Threads of Thought: Bhutan Day 2

I woke up at 6:00am - breakfast was ready at 7:30. After eating a small breakfast of Southern Bhutanese sweet mangoes, scrambled eggs, and ham, Tshering drove us to the nearby trail head just North of the Hotel - which was right at around 7,000 ft.

We hiked slowly up the steep 4 mile trail which leads to the majestic Taktsang Monastery - also called the Tiger's Nest, which is a very sacred temple and widely sought pilgrimage in the Himalayan world. This is a large decorated prayer wheel (of which there are many in Bhutan) situated at a lookout point along the trail. You spin it clock-wise for good luck! Some of them have a post at the top that rings a bell hanging from the ceiling.

We stopped halfway up at a tea house perched on a ledge across the ravine from Taktsang and had coffee and biscuits. This was one of the best views of the monastery and was actually the first that we were able to see it - the morning fog was just beginning to rise above it.

On the second half up we passed several prayer wheels and caves marked by Chortens that marked points of meditation of past gurus. Some of the caves didn't have buildings at their entrance, but rather were lined with small, key-chain looking, white huts called Tso Tsos (Tsuh-tsuhs). They were made of clay and sometimes ashes of gurus or other remembered monks.

The trail then narrowed onto a steep cliff that turned into a series of 600 downward steps before finally landing us at the 10k foot high place of worship.

This is where the trail turned into a waterfall to the left of Taktsang. This little building is where the caretaker(s) live.

Inside the monastery, which visitors/tourists are not ordinarily allowed, we were accompanied by one of the monk caretakers into 4 sacred rooms of worship where large Buddhas sit at the front fantastically ornamented and with offerings and incense on the table in front of them. I couldn't believe how detailed and beautiful these decorations were! I wish I could share this sight with you, but no cameras were allowed. Guards with guns took them from us. After being let into each locked room by the caretaker, one customarily folds their hands and bows prostrate 3 times before walking up to the table to make and offering of a few Ngultrum and whatever other offerings of musical instruments, food, or flowers you may want to give to the Buddha. Each offering is said to give you luck in a different area of your life as well as improve your chances of a better life after reincarnation. The caretaker then pours a bit of palm oil in your hand which you then sip and poor over your head. Adjacent to 1 of the 4 rooms is the cave where the guru Rimpuche, who established Buddhism in the country, stayed to meditate after his ride to Bhutan on a tigress and cleansed the country of it's evil spirits. Many of the places of worship have representations of Rimpuche in his smiting form the "Dorji Doloe", in which he is surrounded by fire and uses lightning bolts to subdue Bhutan's evil spirits. The main part of these Lhakhangs (temples) was burned down in a "miraculous" 1998 fire but was rebuilt I think in 2002.

After the short visitation to each of the rooms, we began our climb back down, stopping at the tea house for lunch. It was SO good. Namgay said the food there is cooked over an open fire, which gives it a smokey taste and is his favorite cooking.

There was a lone Japanese woman sitting in the far corner of the otherwise empty dining room who sat motionless with her head down, holding an equally rigid kitten the whole time I was eating. It was a bit eerie, but later Namgay walked up to her and she explained to him that the rest of her party had continued the pilgrimage without her because she didn't think she could make it all the way up.

Tshering drove us back to the hotel room when we reached the trail head and it then started to sprinkle. I slept until dinner AGAIN, then continued my slumber after an incredible meal of rice, noodles, pork, potatoes, and chillies. I had tea thi time - which tasted a bit like chai. Very soothing. After dinner I paid my phone bill from my call to Ellen. It was 1000 Nu - about $25, for just ~10 minutes on the phone! Namgay told me later that the tax was 100% for phone calls. Here's what Nu looks like.