, knowing we still had to hike back down the mountain, and well, it was alcohol!  After our visit, we walked down the mountain to the road, stopping to see a local temple on the way, then made another stop at her brother’s bakery to have tea and cakes.

The next day, we stopped to see more family after our sight-seeing, meeting another sister and her brother’s family and witnessing a Buddhist ceremony taking place in their shrine room.  It was a very nice newly built house where the family offered us popcorn, the local alcohol, tea, some cookies, and a lovely fried rice snack.

Burning Lake – There are many legends and stories in Bhutan and the name for this lake was based on the tale of a young boy who dove into the lake searching for a treasure with a butter lamp and emerged with the lamp still burning.  Hence the name, “burning lake.”  As we stood on a rock overlooking the swirling water in the lake below, Sonam told us of tourists who had fallen off the rock and died by drowning or being sucked into the whirlpools.  It was easy to see how this could happen.  There was limited space for standing and one wrong move or a jostle by another observer could send you into the lake below.  In the interest of avoiding any misadventures, we carefully retreated to climb down another path to be closer to the water, without the risk of falling into the water.

Ogden Choling – A large house which was built in the 1600’s and rebuilt after a fire consumed most of it.  The family had opened it as a museum in an attempt to preserve it and it was filled with items from different activities such as agriculture, weaving, cooking, and weapons, representative of its history.

Ta Rimochen – An unscheduled stop to see a unique temple.  It was built alongside a large rock cliff, tucked under an overhang where the cliff face revealed “tiger stripes” as well as some “footprints” embedded in the stone.

Pemba Chaling Nunnery – The new nunnery was only one year old and at our stop we witnessed the end of a ceremony for another group.  We were quickly seated along one wall and offered tea, butter cookies, and sweets. The temple was a beautiful open space with newly painted walls and enormous gold Buddhas.  

The Royal Heritage Museum in Trongsa – An interesting museum with multiple artifacts focused on the kings of Bhutan.  We watched a short video on the history of Bhutan, the key Buddhas, and the royal family starting with the first king and ending with the current 5th king.  

Punakha Area

We drove into the area and experienced the first rain of our trip, but it didn’t stop us from the scheduled stops. 

Chimi Lhakhang – It’s a short climb up a trail to visit the temple honoring the 14th century yogi named Drukpa Kuenley, also known throughout Bhutan as the “divine madman”.  People come to the temple to seek fertility and there are multiple success stories from couples who have had children after their visit.  These successes are well documented in a photo album containing pictures of the children and their stories.  Many name their children “Kinley” to honor the temple.  We were not seeking fertility on our visit, but a monk did bestow a blessing on us by tapping us with an iron weapon (some sort of spear or arrow) and a carved phallic symbol to ensure each of us a long life.  

Punakha Dzong – One of the most impressive dzongs in the country, it lies between the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (male and female or father and mother, respectively) rivers and you access it from a covered footbridge crossing one river. Fires, an earthquake, and then a flood have damaged the dzong in the past but repairs have been made to restore it. The building is huge and has three courtyards - the first courtyard contains a large bodhi tree that is several hundred years old, and the larger courtyard in the back is used for festivals.  Despite having several temples, we were only allowed access to one.  As we walked back to the temple, we met an old woman who was carrying a stuffed bag full of crow’s beak squash, her first harvest of the spring, and an offering for the temple. This is common in Bhutan, and you will see offerings of food and snacks within all the temples.  The large assembly hall/temple had impressive murals depicting the life of Buddha.

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong – This dzong lies at the intersection of the Punak Tsang Chhu and Dang Chhu rivers and was recently reopened after a large fire destroyed most of the building in 2012.

Punakha suspension bridge – One of the longest suspension bridges in the world, stretching across the Pho Chu river and believed to be built by Thangtong Gyalpo.  

Khuruthang Goemba - After lunch, we crossed another metal suspension bridge and climbed up to a temple built by the Royal grandmother and consecrated in 2005.  There are several levels you can access inside, and we ended our visit by climbing the stairs to the roof for a view of the valley and the countryside.  

Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Choling nunnery – This is another newer nunnery financed and built by the 4th king’s father-in-law to be a college for nuns.

References: 

·  Wikipedia

·  University of Virginia (https://texts.mandala.library.virginia.edu/text/changköl-alcohol-porridge)

·  Cultures of the world: Bhutan by Cavendish Square Publishing, 2020, 3rd edition

·  Lonely Planet – Bhutan, 2017, 6th Edition

·  Beyond the Sky and the Earth by Jamie Zeppa

·  Movie –Travelers and Magicians