Blogs from Phobjika Valley, Bhutan, Asia

We set out across the frosty valley this morning to a small Zhong occupied by the local monks. They are very hospitable and we have the honourof stepping back in time and into their 15th century monastery. The frescos on the walls are spectacular. Time is taking its toll on some of the walls and there is talk that the tourism board will remove the building to make way for the new one. The last earthquake has caused much damage to the beautiful temples in Bhutan. Palden says we can take the short cut to the Zhong in the next town, or we can go the long way which is not much further. We meander up through the small farm houses which appear to be deserted but are not. Parents and children play and work side ... read more

We were up, dressed and out on the hotel balcony by 5:30am hoping for a clear morning. It was slowly getting light but a couple of peaks were visible. Pensoc only managed to show his face at 5:45 (not 5:30) so it was lucky for him it was cloudy else we would have been very grumpy to miss the view from the pass. We were disappointed it wasn't a bit clearer and after 40 minutes of hope decided to get back in bed until breakfast time. Fed and watered we left at 9am to return to the pass which was now visible from the hotel and only 5 minutes drive away. We wandered to the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang which is a temple recently built by the royal family with interior paintings of the history of Bhutan ... read more

We left our beautiful hotel at Dochula Pass Thursday morning after breakfast on the terrace overlooking the magnificent Himalayas. We had arisen early to watch the sun rise over the mounbtains. We were literally on top of the world! Just before we left, the hotel owner wanted to share an enormous thangka (religious painting on fabric often embroidered, as well), and had his entire hotel crew help to hoist up to the hotel roof a 20x20 thangka, the largest we've ever seen. The central deity was Padmasambhava. Our drive today was about 5 hours through beautiful mountain woodland, along the National Highway (the only east/west road), with non-stop hairpin turns all the way. Up to Dochula Pass, the road is in good shape, but beyond Dochula, it begins to degrade. Periodically, we passed road upgrade projects, ... read more

This morning we headed to the Gante Goemba. While under construction (entirely) you can tell it is a gorgeous temple. They are rebuilding and repainting what seems like all of it and so far it looks fantastic. We then moved down to the Gante Nature Trail and “hiked” for an hour and a half along the outskirts of the valley. The valley is off limits to people below the tree line because we cant ruin anything for those black-necked cranes! Thus, we meandered through the forest, which was actually very enjoyable. Anyway, we went to visit the Phobjikha Primary School where I was a spectator on a young second grade class that I gave my candy to and taught a few algebra problems to a bunch of sixth graders. After introducing myself, I learned that none ... read more