Asia: Bhutan 2012

"Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life"

Michael Palin

On March 30, 2012, Art Clarke & Melanie Mason departed Kathmandu for home after spending a month in Nepal (see the previous post in this series).  Meanwhile, Paul Delaney and myself, depart Kathmandu for the country of.....

Kingdom of Bhutan

Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is no ordinary place.  This is a country where buying cigarettes is illegal, where the rice is red and where chillies aren't just a seasoning but the entire dish.  It's also a deeply Buddhist land, where men wear a tunic to work, where giant protective penises are painted on the walls of most houses, and where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than Gross National Product.  Tourism in Bhutan is also unique.  Visitors famously have to pay a minimum of US$200 per day, making it one of the world's most expensive countries to visit, but this fee is all-inclusive, you don't have to travel in a group and you can arrange your own itinerary.  What you won't find in Bhutan is backpacker-style independent travel.  This is Nepal for the jet set.

It is also a country of surprises.  This is not just a nation of saintly, other-worldly hermits.  Bhutan is straddling the ancient and modern world and these days you'll find monks transcribing ancient Buddhist text onto computers as traditionally dressed noblemen chat on their mobile phones.  Visiting Bhutan, you become one of the few who have experienced the charm and magic of one of the world's most enigmatic countries - the 'last Shangri La' - and you're playing your part in this medieval kingdom's efforts to join the modern world, while steadfastly maintaining its distinct and amazing cultural identity.

Called Druk Yul (Land of the Thunder Dragon) by its people, the strikingly beautiful Kingdom of Bhutan lies in the eastern Himalayas, sandwiched between China and India.  Besides the stunning natural scenery, the enduring image of the country for most visitors is the strong sense of culture and tradition that binds the kingdom and clearly distinguishes it from its larger neighbours.

  

We fly into the Bhutanese capital of........

Thimphu

As the 50-year-old capital of one of the world's most unusual countries, Thimphu has a youthful exuberance that constantly challenges the country's natural conservatism.  The resulting juxtapositions of old and new are an essential part of its charm.  Crimson-robe monks, Indian labourers, government employees clad in ghos and kiras (traditional dress) and camera-welding tourist all share pot-holed pavements, and nobody, it seems, is in a hurry.  Thimphu is as close as it gets to being urban, but it never feels more than a friendly over-sized village. 

You approach Thimphu along a winding, single lane access road, little wider than the trucks that suddenly emerge around each curve.  Each blind bend promises a glimpse of your destination; however, for most of the journey all that is revealed is another curve followed by another.  The steep hillsides are dotted with houses, some abandoned, their massive earthen-walls slowly crumbling, and the occasional white-washed temple.  Suddenly the road drops to a modern expressway on the valley floor, whisking you through paddy fields to the capital of one of the world's most intriguing countries.

Thimphu is the world's only capital without traffic lights.  A set was installed, but the residents complained that it was impersonal, and so gesticulating, white-gloved police continue to direct the ever-increasing traffic.  As well as being a classic Bhutanese anachronism, it may be the city's most photographed spectacle.

Main street Thimphu……similar to any other big city main street except there's no graffiti, garbage or bums! 

Bhutanese architecture is one of the most striking features of the country and its uniqueness is definitely the first thing you notice…..this is a holistic hospital.

Being in Thimphu on a weekend is the perfect opportunity to visit the 'weekend market'.
Wander around the market and you'll find a pungent collection of dried fish, strips of fatty pork, balls of homemade soft cheese, and lots and lots of chilli peppers!

While in Thimphu we visited the Motithang Takin Reserve, which was originally established as a mini-zoo, however, some years ago the king decided that such a facility was not in keeping with Bhutan's environmental and religious convictions, and it was disbanded.  The animals were released into the wild, but Takin, Bhutan's National Animal, were so tame that they wandered the streets of Thimphu looking for food, and the only solution was to put them back into captivity.  This oddball mammal has the head of a goat and the body of a bison.

Overseeing Thimphu is the huge 50 metre tall steel statute of Buddha Dordenma.  It's at this time I need to clarify something about Bhutan…..they are big time into their religion…..and to be big time into ones religion, one must have all the trappings of that religion….in Buddhism its prayer flags, white-and-red chortens, temples and images of Buddha……many many many images of Buddha!

This huge Buddha was built in China (of course), cut into pieces and then shipped and trucked into Thimphu.  They were still constructing the three-story throne when we were there.  It will eventually hold several chapels, while the body itself is filled with 125,000 smaller statutes of Buddha……who knew?

