Paro, Bhutan

After the magnificent visit to the Tiger's Nest Monastery, we returned to the luxurious surroundings of the Amankora Paro Lodge (Pictures). It didn't take long for me to be ready for the next, somewhat less physical, experience.

We drove to the elegantly-proportioned Dzong in Paro. The security guard here insisted that I wear a full-sleeved jacket before he'd let me in. We looked around the secular, 'town-hall' part of the Dzong. A plan in English showed how to find the correct department. The modern-sounding list of sections (Engineering, Education, Culture, Census, Planning, Human Resources, Administration, Forestry, Agriculture, Environment...) seemed odd, accommodated in a medieval building full of ancient timbers gaily decorated with traditional painted designs.

Equally incongruous, the other half of the fortress is a monastery with temples, schoolrooms, kitchens and toilets. A sign in Bhutanese and English outside one toilet warned "ORDER - OTHER THAN DRATSHANG, NO BODY IS ALLOWED TO USE DRATSHANG'S TOILET". Oddly, it was perfectly acceptable for us to enter the schoolrooms and watch the young monks at study. The hillside site of the Dzong gives commanding views of the river below, spanned by a traditional bridge leading to the town of Paro. Pictures of Paro Dzong

With some reluctance, I left the serenity of the Dzong and we walked down the hill, crossed the pedestrian bridge and explored the town. The traditional Bhutanese buildings contrasted with roof-mounted satellite dishes and the nearby mobile radio tower. Wooded hills lay in the background and a rainbow seemed to promise good fortune. One shop had a television set, surrounded by a crowd of people with more people watching from the pavement through the open windows. The programme avidly being followed was live coverage of the National Archery Contest being held in Thimphu. We completed our tour of the town (including a visit to an antiques shop) and then drove back to the Amankora Paro Lodge. Pictures in and around Paro.

There was one more excursion I wanted to make before relaxing on my last evening in Bhutan. There's a ruined Dzong not far from the Lodge which I wanted to have a look at. Tashi thought the Caretaker probably closed the site to visitors at 5:00 p.m. but, nonetheless we went up there by car with Karma.

There was nobody at the Caretaker's cottage, so we walked up the path leading to the wooden entrance gate in the outer wall of the Dzong. The gate was open and Tashi said he'd wait by the gate while I explored inside - he was clearly concerned that the Caretaker would suddenly appear and lock the gate for the night! I clambered around ruined walls and, more than any other Dzong, its defensive importance was apparent. It felt just like some of the English Medieval Castles I've visited. When I returned to Tashi, he was talking to two young girls playing cheerfully with a ball. He explained that the Caretaker was away and the girls had been made responsible for locking the gate but they were a little late attending to their task. So I was very lucky to have gained access at all. The Caretaker, it appeared, had gone to Thimphu to watch the National Archery Contest. Pictures of the ruined Dzong.

Soon, we were back at the Lodge. It was time for me to bid farewell to this remarkable, improbable country and prepare myself for the long journey back home on the next day.

The Tiger's Nest Monastery, Paro, Bhutan

Saturday 12th September 2009

On Saturday, I was to attempt the hike to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery which clings to the cliffs in an improbable fashion 800 metres above the surrounding plain. All Bhutanese are expected to make a pilgrimage here at least once in their life – it is a very special place. The ascent typically takes two to two and a half hours – the descent is about half an hour quicker. It is possible to take a horse most of the way up but I thought I’d risk it on foot. Tashi had, very sensibly, suggested we set off a 7.00 a.m. whilst it was still cool and this proved excellent advice. Karma drove us to the car park near the collection of houses at the bottom of the track, passing a number of horses on their way to wait for customers. Tashi and I began the ascent at 7.20 a.m. The start of the track was quite easy – steps had been provided using small round wood as ‘risers’. The track climbed steadily through a wooded area, passing three water prayer wheels. Emerging from the trees, the track was harder to follow and I was glad that it was still cool. After 20 minutes, I stopped for a five-minute ‘breather’. I’d intended to carry on like this, with a ‘breather’ every so often, but as I continued I found I could keep moving at a steady pace without resting.

After about an hour of climbing, we came to a flat area with a single, large prayer wheel and a group of six small prayer wheels. There were a number of Bhutanese sitting around the large prayer-wheel – these were the first people we’d seen on the mountain. Even in this remote location, there were about five dogs lying around. From this clearing, we had our first, intermittent views of the monastery since starting the climb as the mist swirled aound the mountain top. Tashi pointed out a short path to the right leading to a cafeteria offering good views of the Monastery. Tashi said that a number of foreigners are happy to stop at the cafeteria and then descend again. Needless to say, your observer is made of sterner stuff and I set off again at a reasonable pace.

