A Tiger's Nest and a 300 year old friend

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Hello Everyone - We hope that you are all well!

A couple of thousand years ago, Guru Rimpoche flew on the back of a tiger to a remote cliff face in order to meditate. Some plucky monks subsequently built a monastery at this sacred spot. How they managed this is a mystery. It represents a builder's worst nightmare for location - it is a rock face with a building sticking out the side. Anway, we trekked up here with our friend Pem.

The inside is as impressive as the outside, and from here, perched high up on a cliff face overlooking an enormous valley the view is probably amazing. Unfortunately for us, we were in the middle of torrential moonsonal rain, and shrouded by thick thick cloud, so our view could have been anywhere. It was described to us, and sounded amazing. (I'm sure you can all imagine how nice this description sounded).

Pem's father, Dasho Pem (not a typo) then took us for the finest cup of tea ever. Aware that the quality of a cuppa is directly proportional to the inaccessibility of the drinking venue, he took us onto the battlements of the ruined fortress Drugyel Dzong, and subsequently talked us through how the brave Bhutanese soldiers fought off the Tibetan hoards.

Staying in the Dasho's hotel we were plied with buckets of whiskey and heard how he had lived through '300 years' of development. We heard how when he grew up they had to keep the fire smouldering overnight, since matches were an invention that had not reached them (like UK in 1800s). He then described his long treks through the mountains and jungle to get to school in India, and falling off his horse as he tried to dive out the way of the first car that he saw (like UK in 1900s). He then proudly talked about his IPAD... Hence he felt safe in saying that he was 300 years old!

Compared to his big 300 years, it was also Pem's 21st birthday! Quite a party, although we feel that this must be towards the tail-end of 21sts that we get invited to.



We finished off our wonderful weekend by cycling back along the mountain road from Paro to Thimphu (about 50km). Fairly hilly but what a wondeful way to see the countryside! It involved a quick stop in the village of Namselling, where Andy's Mum and Dad had their honeymoon in 1966!

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Photos

Treking to Taksang (Tigers Nest Monastry) with Pem
The river behind Andy spins the prayer wheels in the two little buildings.
Andy is seen here wearing the latest in trekking chic.

Half way up to Taktsang
Andy, Pem and Mel.
Behind us, in this photo there is a monumental cliff with the monastery hanging on the edge. This photo also captures the 35 seconds during our walk where it wasn't raining torrentially. Furthermore, it captures the 7 seconds when we weren't in thick cloud. Some photographers spend years waiting for this moment!

Taktsang
Okay, so you may be bored of hearing me say that it is perched on a cliff, but look.... it really is somehow attached to the cliff!

Treking to Taksang (Tigers Nest Monastry) with Pem
Just before the main monastery, this little building is where some of the monks live. They were obviously thinking about practicalities - 10m to the right is a raging waterfall (handy for washing etc...) and everything else is shear rock...

We are not breaking and entering!
This hut on the way up to Taktsang is where one of the Je Kenpos (religious leader of Bhutan) was born.
It may look like we are trying to break in, but we are just having a peak!

Visiting Drugyel Dzong Ruins with Pem and her father
"A cup of tea tastes much nicer if you have to work hard for it". We took our cups of tea to the top of the valley, then climbed up the battlements of the ruined Dzong (fortress). What a cuppa!

Cycling Back from Paro to Thimphu along the Mountain Roads
Three things to note in this photo.
1. There is a lot of cloud, and that means BIG rain imminently.
2. Mel is cycling, which means that Andy took this photo whilst cycling. (Andy is quite proud of this multi-tasking ability)
3. It is hilly! The road is not as flat as it looks!

Cycling Back from Paro to Thimphu along the Mountain Roads
Absolutely stunning. Views like this are few and far between. Just look at the sleek frames, the refined finish, and well crafted geometry. If only Mel had taken this photo of the bikes close up, you could really appreciate them to their full extent.

Cycling Back from Paro to Thimphu along the Mountain Roads
The first place that Mum and Dad BL stayed on their Bhutan honeymoon in 1966 (Namseling). (It didn't use to look quite so built up, we believe)

Cycling Back from Paro to Thimphu along the Mountain Roads
WELCOME TO THIMPHU!