The Tibetan-style National Memorial Chorten is one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu, and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of their daily worship.  It was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Wangchuck……are they kidding me????  That's his name?  JigMe WangChuck….ha ha ha!!

It's particularly charming, seeing the timeless collection of old-timers, hauling away at room-size giant prayer wheels in the wheel house shrine next to the chorten.

So what is this old guy on the ground doing you ask?  Good question….he's prostrating…..getting past the vulgar-sounding name:  Prostration is a gesture used in Buddhist practice to show reverence to the triple gem (comprising the Buddha, his teachings, and spiritual community) and other objects of veneration.

Buddhist execute a type of prostration that is known as 'five-point veneration' or the 'five-limbed prostration' where the two palms and elbows, two sets of toes and knees, and the forehead are placed on the ground.  Hence the need for the pads on his knees, elbows and hands and belly…..

Among Buddhist they believe prostration is beneficial for many reasons, but mainly it is the accumulation of merit in the quest for karma! 

We visited the.......

Trashi Chhoe Dzong

This large dzong, north of the city on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, manages not to impose on the valley or the city as a dominating, impenetrable fortress; rather, its splendid proportions and modest setting bestow a subtle, monastic magnificence.  The dzong housed the original National Assembly and now houses the secretariat, the throne room and offices of the king and the ministries of home affairs and finance.  When King Jigme Wangchuck (hee hee) moved the capital to Thimphu in 1962, he began a five-year project to completely renovate and enlarge the dzong.  The royal architect performed the repairs without touching the utse, Lhakhang Sarpa or any other of its chapels at the centre.  Other than these structures, the entire dzong was rebuilt in traditional fashion, without nails or written plans.

The majestic, yet oddly named dzong, Trashi Chhoe pronounced Trashy Joe!

Bhutan's dzongs are perhaps the most visibly and striking architectural aspect of the kingdom.  They are outstanding examples of grand design and construction.  These huge, white citadels dominate the major towns and serve as the administrative headquarters of the districts and the focus of secular and religious authority.

Since this is the seat of the Kingdom, the Royal Guard display their version of the 'changing of the guard!'

Trashi Chhoe has two main entrances on its eastern side.  One leads to the Administrative section towards the south, and another, towards the north, leads to the Monastic Quarter, the summer residence of the dratshang (central monk body), and where the dances of the annual tsechu festival are performed.

According to tradition, no women can be in the dzong between sunset and sunrise.  This tradition has only been broken once, former Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi, stayed in the dzong.
This is the main courtyard of the dzong.  This structure is the Assembly Hall which houses a large statute of Buddha (of course) and thrones of the current king. 

Upon entering the courtyard it's hard not to be impressed by the splendid proportions of the architecture, the enclosed silence broken only by the flights of pigeons, the shuffle of monks feet and the whirr of prayer wheels.

And moving on…….

The Bhutanese have this thing about building their Goemba's (monasteries) atop rocky crags or on remote hillsides….such as the Tango Goemba, which is across this bridge and a climb of 280mts.  Part of our activity for our time spent in Thimphu was the hike up…..it was supposed to take a hour, it took us about 20 minutes. 

The Lama Gyalwa Lhanampa founded the place in the 12th century, and the Divine Madman (a name you'll hear a lot about in this blog) built the present building in the 15th century.

The protective penis: painted on most of the Bhutanese houses, this is another tradition that can be attributed to the Divine Madman.

We took a road trip from.....

Thimphu to Gangtey

Our journey to Gangtey would take a full day.  After picking up our mountain bikes, we start the drive on the National Highway to Dochu La Pass (3,140mts).  The route climbs through apple orchids and forest of blue pines until we reach an immigration check-point.  From there we continue onwards to Dochu La Pass where we mount our bikes and head downhill for a 2 1/2 hour 60km bike ride to Wangdue Phodrang.  After lunch at Wangdue Phodrang, we continue eastward towards the Pele La Pass (3,420mt) before descending into the Phobjikha Valley.

Hilltop chortens, 108 in total at the Dochu La Pass.

From here at the Pass we can clearly see the Eastern Himalayan mountains.  These are the thrones of the gods: almost none have been climbed, many are virtually unexplored and some are not even named.

Amongst the hundreds of fluttering prayer flags, Paul gets ready to get a final shot before the 2 1/2 hour bike ride down into the valley below.