The track was undoubtedly steep in places and the footing uncertain but I found I was quite happy to keep going. Beyond the prayer wheels we were joined by a number of the dogs who either showed the way, investigated the interesting scents or tagged along behind. Climbing steadily, we entered another wooded area. Here, because of the higher elevation, Spanish Moss hung from the tree branches. This delicate, rootless plant looks very attractive, if a bit ‘other-worldly’. We came to a large cleft in an exposed rock decorated with hundreds of the pottery ‘miniature stupas’ placed by pilgrims. Tashi said that this was one of the places used for meditation. Still climbing, we came to a more exposed place where the path was near a sheer drop. Strings of prayer flags festooned the area. A small spring bubbled up right in the middle of the track and then drained off down the mountain. Next, we came to a small building, presumably built on the opening of a cave where a sign in English and Bhutanese identified the location as the birthplace of H. H. Khenpo Jeshey Guenden Rinchen. We arrived at a viewpoint which was actually higher than the monastery. There was quite a gathering of dogs here, some already there, some who had travelled up with us. A small house was nearby and two old ladies appeared from within the house to give the dogs some scraps, which caused some excitement amongst the animals.

The last challenge was now clear. To reach the monastery, there are first over 400 steps to descend so as to cross a bridge over a gorge and then as many steps to climb to reach the monastery on the other side of the gorge. Part way down the steps, there was a small building where pilgrims can light butter lamps. At the lowest point, there’s a short bridge at the base of an impressive waterfall where everything gets quite wet. Beyond the bridge, there’s another meditation lodge wedged against the rocks. Finally, at the top of the steps, there’s an unfriendly looking security check manned by staff in military camoflage dress, but with 108-bead Buddhist rosaries. Apparently, we were the first visitors of the day. You have to leave all your possessions at the security check (including, of course, cameras) before being allowed to proceed.

At last, we entered the monastery and the caretaker unlocked the main temple which has a door to a famous cave now opened only one day a year. Prostration to the altar was required, after which the caretaker administered the Holy Water blessing and we gave the required small donation. We then went up stone steps to a second temple where a different, perpetually smiling caretaker explained that visiting monks had recently started a special ritual which would last 15 days. There were about a dozen monks in the small temple, chanting from a text, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and drums. The effect was electrifying. Because this temple has a chair for the lama, prostration to this chair is required before honouring the altar.

Pictures of the Tiger's Nest Monastery.

Moving on to Paro

Friday 11th September 2009

I left the Punakha lodge at 9.00 a.m. and we made the three hour drive back to Thimphu. Land slips are quite common and at one point the road was completely blocked by an excavator shifting away fallen rocks. We were only delayed a few minutes. A little further on, a series of lorries blocked the road. They appeared to be being loaded with the fallen rock. After a short delay, we moved on.

Then, we came upon what appeared to be an accident between a red car going one way and a large lorry going the other way. There was just room for a single line of traffic to pass the accident by driving on the unsurfaced verge. Next to this accident, there was a Pelyab Transport Service bus in trouble. As far as I could make out, the bus had got past the accident by driving on the soft verge but, in so doing, had managed to get a large piece of wood stuck between the tyres of one of its double back wheels. The bus was easing backwards and forwards while two men tried to lever out the timber. We carried on a few minutes and came across a minor land slip where the edge of the road nearest the lower slope had fallen away. A crude wooden fence had been rigged to draw attention to this hazard.

As we came nearer Thimphu, the apple harvest was still in full throw then we were stopped by a queue of thirty cars waiting for an excavator to clear the road. This was the same worksite which had delayed us on the way east a few days before but this time the delay was 25 minutes. When we did move off, a narrow track had been cleared through sandy soil about three feet deep.

We reached Thimphu without further incident and drove to the Amankora Lodge Thimphu where I'd stayed on my arrival in Bhutan. Here, I took lunch before we carried on west to Paro, where I was to spend my last two nights in Bhutan at my fourth Amankora Lodge.

Pictures on the road from Punakha to Paro.

When we arrived in Paro, rather than proceed directly to the Lodge, we turned off the main road and took a winding, country route which eventually climbed to the National Museum, set on a hill overlooking the Rinpung Dzong. The museum is in an ancient tower which once served as a watchtower protecting the Dzong. Some say it’s conche-shaped: it’s certainly not just round. The exhibits are spread over a number of floors and the visit provided a useful insight into Bhutanese traditions and history. On leaving the museum, there were superb views of Paro and the surrounding district.

Pictures outside the Museum.

As we descended from the museum by car, the road was blocked by a T.V. Film Crew. A famous Bhutanese director was coaching a group of young male and female dancers in modern dress in a lively song-and-dance routine. He was attempting an ‘arty’ against-the-light take facing the setting sun. Along with a number of schoolchildren we watched for a while before returning to the Lodge.

Pictures of Paro and the Film Crew.