Day 17: Paro

Day 17: Paro

We're at the top of the 700 steps, on our way down, the high point of the hike

Weather:  Cool in early morning turning to rain mid-morning and then pleasant in afternoon and evening

THB could've used some help from this guy on the way down

THB and DB are up early, THB is leaving at 6:30am for the hike to the Tiger’s Nest; Tashi and Chencho are also up even earlier so off THB goes. DB stays behind mostly because this isn’t her type of hike. She must be a mind reader, because it wasn’t exactly THB’s either. Plus, she enjoyed her time off, meditating, knitting, catching up.

There’s a short version of this hike: from the valley floor it is a 3,000 vertical climb to the Taktsang Palphug Monastery, with one portion being 700 steps back down followed by 300 steps up to reach the Monastery. This means that near the end, the hikers are looking down at the Monastery.

It took THB and Tashi a little over 2 hours to get to the Monastery, one guide/tourist pair left just before us, never to be seen again, and one gazelle overtook us during the last part of the climb. That’s it, we saw 3 people over the first 2 hours (that’s what getting up early will do for you). Lots of silence, nobody pushing us, plenty of time to take pics of birds...and catch THB's breath as it floated away into the altitude gain.

Quote 1 of the Day:  

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains

Horses on the road; used to carry cargo and people to the cafe, then they turn around and head for the barn 

50 cents a pole; Tashi walked right by them. At one point on the descent THB thought a pole might help....after the hike Tashi said no, wouldn't help

It's still early in the season, this was the only tree we saw in bloom

Horse drinking trough .... and mud removal site later on

And now for those misty mountains: the Monastery is in the mist most of the ascent; these are in chronological order as we climb

Weather is perfect on way up: cool, good for lighter attire. Is THB carrying a few extra pounds around the middle? Time to dump that t-shirt? Go A's!

Tashi in traditional wear and sneakers. He said later he almost didn't bring the brolly

At around 10,000 feet, head monk #69 has a memorial: he was born in the cave behind the structure where this picture hung; his parents were devoted and lived in the cave...home birth!

It's still too early for these guardians of the 700 steps. Or, they just take turns as a 3 legged dog joined us for the rest of the hike to the Monastery

We're close, the Monastery is in the pic...sort of

It's there! Visible for a moment

At the mid-point of the last 300 steps up

One of many (most not visible) smaller temples spread around

Check-in. Plus there are lockers here. THB changes into pants and long sleeve shirt. Camera goes in back pack and pack goes in locker. There's even a pat down by the guy on the right. The couple left before we did, we did not see them on our ascent. BTW: THB feeling pretty good. caught his breath, no headache, just smug jubilation for making it to the top 

At the Monastery we visited 5 or 6 individual temples, all small. We were always the only two in the room (no pics and no shoes and no hats). There was a group of 50 Indian college kids there; they apparently left at 4:30am (in the dark) and got there before the temples were open. We tried to avoid them, successfully at the Monastery, not so on the climb down (remember, that meant doing 700 steps up shortly after leaving the Monastery).

Quote 2 of the Day:  

But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

On the way down it started to rain lightly, then steadily for over 2 hours.  THB thought it took us longer to get back than get up! The trail became slick, then slick and slippery, then treacherous if you think going downhill on a manure laden and wet path is like ice skating on a slope. That's how THB felt.

The college kids were spread all over the descent, and now many people we’re heading up to the Tiger’s Nest, including horses that only go half way up the ascent and then return. It was a bit of a zoo, let alone that THB was concentrating on his footing (sometimes unsuccessfully).  

Tashi said later it was only an hour down because he didn't start counting until after we got onto the 700 steps up where we waited a long time for the college kids to clear this portion of the descent. That cost us dearly as we would've missed some of the rain later on. 

THB is now in new attire for the descent: shirt and jacket over tee,rock  climber pants over shorts; all that was missing was crampons or cleats to dig in to the mud on the descent

THB did not slide down as much as he could have

And, it was a great magical hike, one that took on the feel of a pilgrimage.

Something like our hikes in Japan, something like doing the High Sierras in Yosemite, something like you test your capabilities and then earn many, many white marbles along with a huge sense of reward.

Veg dumplings a big bowl of tomato soup for THB

Tashi and THB make it back to the hotel by around noon, and DB and THB have our usual: a totally empty room and a meal.

Quote 3 of the Day:  

But if the arrow is straight

And the point is slick

It can pierce through the dust no matter how thick

Now for something entirely different to wrap up the last full day in Bhutan:

DB and THB get an archery lesson from an Olympic caliber archer and his sidekick, Tashi. Upshot: doesn’t look like DB and THB will be making the USA Seniors O team any time soon. On other hand, we had a great time and THB hit the target once and DB doubled his total, she clearly got much better instruction.

Why wasn't the potential Olympian doing the coaching? He did later on...with good results

Chencho hits the target (again and again compared to rest of us: DB -2, Tashi - 1, THB - 1), we get a lot of practice doing the victory dance after Chencho's many THUNKS!

THB's only hit, Chencho negates his point by also hitting the target

Good form

THUNK! DB is on target

THUNK AGAIN! DB moves into second place, never to be caught

DB takes a hot rock bath, THB doesn’t think he can walk over to the spa even though they will comp him. She reports that the bath started out too hot, which is almost impossible for DB, she loves a hot bath.

Dinner at 6, our last night with Tashi and Chencho, is not worth cataloging as the food here is not all that good.

Yes, two people caught heading to their room(s)

There's a large group now here...they couldn't possibly be dancing after climbing to the Tiger's Nest his morning

Birds on the way up to the Tiger's Nest: No birds seen on the way down

An exotic magpie of some sort

Dove