The traffic is light, the scenery spectacular, the mountain air is fresh, clean and crisp, the bike is in excellent condition and the sun is shining….and best of all….it's 60kms……all downhill. 

Paul taking one of the many turns as we weave downwards!

The Kid avoiding a broken guard-rail as I take the turn!  Weeeee!!

A typical Bhutanese village perched on a hill. 

This is where our bike ride ends, just before the bridge that crosses the Punak Tsang Chhu (river).  The Wangdue Phodrang Dzong sits atop a high ridge with a commanding view of the valley.  Built in 1638, the dzong was under repairs when we visited.

The dzongs are built without any nails in the construction and all the beams are hand carved.  Here a wood carver works on the massive beams used in the renovations at the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong.

Elaborately carved beams waiting to be put into place.

Since there are no plans or drawings used in the construction, the only way to get an exact fit during the renovations, is to lay all the pieces out in the courtyard…... 

…..and brute strength is the only way to do that!!!

After lunch we drive over a road that is at best unsettling, climbing up the glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains and over the Pele La pass.  Our destination is the Gangtey Goemba, situated in the Phobjikha valley.  It enjoys the valley's prime chunk of real estate, on a forested hill overlooking the green expanse of the entire Phobjikha valley.

Paul sizing up the entrance to the Gangtey Goemba (circa 1613).

Little Dalia Lama's-in-training having a friendly match of cricket outside the monastery!

A picture of Moi standing next to the elaborately painted entrance of the goemba.

The main prayer hall (tshokhang).  The inner sanctum houses the funeral chorten of the founder, Tenzing Legpey Dhenup…..now you know.

A monk going about doing his daily chores…in this case washing some clothes.

Monk with prayer drums….only him and Buddha knows what he plans on doing with them drums.

The intrigue and detailed paintings and carvings of the temple roof struts…..to think the whole temple has these carvings and paintings, what amount of time must have been involved.

The beautiful glacial valley bowl below the Goemba is peppered with villages, such as this potato farming village.  We start our hike of the valley here…..

The farming road that we started on soon gives way to a logging road which will eventually give way to a trail through this peaceful pine forest.

The very rare (only 500 birds left) Black-necked Crane breeds in Tibet and then crosses the Himalaya to overwinter in this one marsh in Bhutan.  When we arrived all but two birds remain, the rest having migrated back to Tibet for the summer.

The trail continues on past this old chorten overlooking the massive valley marshland.

In order to get from our side of the valley to the other side, we must cross over the marsh….and this is how we do it!!

I told Karma (guide taking the picture) to catch me in a walking motion….lol…he got me perfect, 'cept I'm going in the wrong direction!!!! Notice Paul in the distance.

The last of the walkway and its closely guarded by a nostril-snorting-ground-pawing-mean-tempered black bull…..Ok so maybe not.  But just to be sure I sent Paul ahead…..Ok so maybe not, Paul would be up ahead anyway!

Archery, Bhutan's national sport (I was thinking prostration races was a good contender for that title….ye had to be there) is seen regularly throughout the country, as was happening here at the end of our hike……..

…….the target seem impossibly tiny and the distance immense (130mts to be exact) and yet the target is hit regularly.

Our tour company indicated that we would spend the night in a "typical farmhouse accommodations", and this is probably as typical as it gets: two storeys high with a large, airy attic used for storage.

As with all trips, expect the unexpected…..and in this case it was at this place.  The beer was cold, the hostess's kept it coming with a smile, and the stove was very nicely warm!  An immense improvement over the impersonal modern hotels we'd been staying in since arriving in Bhutan.

Aaaah the ladies.  Responding to Paul's mating-call "Hey missus, another beer here".  Actually, since none of them spoke any English, the only word they probably understood was "beer"!!

Compared to the teahouses we had stayed at in Nepal, this place was a luxury hotel.  The rooms even had their own wood stoves, albeit I nearly smoked us out!

The next day we head back the way we came....

Heading out of Tabiting, the village where we spent the night!

Poles and poles of vertical prayer flags dot the land around this part of Bhutan.

And now for another awesome bike ride…..this time we are heading back over the road we had come the day before.  Here Paul speeds off from atop Pele La mountain pass.

At 3,420 metres, Pele La pass starts off with many switchbacks and winding curves……perfect for gravity-fed mountain biking!

