Sunday 21 October
Our last nigh was to be spent in Paro as the plane to Bangkok is due to leave at 0800.
So we after an early breakfast we set off at 0700 for the dive to Paro and the hike to Tigers Nest - the iconic element of any Bhutan itinerary.
It had been hyped up somewhat over the previous few days by Sonan but of course when you get there it is really like a motorway of tourists heading up ward the 800 metres or so climb to the mountainside monastery.
The climb start through pine forests and gradually steepens until you reach the cafeteria at the half way point. Tea and biscuits and off we set as the climb steepens markedly.
The final section is a series of stairs in the mountainside first down then up again of the opposite side of the gully.The monastery which does date back hundreds of years is a series of small temples clustered on to the sheer face of the mountain. Unfortunately it all burned down in 1998 and so what is seen today is a replica of an earlier set of buildings. Now, as in all Bhutanese temples and monasteries the butter lamps are well segregated.
The day had warmed up as we began our descent which was shorter than the 3hour hike up but harder on the knees.
Lunch was at the 3 Brothers - potato cheese, red rice, cabbage and fried aubergine then on to the Tenzing Resort. Which looked better on the outside than it was on the inside.
Dinner was to be at a friend’s of Sonan (these seemed all over Bhutan btw) who had a farmhouse serving typical Bhutanese food and for a discounted price of NU 1000 each a hot stone bath. In fact it was all quite fun and had a decidedly rustic feel and an amusing clientele who either stayed too long in the water and fainted or kept calling for more water.
Dinner was served upstairs on the floor and we had cheesy potatoes, red rice, cabbage, air dried bacon broccoli and beer from the team.
Our last nigh was to be spent in Paro as the plane to Bangkok is due to leave at 0800.
So we after an early breakfast we set off at 0700 for the dive to Paro and the hike to Tigers Nest - the iconic element of any Bhutan itinerary.
It had been hyped up somewhat over the previous few days by Sonan but of course when you get there it is really like a motorway of tourists heading up ward the 800 metres or so climb to the mountainside monastery.
The climb start through pine forests and gradually steepens until you reach the cafeteria at the half way point. Tea and biscuits and off we set as the climb steepens markedly.
The final section is a series of stairs in the mountainside first down then up again of the opposite side of the gully.The monastery which does date back hundreds of years is a series of small temples clustered on to the sheer face of the mountain. Unfortunately it all burned down in 1998 and so what is seen today is a replica of an earlier set of buildings. Now, as in all Bhutanese temples and monasteries the butter lamps are well segregated.
The day had warmed up as we began our descent which was shorter than the 3hour hike up but harder on the knees.
Lunch was at the 3 Brothers - potato cheese, red rice, cabbage and fried aubergine then on to the Tenzing Resort. Which looked better on the outside than it was on the inside.
Dinner was to be at a friend’s of Sonan (these seemed all over Bhutan btw) who had a farmhouse serving typical Bhutanese food and for a discounted price of NU 1000 each a hot stone bath. In fact it was all quite fun and had a decidedly rustic feel and an amusing clientele who either stayed too long in the water and fainted or kept calling for more water.
Dinner was served upstairs on the floor and we had cheesy potatoes, red rice, cabbage, air dried bacon broccoli and beer from the team.