This. Is. It. Monday, October 26th, 2015

Taksang Palphug Monastery -- Tiger's Nest!

Today is the day we've all been waiting for, at least most of us (one couple chose not to hike).  This is the day Jimmy and I trained for in the Sierra Nevada mountains prior to embarking on this Road Scholar Best of the Mountain Kingdom trip.  We wanted to do it, to hike to the top; we hoped we could make it.  This is an intense hike to a Buddhist temple complex that clings to a cliff 10,236' above sea level on the Upper Paro Valley.  Yes, up where the red arrow points ... that tiny white building is the monastery and that's where we're headed.  Our beginning elevation is approx 8,000'.  

When you're looking up at the Tiger's Nest from the Paro Valley or from the bottom of the cliff, it seems almost impossible to reach, crazy to even try!  Many aspirants make it to the Teahouse (cafeteria), where the view of the monastery is marvelous, they take a picture or two, and then turn around, and that's okay.  Three of our group of 11 made it all the way to the Tiger's Nest: Jimmy, me, and Sheila, an avid hiker from Bend, Oregon.  From the parking lot to the top is 2.5 miles.  Sheila had over 20,000 steps on her fitbit for the day. (My fitbit didn't work!)

Starting out:  Me, Sheila, and Jimmy at the water-powered prayer wheel.

Sheila (in red shirt) is catching her breath as she waits for us to reach her.  Though the morning was cool, the climb was steep, and it didn't take us long to shuck our jackets!

Ponies are available to ride up to the cafeteria, but you have to walk down.  The ponies make two trips up per day, leaving lots of horse apples behind, if you get my drift.

Me, Jimmy and Sonam (our guide) at the Pavilion -- a nice rest stop along the dusty path. The main peculiarity of this amazingly beautiful monastery is its isolated location, only accessible to us by this mountainous path.  That obviously makes it very unique!

Sheila and me at the entrance to the Taksang Cafeteria.  We were very happy to pause here for a cup of refreshing tea, plus biscuits (cracker/cookies), free to everyone.  There may be a cafeteria, but we didn't see one -- just the tea and biscuits.  Tables and chairs are provided and the Tiger's Nest view was wonderful.  We didn't linger; we still had a long haul ahead of us.  

Several Yellow-billed Blue Magpies were scouting around at the cafeteria, along with a couple of dogs and one cat (that we saw).  The Magpies are striking.  One of the dogs stole a biscuit off my plate as I was taking this bird's picture!

Hugging the rocky side of a cliff, 3,000' above the valley, the Tiger's Nest monastery is one of the most sacred sites in Bhutan.  Built in the 1600's, Taksang is the birthplace of Bhutan's Buddhism.  Legend says that in the 8th century, Guru Rinpoche flew here from Tibet on the back of a tigress to subdue a demon.  He meditated for three months in a cave at Taksang. Over the centuries, numerous Buddhist Masters have meditated here as well .... This view is from the cafeteria.

The trail to the monastery climbs through a beautiful Blue Pine forest ... we saw trees festooned with Spanish Moss and Resurrection Ferns, almost like you'd see in the Southeast US.

We walked beneath groves of fluttering prayer flags.  They symbolize protection from evil forces, positive energy, vitality and good luck  ...

... and we finally arrived at the stairs ... Jimmy starts down.
It is said that we gain merit with every step we take.

Strenuous, yes, but rewarding ... to see the spectacular and famous monastery first-hand. We've dreamed of this. Jimmy is looking up at the camera (lower right corner), still clambering down the stairs toward the waterfall, before starting back up (see the path at left snaking up to the monastery?).  Eyeing the precipitous drop from the stairs ain't for the faint-hearted.  Thank goodness for railings!  The steps are uneven, too, and we were glad we both had a hiking pole (which had been recommended).

MANY steps lead DOWN to this waterfall at the foot of the monastery.  The waterfall plunges 197 feet into a sacred pool.  Inside the white building next to Jimmy, a bell sounds, activated by the water. 

Once at the waterfall, MANY steps lead UP to the monastery, tough slogging here.

What an amazing adventure.

Enlarge the photo!

