Chorten in Chendebji

We stopped at this site for a break on our trip east last week. The main structure in the middle of the photo is a chorten in the Nepali style and is actually a small replica of a chorten in Kathmandu. It was built in the 1800s as the farthest west in a path of chortens for early Buddhist missionaries and covers an evil spirit that was killed at the site (according to Lonely Planet).

The eyes of Buddha:

More trip photos, Wangdi

The old town of Wangdue Phodrang is built along a cliff's edge. Shops like this line the road.

Paradise:

Back from our trip

It feels great to be home from our five-day road trip East. I had a blast, saw many amazing things, and have the pictures to prove it. Mostly, anyway. One of the most inspiring things I saw was the inside of a temple in the dzong at Punakha (more about what dzongs are in the blogs below). Every inch of this temple was covered in paintings, carvings, fabric, statues, butter lamps, and prayer rugs. I could have stayed for hours in just that one space, but unfortunately the dzong was closing, so we had to scoot.

Trip East – Chortens

Chortens are structures that contain religious relics and help ward off evil where they are placed. You find them at mountain passes, across streams, and many other places within the country. Here are a few we saw:

Trip East - Wildlife

Black-necked Cranes

Black-necked Cranes are an endangered species that live most of the year in Tibet, but in the winter they migrate to various parts of Bhutan and a few other countries. Phobjikha Valley is one of their winter nesting grounds, and as we drove onto the valley floor, two cranes flew right over us.

Monkeys

More monkeys! This time at least 30, with several older monkeys carrying their young on their chests. Check out the video we took:

Yaks

As you go over the mountain pass into the Phobjikha Valley, yaks dot the hillsides. I admit, I had no idea if they were closer to bulls or cows, so I may have asked if they would charge the car if we got close. See the thrilling conclusion for yourself:

Trip East - Haircut

Matt got his hair cut in Trongsa, and he was definitely in the spotlight. The girl peeking through the window is wearing a kira (the skirt) and the jacket top is called a toego. Both come either machine-made or hand-made.

Trip East – Dzongs

Dzongs were the historical fortresses of the country, so the older ones are in awe-inspiring locations that seem to be barely hanging on to the edge of a cliff or across rivers that someone would definitely think twice before trying to cross. Now the dzongs serve as administrative and religious centers for each district in the country.

To picture the inside of a dzong, think “castle.” There are steps and passageways leading to different parts of the fortress, now holding government offices, Buddhist temples, monks’ sleeping quarters, old lookout towers, and alcoves filled with Buddhist paintings.

This is the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong, dating to the 17th century.

This is the Trongsa Dzong, from the 15th century, ancestral home of the Bhutanese monarchy.

And the gorgeous Punakha Dzong:

Trip East – the Himalayas

On our way back to Thimphu today, we were treated to a rare cloudless day at one of the highest mountain passes on the road. It’s easy to see why this is called the “Third Pole” – these snow- and glacier-capped mountains also form the border with Tibet.

Adventure

Tomorrow we will attempt for the forth time to go East. The farthest I have gone so far was just past Dochu La with my internship organization when we had to turn back because of snow. Two other times Matt and I planned to go East, but each time we've been thwarted by illness or weather.

But not this time (I hope)! The King's birthday is next week, so everyone has a 5-day weekend, plenty of time for an adventure. We're hoping to go see the Black-necked Cranes in Phobjikha, then farther East to possibly Tongsa. Tongsa is maybe 80km as the crow flies from where we live, but the valley after steep valley makes it around a 8-hour drive. The road is really windy, so the highway itself is much longer than 80km between the two points.

Of course, two days ago it snowed a decent amount. I'm hoping it will have all melted on the passes by tomorrow...

A short stay in Paro, altar room

In addition to a resident monk, the hotel in Paro also had this gorgeous altar room.

A short stay in Paro, dancing

The night we stayed at the hotel, we witnessed a performance of traditional dances from around the country to live music with traditional instruments.

A short stay in Paro, carvings

After I returned from the US, I had about two days to finish preparing for a talk I was scheduled to give at a workshop in Paro, which is about an hour away from Thimphu. Paro is also where you'll fly into when you visit us. The organization put us up for the night at the hotel where the workshop was being held, and WOW. An amazing property, very posh. The woodwork alone makes it worth the visit.

Upon entering the main lobby, you're immersed in layers upon layers of elaborate, brightly painted carvings of dragons, lotus blossoms, and creatures.

If you click on this one to enlarge it, you can see the carvings under the paint a bit better: