DAY 12, APRIL 2, PARO

TIGER'S NEST

In my senility
I'm short on agility.
So I chose to abort
While a long way short
Of the Tiger's Nest facility.


WINNERS

At travel no beginner,
I know what is a winner.
It was the visit to the home
Of Dorji's aunt and grandmom.
And likewise the farewell dinner.


Both Dick Opsahl and Karma, our driver, did some jogging early in the morning. Had I known or been invited, I would have planned ahead and joined them.

Today is Dick Opsahl's 77th birthday. I want to be as strong as he is when I grow up.

The weather was clear and nice, and for starters we drove to a good spot for taking pictures of 7,200-meter-high, snow-capped Mount Jomalaari, which sits astride the Tibetan border. Bhutan does not permit any climbing of snow-capped mountains. The reasons are that mountains are holy places and because mountain climbers leave trash on the mountains. When trekkers go into the high hills, officials count their plastic bags when they leave and when they return, and levy a fine if the numbers are not the same.

Next we drove to the starting point of our hike for the day. The Tiger's Nest Monasery (Taktshang Monastery) is a monastery and temple perched seemingly impossibly on the edge of a very high ledge on a sheer cliff. It was built in the 17th century by Desi (Administrative Leader) Tenzin Rabgya on top of the cave where in the eighth century Guru Rinpochee, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, is believed to have mediated after flying there from eastern Bhutan on the back of a tigress who was in fact his wife. Our plan was to hike up the trail to an observation-point-and-mountain-cafe. Cynthia was sick and stayed in the hotel. Karen stayed in the bus at the bottom of the trail. Helen slowly hiked part-way to the lookout together with Karma, our driver, and very much enjoyed meeting tourists along the way, including a group from Thailand. The rest of us made it to the lookout. Dorji gave us permission, and after a while five of us (Tom, Joy, Dick, Helmut, and I) set out from there to hike the rest of the way up to the Tiger's Nest. It was for me a 40-minute hike up to the lookout and about a 50-minute hike from there up to the highest point on the route. The trail was steep and wide and busy, and a few horses were being used to carry some of the tourists up. Along the trail as far as the lookout, there were several women vendors who had laid their souvenir goods out on blankets on the ground. There are several temples in the vicinity of the highest point on the trail. At the highest point on the trail, things change dramatically. From there the route is steeply downhill on a long stairway of flat rocks with a sheer drop on the outer side and no railing. Eventually the route goes back uphill again on a similar stairway to the temple. I have plenty of climbing energy, but I am very deficient in agility and balance and perhaps in courage, with a certain amount of fear of heights. I had two hiking poles, and there is at least a theoretical possibility of utilizing the rock wall on the inner side. I went a little way down the steps, became fearful, and wimped out. The other way to look at it is that I know my limits and was prudent. I walked back up to the highest point on the route, which affords a wonderful view, and waited there an hour and 20 minutes for my four friends to return from there visit to the Tiger's Nest. Then we walked back down to the mountain cafe, had lunch, and walked on down to the bus at the bottom of the trail and were bused to where the other members were waiting for us. We spent about five happy hours up there.

Meanwhile the rest of the group enjoyed two activities which I and my four hiking companions missed. One was an archery exposure where each had the opportunity to shoot a bow and a little contest was held among them. John Stewart “blew everyone away.” The bows and the arrows are both made of bamboo. The bows were too stiff for the women to pull all the way back. The other was a visit to the oldest temple in Tibet, the Kyichu Lhakhang temple which was built in 659 AD by a Tibetan king who came into Bhutan, built the temple and returned to Tibet. This was approximately a century before Buddhism was introduced to Bhuatan by Padmasamba, aka Guru Rinpoche, who came form Tibet to Bhutan in 746 A.D. The temple is small, and only the central part of was built in the seventh century, additions having been made through the centuries thereafter.

When we were all together again, Dorji took us to meet and visit a farm family in their home. It was the home of his maternal aunt and grandmother. This, of course, was a real highlight of our visit to Nepal. We sat together and visited for quite a while in the main room with Dorji's aunt, a very gracious and cheerful person who never married. She doesn't speak English'; so Dorji translated. Then we had a tour of the house.

Then we drove back to the hotel, and there was a happy hour in Dick and Judy's room, and then – with singing happy birthday to Dick -- our farewell dinner, this being our last evening in Bhutan.


We've often seen men and women working with hand tools along the road. It doesn't look to me like they could do much with hand tools. Dorji says they work for the highway department and do minor cleaning and maintenance, more substantial work being done with machines.

Ponies and donkeys are seen, particularly in the Paro area. They're mainly used to carry supplies to homes high in the hills not accessible by roads.

We've felt quite safe in Bhutan. The people are honest and won't rob you.

There are a lot of dogs to be seen in Bhutan. But I only saw one cat during our stay.

Bicycles seem to be rare in Bhutan.

The average wage in Bhutan amounts to $100 to $120 per month.

Bernie :-)