Glimpses of Bhutan - Paro and the Tiger's Nest

The title refers to Yangki's tour company and can be accessed here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glimpses-of-Bhutan-Tours-Post-BOx-792/123688490996117

Saturday 1st Mar
Up at 03:30 for pick up at 04:30 to BKK, checked in for flight to Paro via Guwahati, Assam. Flight took off about 07:15 and landed 2hr 50mins later in Guwahati at 08:05 local time GMT+5.5 (our new time zone will be GMT+6). However, we were delayed due to weather conditions in Paro, eventually took off but were still unable to land and ended back at Guwahati at 11:30!

Kept on the plane for the next 2.5hrs, we're given a drink (non-alcoholic only), before taking off at 13:55 with a flight time of 30mins. Landing at Paro requires full visibility as the aircraft has to fly around the mountains in the valley!!

Coming in to land, good thing the pilot can see the trees!!

Even to take off visibility is a must!

Arrived (landed safely) at 15:00 local time. Paro is around 2300m and it was most noticeable that breathing was more difficult than normal. Met by Yangki our tour organiser and then ferried to our hotel the Janka Resort, where we were welcomed with a traditional colourful dance in full costume.

Settled into our rooms and met at 18:30 to go for a typical Bhutanise buffet dinner in town. I had to try the local beer Druk 11000 a strong beer that doesn't exceed 8%, it was very good! Back at 21:00 and basically to bed, there is a noticeable change in climate, have to wear layers as it's only 1 or 2 degrees C.

Sunday 2nd Mar
Up early to catch the sunrise over the mountains that I can see from my room. They are spectacular although very far away.

Breakfast before all the others had even scratched the surface. Today is the Lunar New Year of Bhutan we left around 10:00am to go to the Paro Dzong. It's not just a temple but also an administration office, it is built like a fortress, see the pictures.

A thoughtful Monk

Chris James Hoffman, sketching the Dzong

The Four Friends 

Paro Dzong a Fortress...

A typical wooden bridge

The Dzong from the river.

We then went to some temple ruins and as it was New Year lots of locals go there to have a picnic lunch, which is exactly what we did. It was a 10 minute walk up and that was OK. It was fun here as we wanted to take pictures of the locals and they wanted to take pictures of us! There were some good views here also!

A local family, not all concentrating though!

Sisters, Brothers and Cousins - who knows!

Diane, Pauline and a local Mum and daughters...

Can I take a picture? 

A snow capped peak...

The colourful Prayer flags

Bhutans own Half Dome...

Our tour organised the picnic lunch that they brought all the way up to the temple ruins, this included chairs and rugs to sit on, crockery, cutlery, food, tea, etc. etc.

After lunch, as they had had to make more than one run to get all the stuff up there we then tried to help but they resisted, however, we persisted and did just the one trip down.

On the route back to our hotel we stopped at one of the oldest temples around built in the 7th century. This was quite amazing inside but we were asked not to take photographs! The reason that they don't like people taking photos inside the temples is because we may discard some of these and that is seen as disrespecting the Buddah and Bhuddism in general. As it was still their Lunar New Year celebrations there were lots of locals and Monks coming it to pray, etc.

Back to the hotel, before dinner around 7:30pm.

Monday 3rd March
Breakfast pack and off to the Tigers Nest, left just after 7:30am to get there early to avoid the midday Sun. Up to the Cafe on horse/pony back.

Up you get Melina

When I got to the Cafe, about 2900m, I felt a tightening in my chest and tingling fingers, a sure sign of AMS, acute mountain sickness! So I was given garlic to sniff, hot sugary tea and hot ginger in water. Eventually the symptoms cleared. So while I waited with Yangki for the others to return for lunch, about 2-3 hours, I took some snaps and it gave me time to find out all about Yangki...

Tiger's Nest

A local bird feeding on Red rice...

A different view of the Tiger's Nest

The view from the Cafe without the zoom!!

Lunch and then a slow descent, about 45-60 minutes.

To Thimphu via the Jangka Hotel resort to collect our luggage. The journey took about one or two hours to do the 55Km, the roads are being widened and so we have to travel at a comparatively slow speed. However, we get to see more of the journey than usual although it's not easy to take many photos, etc.

Arrived at the Khang Residency around 6:00pm, this around 2450m. The rooms here were superb, the bathroom had underfloor heating, this was so good and a welcome change from the Jangka which had felt chilly and damp. We also had a shared lounge area for the three rooms that were located together on the 5th floor.

We went to Yangki's restaurant which just happened to be next door! A feast was prepared and we all ate and drunk to our content.

Phileas