Tiger's Nest Conquered

We didn't post yesterday because we were driving most of the time, breaking up the trip with visits to an incense factory, a weaving factory, a tapestry store, and a paper factory. Interesting, but might not register as the highlights of this trip.

We finally got back to Paro. The hotel here is extremely nice so we rested up for our hike to Tiger's Nest, which happened today.

The trek up and back was about 10 miles and much of it very steep making it very strenuous at times. There are no roads up the sides of these cliffs so you'd better be prepared for a lot of huffing and puffing. But what a dreamlike experience! The pictures just can't do it justice, and we marveled continuously at some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the world.

Tiger's Nest was built in 1692 to honor holy man Guru Rimpoche and celebrate one of his two wives (he turned her into a tiger). Contrary to so many descriptions, it is not a monastery but a temple. Absolutely fantastic and so far the highlight of the trip! Again, the pictures can only capture a fraction of the experience; no photos in the temple were allowed as before.

On another note, we learned that the King of Bhutan is planning to build a city the size of Singapore in southern Bhutan near the Indian border. What a horrible idea, and the country will never be the same afterwards, so get over here before the country loses its otherworldly magic.
We drag our weary limbs to Darjeeling tomorrow but the long hikes are mercifully over.Read more