Bhutan 2008 Galleries

Dochu La Pass : During our 10 day trip to Bhutan, we twice passed over Dochu La (Pass). At the top there is a monument to the Bhutanese soldiers who died in a conflict repulsing Indian insurgents who had crossed the border and were trying to settle along the southern Bhutanese border. One Chorten for each soldier who died. The altitude here is 10.300 feet. When the skies are clear, you can see lots mountain peaks such as: Masagang (7,158m), Tsendagang (6,960m), Terigang (7,060m), Jejegangphugang (7,158 m), Kangphugang 7,170 m), Zongphugang (7,060 m), and Gangkar Puensum, the highest peak in Bhutan at 7,497m. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Dochu La Pass

During our 10 day trip to Bhutan, we twice passed over Dochu La (Pass) ...

Updated: Nov 01, 2008 8:14pm PST

Punakha Dzong : A Dzong is a combination administration center and temple. This particular Dzong was a good example. Built in 1647 the Punakha Dzong was the national capital of Bhutan untill 1966. At that time the capital was moved to Thimphu. In October 2008 it is in fantastic repair because it will be used for the coronation ceremony for the new king in the first week of November, 2008. Pictures are not allowed inside the temple but the administrative parts are fair game. And here we saw some fantastic mandalas decorating the walls. The dzong was built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of modern Bhutan and it now contains his preserved body. It's said that upon his death, his attendants and advisors were so concerned about who would be selected as his successor that they kept his death a secret for 50 years. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Punakha Dzong

A Dzong is a combination administration center and temple. This partic ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 5:38pm PST

Bhutan: Kingdom in the Clouds : Bhutan - Kingdom in the Clouds - Land of the Thunder Dragon: This is perhaps the second most adventuresome trip we've attempted. We are visiting a remote region of the Himalaya that, until a few years ago, was impossible to reach without weeks (if not months) or arduous travel. While it now seems quite reasonable that we could fly to places like Paro, we remind ourselves that this trip remains on the fringe of mainstream travel. We expect none of the luxuries we've been accustomed to at home ... consistent power ... reliable communications ... the availability of safe drinking water. Our expectations were properly set. Let's go exploring! Until 1960, the country had no national currency, no telecommunications, no schools, no hospitals, no postal service, ... and no tourists. Bhutan is carefully allowing controlled modernization efforts. Cautiously, the king is permitting limited tourism, television, and the internet. If you want to see this magical country before it changes, ... Go Now! These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Bhutan: Kingdom in the Clouds

Bhutan - Kingdom in the Clouds - Land of the Thunder Dragon: This ...

Updated: Nov 07, 2008 6:45pm PST

Paro : We begin our ten day adventure in Bhutan by flying into Paro, a city of about 2,000 people, where the only airport in the country exists. I've flown millions of miles, had a number of close calls in the air, and landed at some scary airports ... but this takes the cake. Our approach threads its way down a narrow winding valley. Our Airbus A319 alternatively banks 60 degrees left and then 60 degrees right. Our wingtips seem to be close enough to the mountainside to scrape the trees. I realize intellectually this is part optical illusion but it's not much comfort. I also realize that this approach would be impossible if it were windy or foggy. We are on the only flight into Bhutan today and I'm glad the weather is suitable. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Paro

We begin our ten day adventure in Bhutan by flying into Paro, a city o ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 11:15am PST

Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten : Last night and tonight we are sleeping in a tented camp beside a small river. The weather is good; cool at night, warm in the afternoons, with no rain. Our goal for today is to hike to the Chorten (Temple). It's not a particularly demanding hike. We will gain less than 1,000 vertical feet but it is uphill all the way and the condition of the trail is poor in spots. Sadly, no photos are allowed inside the temple which is one of the more beautiful ones we've seen so far. Inside, our guide explains the significance of what we're seeing and a local monk conducts a prayer ceremony blessing us in the process. During our trip to Bhutan, I have been blessed more often than on any other trip we've taken. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten

