Sunny's sneakers had started to fall apart again so we need to have them fixed before we hike up to Tigers Nest. We found a place soon after arriving, however the guy was far from pleasant and informed us he couldn't help. So back to the searching. Ringo Star stayed true to his second name, Star - he found another shoe fixer upper place who advised he could help but we needed to go and buy glue. Glue purchased so we return. Not even 10 minutes later we walk away with fixed shoes, result!
Sunny decided a drink was needed to celebrate the shoes and Ringo Star’s amazing driving so the search began for a bar. The Bhutanese bar is definitely different to the western bar; it's more like a coffee shop that sells alcohol instead of coffee with some food. Sunny, Chimi Choo Choo and I all had shots - well actually CCC had to have his with red bull. A great time!
After checking into the hotel we head to the terrace area for drinks. This overlooks Paro town and the valley - absolutely stunning views! We get chatting to another guest, Reena who joins us for dinner. Post dinner Chimi Choo Choo and Ringo Star join us for after dinner drinks.
Saturday morning I wake at 4.30am, not fun! Thankfully I manage to get back to sleep. The dogs begin their morning choir session but it's a lot quieter here thank goodness!
We have breakfast overlooking Paro town and the mountains. Beautiful!
We head down to Paro Town. While Chimi Choo Choo collects our packed lunch we go along to the tire fixing place to have air added to the tires. Luckily for us there are two trucks being fixed one with eyes eyes the other with eyes eyes eyes eyes - win win!
We head out of Paro town up to the highest point on Dantak Roads. I gather the views were amazing, I was feeling car sick. Never good on windy roads!
Finally I get to get out of the car and walk around. We are 3988 metres above sea level. We definitely are not the only ones who decide to come up here. It’s rather chilly so before we leave Ringo Star I go and collect my woolly hat. We walk around the main pass then decide to head up the road; even just walking 5 minutes we are literally the only ones around. So nice! Nature calls for both Sunny and I and with no bathrooms anywhere near us we decide to use “the world’s biggest bathroom” – the views are out of this world! Chimi Choo Choo arrives and informs us it’s too muddy to go to the nunnery, buggar. So instead we decide to stay here and walk up the hill, in-between lots of prayer flags. We walk for at least an hour,
I decide to run back down, thankfully my car sickness is a distant memory.
On coming down we meet up with Ringo Star then drove down the mountain, stopping at a clearing for a picnic lunch. Awesome views!
The drive back to Paro city doesn’t seem anywhere near as bad as it was this morning!
On arrival into Paro City we made a plan to wander around and meet back up in a couple of hours. Nice to have some “free” time. It’s definitely been an adjustment having 1-2 people always around you! We stop in a local shop for a hot drink before continuing our exploring. All the shops are basically the same, and 95% are geared towards tourists.
We have dinner back at the hotel overlooking Paro town and the valley - the scenery is just amazing! Such a same we only have one more opportunity to enjoy this.
Saturday, 2 April (our last day in Bhutan :() I'm up before my alarm. We are hiking up Taktsang Palphug Monastery (Tigers Nest) this morning, which I'm super-duper excited about!!!
After having breakfast, again overlooking Paro Town and the valley, we leave the hotel. As we leave the town I notice there really aren’t that many cars away, hopefully this means there aren’t too many people already at the starting point.
On arrival at the car park it’s clear we definitely ARE NOT the only ones here!! Ringo Star drops us, along with our walking sticks, then heads off to find a parking space. Chimi Choo Choo had already said he would carry out bags, but obviously if Ringo Star comes they get to share the load (not that they are heavy). It will be a nice luxury walking with no bag. While we are waiting I layer up; it’s definitely not warm.
Right we are off – Tigers Nest here we come! After walking through small market type stalls are we onto the track and straight away there is a place for people to get on a horse, which would take you half way. No thanks – would prefer to walk, no matter how long it will take, than be uncomfortable on the back of a bony horse. Going around the corner I literally walk straight into the bee-hind of 3 horses, yeah no thanks to be following you the whole time. Time to make tracks!!
Chimi Choo Choo had mentioned this morning we would stop going up and coming down at the cafeteria so I keep walking to I see the sign. The heart rate is definitely up! Sitting here looking at Tigers Nest is amazing – I have to pinch myself to tell myself I am actually here. Sunny and Chimi Choo Choo arrive about 30 minutes after I had arrived.
Time to get back onto the track again; this time Ringo Star kind of walks with me. One minute he is behind me chit chatting to his friend, the next he is in front of me…..and I haven’t stopped. I then notice a guide taking his guests up a wee shortcut, so obviously that’s what Ringo Star had been doing. The last bit before reaching Tigers Nest are stairs, stairs and more stairs!! The majority being down….it’s going to be interesting coming back!