We have arrived at this sacred Buddhist site:  The Tiger's Nest monastery!  We've passed several caves and it's quite chilly at this elevation, so we donned our jackets.  We gave our camera, walking sticks, hats and sun glasses and shoes to our guide who left everything with security.  Climbing flights of stone steps in sock feet, we toured three colorful temples, each with its own Buddha, and each with its own character.  At one temple our guide poured saffron-scented water into our cupped hands, to sip a bit and splash the remainder on our foreheads, as a blessing.  Our guide explained the meaning of each temple as we went along. If you enlarge this picture, you'll see a monkey or two in the tree! 

A family of Tarai Gray Langurs were eating berries in the tree.

When the berries ripened, they came down from an even higher elevation to eat.

I wanted to share this adventure with my late brother, Bill, who passed away in 2009 from mesothelioma, and my sister, Nannie, a breast cancer survivor, so I wore a Warriors-in-Pink scarf she'd given me and carried a photo of Bill. They would've loved to join us on this hike. And then, I picked up two pebbles (in my hand) to represent my other two brothers, Rus and Rob, just because.

But it's the beauty of the place and its sublime setting, plus an element of magic here at Taksang.  The colors in the temples, the mystique, the wonder of this monastery perched like an eagle's nest on a cliff, the effort to get here that made our journey so worthwhile.  In a word:  Wow! 

Sonam collected our gear and said we needed to get going, back to the bus as the others were touring a tiny village nearby and would soon be waiting for us.  The hike up took us over two hours, now we'd have to scurry down.  We wouldn't stop at the cafeteria on the way down, tho another cup of tea would've given us a little more energy.  Sheila (above) has already begun the trek down to the bridge over the waterfall.

To keep the sun off, I guess!

Down, down, down.
Already the Tiger's Nest is a mere white dot on the cliffside.

I thought this Oriental Turtle Dove was pretty,
so I included it in the photo gallery!

Lunch was waiting for us a short drive away when we finally made it down to the bus. Jimmy was too thirsty to eat, but I gobbled everything in sight, and it tasted mighty delicious. At 2:30, our bus dropped us off at our cottage door, which we really appreciated -- otherwise, we'd have had to climb, climb, climb more stairs to get to our room, and we were done climbing this day!

A nice shower revived us, and the bus took us back into town, to shop till we dropped, or just look around. Tiger's Nest was the talk at dinner! The group was proud of us. Sheila, Jimmy and I were tired! I should be embarrassed to tell you we were in bed asleep at 8pm, but I'm not. We slept like the dead.

The next morning we were ready to roll. Our time in Bhutan is finished -- a most hospitable and kind and beautiful country -- and we enjoyed it all. We transferred to the airport, where we said goodbye to our Bhutanese guide, Sonam, thanking him for this kind service. Our Drukair flight to Bangkok left at 11:30, and we were on our way again. Our sixth flight this trip!

Sunday afternoon in Paro -- 10/26/15

After our group of 11 got to Paro, Bhutan, and checked into Tashi Namgay Resort, our bus drove us to the central area of Paro for a look-around and to shop if we cared to. One of the first things we saw was horses cropping grass in an empty lot near the sidewalk. We didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. All of us enjoyed walking along the streets and poking in and out of the small stops, even if much of it was the same stuff for sale. Some of us even bought souvenirs.

Then we spotted this handsome li'l guy, sitting in an open window, who wanted to play ... children everywhere love to play peek-a-boo.  Scenes like these make a foreign land seem nearer and dearer, and the day brighter.

Because Tashi Namgay Resort is opposite Bhutan's only international airport, we were able to watch this Drukair plane take off from our room.  It's a narrow lane between mountain ranges that the planes have to negotiate while they climb.  Luckily, the airport doesn't operate at night.

The resort is set amid five acres of lush foliage and green lawns.  Again, the unique architecture of this tiny mountainous country was evident as soon as we pulled in, yet the rooms offered all the amenities of a modern resort.  The buildings are set apart from each other, offering a calm and restful environment, and use solar lights, wood shingle roofing, and mud-brick walls.  

In the lobby, the stylized architectural design was gorgeous. 