The trouble with gravity-fed mountain biking in Bhutan, is you go faster than the vehicular traffic…..so it can be dangerous.  You never know what to expect around the next blind corner…..a Tata truck coming at you, or even catching up to a Tata truck, fallen trees, even a fallen cow….

….and this roadside avalanche of rock and rubble was still happening when I came upon it.

A rhododendron in full bloom with the road that's carved into the mountain in the background…our road!

We've been hearing about this Divine Madman of Bhutan for the last few days.  So today we hiked up to a monastery dedicated to him.  Born Lama Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529), he's one of Bhutan's favourite saints and his crazy wisdom is the basis for much of Bhutan's quirkiness…..such as the importance they put on the protective penis.  I mean where else would you find a Phallus Handicraft store??

Sooooo what would one do with the large red penis with the hat and looking at you with the one eye….lol

The hike consisted of cutting thru terraced rice paddies….but first back to the Divine Madman for a minute…..they say he used songs, humour and outrageous behaviour to get his point across and for this he was labelled the Divine Madman….well he was neither divine nor mad.  Apparently all he was interested in was good wine, lot's of sex and basically having a good time, hardly things that would label a person mad….actually to me that would make him sane!

The land is dotted with these vertical prayer flags.  There are two kinds of prayer flags:  horizontal ones, called lung ta (meaning 'Wind Horse') in Tibetan, and vertical Darchor Dar translates as 'all sentient beings'….now you know.

One of the strange things about a prayer flag is they don't make a fluttering sound when blowing in the wind….weird hey?!?

When we arrived at the Divine Madman's Monastery we found that he wasn't in….actually all that was around were these monkettes playing a game called "knock-the-rock-pile-over-with-the-soccerball".

We visited the....

Punakha Dzong

The Punakha Dzong, (meaning 'the palace of great happiness or bliss') is arguably the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan.  Constructed in 1637-38, it is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan.  The Dzong houses the sacred remains of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (the builder).  It's 180m long and 72m wide and the Utse is six stories high.  The Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha-Wangdue valley.

The Punakha Dzong

A closer view!

The entrance to the Dzong is a set of steep steps with the last part being wooden.  These wooden steps are retracted each night so that no one can get in……..or out.

The upper parts of the Dzong entrance is covered in beehives.

The administrative courtyard of the Dzong.  In the middle is a huge white chorten and bodhi tree.  In the far left corner is an encased collection of beach rocks (????).  Apparently it's a shrine to Tsochen, queen of the snake spirits…..just looks like a pile of rocks to me!!

The entrance to the "hundred-pillar" assembly hall (which actually has only 54 pillars)….so they're a few shy…..what's a few to Buddha?

A monk walks in front of the massive Utse.

Karma, our guide, patiently waits for us to do the picture thing.

With a monk population of nearly 600, this dzong is the winter residence of the dratshang (official monk body).  While we were here, there was a gathering in the assembly hall where the monks were all chanting mantra, banging their gongs and beating the drums…..cool !!!

Paul crossing the bridge as we leave the dzong.

We visited the......

Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten

Perched high on a hill on the opposite bank of the river is the 30m tall chorten.  It took eight years to build and was consecrated in 1999.  The chorten is dedicated to the fifth king and serves to protect the country, so it is stuffed with a veritable "who's who" of the Bhutanese demography; some with raven or elephant heads, others riding snow lions and most covered in flames.

We cross over the river and start a rather hard climb up to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten.  Notice the whitewater raft in the river?  There was a group getting ready to do the river, but to be honest the water looked a little low.

It's a sweaty 45 minute uphill hike to the chorten, but I have to say, the scenery was beautiful.  The haze was cause by a forest fire further up the valley. 

Terraced rice and chilli pepper fields ready for seeding.

Karma and I arriving at the final few steps to the chorten.

This beautiful place was empty except for the grounds keeper, who let us into the chorten.

This chorten, like all chortens and dzongs and temples and goembas we visited, are over-flowing with an over-abundance of Buddhas.  We got an awesome view of the valley from the top of the chorten.

Karma and Paul.  

Everyone that goes to Bhutan should try and climb up to the....

Tiger's Nest Monastery

The Taktshang Goemba (which translates as Tiger's Nest Monastery) is the most famous of Bhutan's monasteries, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff, 900mts above the floor of the Paro valley, where the only sounds are the murmurs of wind and water and the creaking of turning prayer wheels.  It is said that Guru Rinpoche flew to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress to subdue the local demon, Singey Samdrup.