Finally Sunny and Chimi Choo Choo arrive at the top – we put all our belongings into a locker, have one of the Army men pat us down then head up more stairs to enter the actual temple.
Tigers Nest is a Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and temple complex located on a Cliffside. Building this would have been scary!
We go into three caves / rooms, each one slightly different and all extremely impressive! It’s nice to be able to experience it all without taking photos.
Heading back down to the cafeteria there are so many more people around; I guess not surprising when the complex closes for 1 hour in about 15 minutes. There are a few groups of people heading up, glad that’s not me as it’s also starting to get very hot and waiting in the hot sun to enter is never fun!
Sunny and the guys have lunch at the cafeteria, I’m not at all hungry so stick with water and enjoy staring up at Tigers Nest. Walking down isn’t easy, but we have lots of laughs!!
Aah it’s nice to be inside an air conditioned car! So hard to believe that 5 hours ago I was putting layers of clothes on, all which ended up wrapped around my waist, and getting very excited to be hiking up to visit Tigers Nest. I wonder if I’ll ever return…..
Getting out of the car at Ta Dzong, an ancient watchtower which houses the National Museum, my body is definitely stiff. Stretching is needed and now! Ooh no there are stairs up to enter the complex….it’s a slow walk up the 20 or so stairs and on arrival Sunny’s shoes well and truly give up the ghost. Thankfully she has another pair in the car so Chimi Choo Choo goes to collect them while we find a rubbish bid.
We put our bags into a locker then head inside to view Bhutanese art, cultural heritage and national animals. After watching a video with the many different types of Bhutanese masks Chimi Choo Choo matches us through the rest of the museum. He clearly wants to go back to the hotel to rest!!
We walk down the hill to the Paro Dzong (fortress), the official name is Rinchen Pung Dzong, means 'Fortress on a Heap of Jewels'. It’s a Buddhist monastery and fortress which still houses the local government administrative offices. This is the Dzong we have been staring at from our hotel, as well as the town center, so it’s great to be finally here.
We are one of 4 other groups which is a nice change from the hordes of people at Tigers Nest this morning. We run into two guys we had seen a couple of days earlier. Nice to see familiar faces. It’s nice to just wander around.
On leaving Sunny and I have a couple of MA (monk alert) moments. A great end!
We walk down the hill, through a small park type space and over a wooden covered bridge to meet up with Ringo Star.
Time to return to the hotel to chill and shower!
For dinner we head out to a farm house; there were two other groups there also. We sit on mattresses around the edge of the room (not exactly comfortable sitting crossed leg). To start with we are served a hot drink and 3 snacks - popcorn, a rice mixture and a corn mixture. A lot of waiting around then out comes the local homemade wine. Gross is the only thing I can say about this stuff!!! Dinner was buffet style - standard rice, pork and red chilli dish, potatoes, egg omelette and a red curry and cheese dish which was bloody hot!
After returning back to the hotel we decide to walk down the hill to the small shop to buy beer. Half way down a car stops and asks if we would like a ride into town; ooh how much we wanted to say yes….but we stuck to what we were told which is we can’t go out without Chimi Choo Choo so we politely decline and keep walking. We buy a bottle of beer, water and a bag of local chips then head back up the hill we go where we sit outside overlooking Paro town and the valley. A lovely end to our day and time in Bhutan.
Sunday, 3 April I'm up way before my alarm - so typical! It has been a fairly noisy night with the dogs then people talking. Time to pack up, it's our departure day :(
We decide to head down to the restaurant to wait for the plane to come in. We had seen it fly in yesterday morning but hadn’t been quick enough with our cameras, and wanted to see it again. After waiting for 25 minutes enough is enough, we head inside. By the time we leave breakfast there had not been any planes.
Chimi Choo Choo and Ringo Star are their normal prompt self and are waiting for us 20 minutes before we are supposed to leave (9am); last minute packing then it's time to leave the hotel. I feel a bit sad leaving after spending 9 days with CCC and RS who have been wonderful; they definitely made our trip more memorable!
One arrival at the airport there is a huge line to enter - clearly our flight isn't the only flight leaving this morning. We say our goodbyes and join the line to enter into the terminal.
The views flying out of Paro are stunning, after we get above the cloud you can see snow covered mountains and mountains.
It's been a fantastic time in this amazingly magical country! If I return I want to do a lot more hiking and explode the small villages. Bangkok (via Kolkata) here we come.
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