10.21.18 The Real Reason for Going to Bhutan
I crossed another dream destination off my bucket list while challenging my titanium knees for 6 miles; approximately 5 hours on rough terrain; to an altitude of 10, 240 feet (3,000 feet almost straight up at the end) to the stunning, mythical, thrilling Tiger's Nest (Taktsang) Monastery.
Taktsang is a place of pilgrimage for locals and visitors. It was built in 1692 around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where, according to legend, Guru Padmasambhava resided in meditation for 3 months after he flew to the side of the monastery on the back of a tigress from Tibet - thus bringing Buddhism to Bhutan.
We were still dealing with the morning direct sunlight affecting our photography, so these photos are not the best I had hoped for.
The valuable paintings, artifacts and statues of the main temple building were destroyed by fire in April 1998 - supposedly either by an electrical short-circuiting or flickering butter lamps setting hanging tapestries on fire. One monk also died. Restoration costs, supervised by the government and King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 2005, cost approximately 2 million dollars. And today, the monastery has been restored to its original condition.
Sights along the way:
Horses preparing for riders (only to the tea house - not all the way to the monastery).
Prayer wheel and prayer flags.
We arrived back at our hotel for a much-deserved buffet (and more beer).
(Photo credit: Cathy Ledingham)
(Photo credits: Cathy Ledingham).
https://youtu.be/oM49xiTL2LA
I crossed another dream destination off my bucket list while challenging my titanium knees for 6 miles; approximately 5 hours on rough terrain; to an altitude of 10, 240 feet (3,000 feet almost straight up at the end) to the stunning, mythical, thrilling Tiger's Nest (Taktsang) Monastery.
Taktsang is a place of pilgrimage for locals and visitors. It was built in 1692 around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where, according to legend, Guru Padmasambhava resided in meditation for 3 months after he flew to the side of the monastery on the back of a tigress from Tibet - thus bringing Buddhism to Bhutan.
We were still dealing with the morning direct sunlight affecting our photography, so these photos are not the best I had hoped for.
The valuable paintings, artifacts and statues of the main temple building were destroyed by fire in April 1998 - supposedly either by an electrical short-circuiting or flickering butter lamps setting hanging tapestries on fire. One monk also died. Restoration costs, supervised by the government and King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 2005, cost approximately 2 million dollars. And today, the monastery has been restored to its original condition.
Sights along the way:
Waterfall-driven chorten.
Horses preparing for riders (only to the tea house - not all the way to the monastery).
Horses with supplies for the tea house.
More prayer flags.
Prayer wheel mediation site as we near the monastery.
Prayer wheels and prayer flags.
Prayer wheel and prayer flags.
Park benches and prayer flags in another meditative location.
Chorten
Even the dogs were exhausted.
Locked meditative enclosure for people to stay in for months.
The last stupa at the base of the waterfall,
where we began the final ascent to the monastery.
Time to Celebrate!
Gerhard and I decided we earned a beer (or 2) to rehydrate.
This is Chabchhu, which we liked as well as the Druk 11000.
This is Chabchhu, which we liked as well as the Druk 11000.
We arrived back at our hotel for a much-deserved buffet (and more beer).
(Photo credit: Cathy Ledingham)
After lunch, Yeshi thought of a wonderful learning and discovery adventure for our exhausted bodies - soaking in an herbal tub of hot water heated by hot stones taken directly from a roaring wood fire in the backyard of a privately-owned farmhouse.There is a wooden cross piece in front of me that the guys could raise to allow the flow of the hot water loaded with stones right off the fire. Apparently mine was blocked by some of the herbs, so whenever the guys would yell. "number 3" I would answer, "I need another stone." Finally, they reached in with their long-handed tongs and slightly lifted the cross piece, allowing the incredibly hot water to finally reach me and practically scald me. But it felt fantastic!
I'm in tub #3 (see number on the front wall).
The cold water spigot is directly in front of me on the same wall.
(Photo credits: Cathy Ledingham).
We ended our final evening in Bhutan with dressing up in Bhutanese garb, enjoying copious amounts of beer and whiskey, watching some native dancing and finishing another fantastic meal.
What a fantastic crew!
https://youtu.be/oM49xiTL2LA
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