The Tiger's Nest Monastery and B getting ready to tackle the climb up!

An old man sells walking sticks at the foot of the trail.

There were a lot of older people attempting the difficult hike and that only meant one thing……traffic jams.  So we opted for the "short-cut"……not one single other person.  It was a real huffer!

The rhododendrons are now in full bloom and they make for a picture perfect shot!!

We three reached the top of the "short cut".  Elena, we met a few days earlier at one of the government restaurants in Wangdue.  We would later convince her to do the Mt. Everest Base Camp trek. 

Now to get from here……to there.  We actually have to go back down on a trail cut into the face of the cliff.

The top of the hill and she's a fluttering with hundreds and hundreds of prayer flags.

Rhodee's grow out of the footholds and buildings are tucked away in every nook possible.  See the steps leading up the gate.!

The classic shot!  From this vantage point Takshang seems almost close enough to touch, but it's on the far side of a deep fissure about 150mts away.  The trail curves past a charming chapel with butter lamps and descends to a waterfall, before climbing back up to the monastery entrance.

By the time we got back to the jeep our driver had taken up with a crowd of hooligans and was engaged in a heated game of…….ahhhhh…..heated game of????  Shells?  Yeah shells.  That's the game……shells.!!
Jeese man close your legs, don't you know you got a dress on?

We finish out our time in Bhutan by going to....

Paro Tsechu

This very popular festival features four days of cham (ritual religious dance) followed by the pre-dawn unfurling of a giant thangka (painted and embroidered religious picture) depicting the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche.  The first day's ceremonies are in the Paro Dzong, before the action moves outside.

The walk up to the ceremonial grounds of the festival.  That's the Paro Dzong in behind the trees.

The progression begins!  The ceremony moves from the dzong to the outside…..the excitement in me rises to new heights.  LET DA PART-TEE BEGIN!

The Fair Grounds!  Over there is the beer-tent, and the cotton candy guy and…..over there are the game booths, and behind me is the dance!!!  This is shaping up to be a TIME!!!

The crowds consisted of the curious and always rude tourist, with camera's that are too big and manners that are too small.  Thankfully, they got bored (or hungry) quickly and eventually the festival was left to the Bhutanese.

Not sure what part of Bhutan this character is from but his outfit was very unique.

All the Bhutanese dress up in their best dress for the festival.

Even the men put on their best dresses!

I was just sitting here when these three came along and wanted to show me how well they spoke english…..yes yes very charming.

The sound of the droning long-horns kicked this party into full swing!!

……and the band began to play!

"With our passage through the bridge, behold a curious transformation.  For just as Alice, when she walked through the looking-glass, found herself in a new and whimsical world, so we, when we crossed the Pa-Chhu, found ourselves, as though caught up on some magic time machine fitted fantastically with a reverse, flung back across the centuries into the feudalism of a mediaeval age."

Lands of the Thunderbolt

Earl of Ronaldshay (1923)

"What does the scary-thing say?"

This "dancing" went on for hours…….they'd go so far in one direction, twirl around a bit, turn and go in the other direction, twirl around a bit, repeat 500 times……...

…..and just when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting…..tada….the monks introduce Jumbo the 25th reincarnation of Gumpi Pinochio Jarban-dan-the-man Buddha.

No strollers here for the toddlers….flick them over the back and away you go.

The picture of innocence as Mom fixes the festival best dress!!

One of the things that baffled and amazed me; the #1 toy for young boys in Bhutan was an air-powered cap gun.  I mean, after all, this is the country where Buddhism is the governing power…..a land of tranquility, peace, love and understanding…..sooooo where did the gun thing come from??  You can't even find American movies or shows on the TV……very weird.
Regardless, I felt it was fitting that this little boy, with his silk dress and life-like assault rifle bid us farewell from the Land of the Thunder Dragon!!

Paul & moi return to Nepal on April 6, 2012 and continue our adventure in that country.

Cheers  

DIARY ENTRY: Sunday April 1, 2012  8:57AM:  Waiting for our guide and driver here in Thimphu, Bhutan…they're 1/2 hour late so far.  

After Kathmandu on Thursday (March 29/12), we made arrangements to go to the Pashinipath Temple, which is the holiest temple for the Hindu's in Kathmandu.

Paul just informed me that our guide has arrived.  Time to go!