Last night and tonight we are sleeping in a tented camp beside a small ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 9:11pm PST

Punakha House : I have often thought about the pros and cons of independent travel, on the one hand, and traveling with a tour on the other. I like the freedom of independent travel. Come and go as you please. Choose your own itinerary day by day. Nobody else's schedule to constrain you. On the other hand, there are places on earth which are devilishly hard to do as an independent traveler. This is one of them. We were traveling with National Geographic Expeditions. Without them, we would not have been able to get Visas. We would have found it hard to get reservations on Druk Air to Paro. And we would never have had the chance to meet this Bhutanese farm family and share a morning with them in their house. It was a neat neat experience. It was an experience which helped solidify Bhutanese culture in my memory. We have traveled with National Geographic once before, to Antarctica, and I recommend them without reservation. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Punakha House

I have often thought about the pros and cons of independent travel, on ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 8:02pm PST

Punakha Valley : I remember hiking through a small village, up a hill to a temple, and back. I remember a bus ride to a restaurant where we ate. I remember wildlife. But to be perfectly frank, the middle of our trip runs together a bit for me. This is one day in the life of a Bhutanese traveler (Chilip in Bhutanese) and it is a potpourri of images from central Bhutan. Check out the individual captions for their color commentary. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Punakha Valley

I remember hiking through a small village, up a hill to a temple, and ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2008 3:16pm PST

Wangdiphodrang : We are three days into our journey and are staying at some riverside cottages between point A and point B. The time is ... jetlag notwithstanding ... dawn. It's beginning to sink in with me ... "We're not in Kansas anymore." It's beautiful here and I'm ready to "go exploring." These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Wangdiphodrang

We are three days into our journey and are staying at some riverside c ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2008 8:13pm PST

Pele La Pass : On our way to the Phobjikha Valley we traveled over the 11,000 foot Pele La pass. This is on the main east-west road through Bhutan. One thing that I hadn't realized before is that roads are a relatively recent addition to the Bhutanese infrastructure but not necessarily a modern one. This is one of the best and best maintained roads but it is mostly one lane, and inconsistently paved. There are wide outs occasionally so oncoming traffic can pass. It is also the main trucking route for goods coming from or going to India. The wide out strategy works in this case but just barely. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Pele La Pass

On our way to the Phobjikha Valley we traveled over the 11,000 foot Pe ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 12:06pm PST

Phobjikha Valey : This was one of the prettiest valleys of our journey. In it we visited the Gangteng Gompa monastery (see the next gallery) and hiked through the mountain and valley habitat of the rare black-necked cranes. We were too early inthe season to see them but we certainly enjoyed the valley. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Phobjikha Valey

This was one of the prettiest valleys of our journey. In it we visited ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2008 4:59pm PST

Gangteng Gompa Monastery : During our 10 day trip, we detoured briefly to the Phobjikaha Valley. Our purpose was to visit the Gangteng Gompa Monastery during it's dedication ceremony. It has recently been reconstructed by the Lama, a western educated wealthy patriarch who has used his own funds for the reconstruction. As a Lama, he is both a religious figure but also a patriarch of the local community. The Lama, Tulku Rinpoche, is said to be the ninth incarnation of the body of Pemalingpa, a famous 14th century blacksmith from Bumthang who was one of Bhutan's most revered saints and teachers. We sat with him during the ceremony and I was stunned by the procession of local folks who presented themselves to offer their regards and receive his blessing. During my travels, I have come to understand that understanding a place involves understanding it's people. As a result, I have been consciously trying to take more pictures of people and the things they are doing. They collectively represent the texture, if you will, or the context of a place. I had a ball here. I spent a lot of time just sitting in the plaza immersed in the event. As a 6 foot tall westerner with a giant camera, I drew a lot of attention. It was great to sit on the plaza stones, have kids come up to me to get their picture taken, and to see them laugh when I showed them their images on the back of my camera. Cool!!! So here for your viewing pleasure, the Bhutanese going about their lives. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Gangteng Gompa Monastery

During our 10 day trip, we detoured briefly to the Phobjikaha Valley. ...