Because we wanted a large single bed (rather than two twin-sized beds), Jimmy and I lucked up and were placed in a suite with living area, mini-kitchen, dressing area and bathroom, as well as the lovely bedroom above. Actually, this was one-half of a cottage. Its heated floors were nice!  I really, really wanted to roll up this rug and take it home.  It wouldn't fit in my luggage even if I threw everything else out, but I sure thought about it.

Before dinner, we moseyed around the landscaped grounds and down to the river (Pachu), which is sandwiched between the resort and the airport.  The Pachu rises out of a mountain in the Himalayas and the glacial water plunges thru alpine meadows and deep gorges before descending into the Paro valley.  Where we were, the river was lively and cold, and tho shallow, it carried a swift current.  We didn't see any trout, but I betcha it would be a good trout river.

Yup, cold.

I sat facing this wonderful chandelier and ceiling during dinner ... it hangs above the curved staircase that leads from the lobby to the dining room.

And THIS was our "debriefing" about tomorrow's hike.  It's kinda clear as mud.  We'll be up early in the morning to eat breakfast and get on the bus.  We're supposed to arrive at the parking lot by 8 am.  So ... tomorrow is 

The Big Day!

World's Largest Sitting Buddha? Sunday, 10/25/15

Still in the Land of the Thunder Dragon (Bhutan), we left its capital, Thimphu, for the town of Paro (where we'll spend the next two nights).  On our way, we took a side trip to see one of the world's largest sitting Buddhas.  Check out these pictures!  In the photo below, while we were still far from the site, the Shakyamuni Buddha sits gracefully atop a hill, high above Thimphu.

This awesome sitting Buddha, which is nearing completion, is definitely the biggest and most striking we've seen, tho technically it is only "one of the largest sitting Buddhas."  I asked Jimmy to stand in the photo for size comparison.  This has to be one of the greatest sights we've ever seen.  Isn't it something?  

This Buddha Dordenma is being built to become a pilgrimage center and a focal point for Buddhists from all parts of the world to converge, meditate and retreat.  Because of ongoing construction, we missed seeing much of what might be considered the tenth wonder of the world when finished.  Maybe someday we can return to see the finished project.

I hope you can read this; if not, please enlarge.  Otherwise, it reads, in part:  The 169-ft bronze Buddha Dordenma, symbolizing indestructibility, will be erected ... overlooking the capital city, Thimphu. Encapsulated inside its enlightened bronze chest are 125,000 miniature Buddhas, ranging from 8 to 12 inches tall, made of copper and gilded in gold, and placed in multi-layered grid boxes. This means that in Thimphu, which has a population of around 100,000, there are more Buddhas than there are human beings.  In a word:  WOW!

These wonderful bas-relief sculptures adorn the base. 

Photo bomb of Jimmy by Krish, our guide!

Beautiful gilded Bodhisattva statues surround the Buddha.

Irwin posing with one of the Bodhisattvas.
Absolutely spectacular site.

Our journey to behold the Buddha over, we continued on to Paro.  Driving these narrow, winding roads has to be a challenge to our driver, but he handled the bus expertly.  The Bhutanese people don't honk the vehicle horns, assuredly one of the few countries in the world that is quiet in that regard, and they're courteous, regardless of the situation!

Driving obstacles.

Much of the drive to Paro is quite scenic.

Plus landslide obstacles.

Really snazzy road construction vehicles.

Building a major road, one brick at a time, makes for job security.

Most of the workers we saw were women.

At Paro, we were back where rice fields were being harvested.

Then, past the airport, where we'll fly again in two days.
This Drukair plane is fixin' to take off momentarily.

And over the Pachu (river) to the picturesque Tashi Namgay Resort, our next "home."  I believe the people at the river's edge are either bathing or washing clothes.  Whatever they're doing, I promise you that the water is COLD.

After checking into this outstanding resort, overlooking both the river and the airport (don't worry, no planes fly at night and few fly during the day), our group visited the National Museum, which is now housed in a new location next to the ancient watch tower. The watch tower suffered partial damage in an earthquake in September 2011, and remains closed while undergoing renovation. The museum explored Bhutan's history and rich culture, but, sorry, no photos were allowed.

At dinner, we were given a "debriefing" about tomorrow's exciting and exacting hike: OMG -- the Tiger's Nest!