DIARY ENTRY: Monday April 2, 2012  8:44PM:  I will try this again!!  Going back (March 29/12) to the Hindu Temple in Kathmandu.  We took a taxi to the temple and, unfortunately, experienced our first ripe-off since being in Nepal.  We had to pay Rs500 rupees to get into the complex and was immediately approached by a 'guide' who took us around the temple, explaining things as we go.  Without a doubt he was a able to explain the workings of the temple quite well, but when he was finished he demanded Rs500 (rupees) from each of us.  Oh well, live and learn…..Regardless, the complex was very interesting indeed!  This is where the Hindu bring their dead to be cremated and then, after the cremation, they are simply pushed into the river to find their way down to the afterlife and the next reincarnation.

So on Friday morning (March 30/12) we were up early (Paul and I) to catch our flight to Bhutan.  I bid Mel a goodbye and will see her in a month's time.  We arrived in Paro, Bhutan, and was picked up by our guide and transported to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.  We checked into our hotel and got straighten away.  This was a good thing as the first day in Bhutan was pretty laid back.  We went and saw a stupa and then went to the market, which was mainly vegetables (as this nation is strictly vegetarian).  I did buy some cheese however, which tasted very much like feta cheese.

On Saturday (March 31/12) we tour around the Thimphu region, including going to the dzong that is used for administrative purposes.  We went to a couple of other places, (i.e. Art School), but they were closed due to a national holiday, so this gave us plenty of time to head out of town to the trail that lead up to the Tango Goemba, that is perched on a hill.  The hike was supposed to take one hour, but we did it is 20 minutes.  This goemba is interesting because of its location on the cliff top.  On the way down we just avoided the first of the monsoons, which in this case, turned out to be snow and hailstones.  It came down in a torrential downpour and we were told that we could expect a little of this each day.

As an off-note, while heading up the road to the start of the hike we passed a military vehicle following two cyclist.  As it turns out, one of the cyclist was the King of Bhutan.

Later on Saturday night, Paul and I, plus our guide Karma, went to a disco.  Surprisingly, this turned out to be just like any other disco the world over.  Even our guide went in jeans and a leather jacket as opposed to the traditional gho, which is what he wears during business hours.

On Sunday (April 01/12), we were up early and headed to Gangtey.  This involved a drive to a pass of 3,000+ metres…..of course what goes up must go down and since we had rented mountain bikes, this is where we mounted. The ride down was about 60 kms and took 2 1/2 hours!!!  It was great!!! All downhill and the road was in decent shape.

After reaching the end of the downhill, we had lunch in Wangdue and started the ride up to the second mountain pass leading to Gangtey.  This time the road was under construction and it wasn't in very good shape, but we were able to 'scope it out for out bike ride on Monday'.

When we arrived in Gangtey, we visited the monastery there and then went for a hike down to the marshes to see the black neck crane.  This bird, about 1 1/2 metres high, is one of the rarest in the world with only about 500 species left.  Of that, about 300 of the birds fly over the Himalayas to winter in this one marsh.  When we got there, there was only one pair of the cranes left (all the rest had headed back to Tibet for the summer).

W spent a few minutes attempting to get a good picture of the cranes before heading across the marsh.  On the other side, we were able to see some of the bored boys playing the national sport of archery.  It was amazing to see how accurate they were at 130 metres.  Jeeze I could hardly see the target from that distance.

A short ride brought us to our "traditional" farmhouse for the night.  As it turned out, this place was great.  At 3,000+ metres it was cold out but here in Bhutan they have amble supply of firewood, so the main stove in the dining area is blazing.  But, much to our surprise, the bedroom also had a small wood stove, so our bedroom is toasty warm.  Add to this, our opportunity to meet some of the locals and this place turned out to be more than just quaint!!

Today (April 02/12) we were up early and retraced our steps.  Once reaching the pass we once again climbed onto our bikes and headed downhill.  This time, we knew what the road was like (having gone uphill the day before), so our descent was a little slower and less time (about 1 1/2 hours).

Later today we visited the Wangdue Dzong, but it was under renovations, so all we saw was the reno's that was happening.  Continuing on, we went to the monastery of the Divine Madman, who built a monastery for the infertile.  Finally to cap the day off, we headed for the Punakha Dzong, the largest dzong in Bhutan.  Although I'm starting to get a little Buddha-out here, this place was more interesting than the rest because we happen upon an actual Buddha monk ceremony on the go.  So it was really interesting to watch them doing their chants and rituals.