Updated: Nov 01, 2008 9:15pm PST

Thimphu : Near the end of our trip, we spent a day in Thimphu, largest city (70,000) in Bhutan and its capital. Trivia fans ... Thimphu is the only national capital city in the world without a traffic light. We had just spent 2 days in our tented camp and Thimphu was part of our carefully crafted re-entry program to the rest of the world. We lunched on Pizza and Druk 11000 beer (comes in half liter bottles, measures out at 8% alcohol, and at altitude packs a whallop).The Taj Tashi hotel lived up to 4-5 star western standards. These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Thimphu

Near the end of our trip, we spent a day in Thimphu, largest city (70, ...

Updated: Nov 03, 2008 1:11pm PST

Tiger's Nest : We are back in Paro, and on this our last full day we set out for one of Bhutan's most important religious sites in the Himalaya, Taktsang Lhakhang, know in English as the Tiger's Nest. The monastery clings to a vertical granite cliff 2,000 feet above the valley floor. According to legend dating back 1,300 years, Guru Rinpoche in the form of the wrathful Guru Dorji Droloe arrived at this site on the back of a tiger. He subdues the evil spirits in the region and then meditated in the holy cave which today is the site of the Pelphug Lhakhang. According to Buddhist mythology the local deities, now vanquished, became protectors of the dharma and one of them, Singye Samdrop, is recognized as the guardian deity of the Taktsang even to today. So much for history! This is a beautiful valley on a beautiful morning and those of us not suffering from dysentery are all in the mood for a serious hike. Our bus drops us at the trail head at an altitude of 8,700 feet. Linear hiking distance is irrelevant today; the Tiger's nest is 1,800 vertical feet above our heads. As we start up the mountain we are teased with fleeting glimpses of the Tiger's Nest and the cliff that is its home (photos 1 - 5 below). Our first stop is a small tea house directly across the chasm from the Tiger's nest. It gives a great view (photo 6 below). After a short rest, we trudge on to a Chorten even closer to our destination with wonderful views (photos 7-9 below). And now, as they say,it gets interesting. To reach the Tiger's nest itself, we need to descend about 500 vertical feet into the chasm. The trail is narrow. There are rough stone steps hewed out of the mountain side part of the way and a dreadful fall awaiting any who misstep. Fear of height is no longer my friend if indeed it ever was. At the bottom of the chasm there is a spectacular waterfall (photo 10). And now we must crawl back up the 500 vertical feet we just surrendered. This is hard. I am used to the nice sweet dense air of sea level. And while I have trained for this trip, I didn't train for this level of exertion. This is hard. As we near the Tiger's nest, we pass a small retreat house (photo 11 below) and reach the monastery. Sadly no photos are allowed in the monastery and we surrender our backpacks and cameras before we proceed. The monk responsible for the monastery is in residence and available. We are invited into the sacred cave where we are blessed and given a small amulet. The monastery is very very interesting. The views are spectacular. But my tired legs are beginning to cool off and my joints stiffen. I'm beginning to think ahead to the 500 foot climb that awaits. We climb back down to the falls and I'm struck by the beauty of the prayer flags strung between the chorten and the tiger's nest. These span a chasm about 100 yards wide and 150 yards deep. Just getting them there was a daunting feat. See photo 12. Back up 500 vertical feet; back to the chorten; back to the tea house. Here we enjoy a vegetarian lunch and a couple of liters of water; not the protein I'm craving but I supplement with a Cliff Bar and a small package of almonds and I'm good to go for the final 1,800 foot descent. At least it's downhill all the rest of the way. It's small comfort to my knees because downhill is actually harder on them than uphill. I'm limping slightly when I get to the bus but I am euphoric, endorphins in action I suppose. This has been a great day and a fine end to our adventure! These photos were taken in October 2008 mostly with a Nikon D3.

Tiger's Nest

We are back in Paro, and on this our last full day we set out for one ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2008 4:55pm PST