Bhutan Travel Journals & Blogs

Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 16, 2019, 1:45pm · ☀️ 24 °C Altitude: 2,375 m
  Paro 27.424653, 89.4087927°25’29” N 89°24’32” E
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Day26
One of the Oldest Temples in Bhutan
November 16, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
This 7th century temple is held as one of the most magnificent sites of worship in Bhutan. Some say it is the oldest.

As usual when entering the temple no shoes, no cameras. It is decorated beautifully with Buddha’s, paintings and gifts. The walls still show the original paintings, still have color but faded. We thought we were invited into the main temple with some monks but as Alan and I stepped in we were shooed out unceremoniously. We all hustled our way out and walked the grounds.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 16, 2019, 12:00pm · ☀️ 21 °C Altitude: 2,268 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Tashi Chho Dzong 27.487045, 89.63758427°29’13” N 89°38’15” E
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Day26
Topo 6; Topo 7
November 16, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
I mentioned the farm was prosperous. They have a side business that offers herbal baths, in a wooden tub, with water heated by river stones. The four of us are looking for something extra after the hike and this seems like a fun thing to do. We all get a look at the backside of the tubs and where they heat the stones. All you have to do is yell out Topo 6 to get more hot stones in your bath water and a hotter tub. Dianne and I share a room with 2 baths. So do Liz and Alan. I’m in tub 6 and she is in tub 7. I yell out topo 6 and soon I have more hot stones in my tub along with some fresh herbs. Just between you and me, the herbs could have been weeds grown at the side of the road, but whatever, they smelled nice. Dianne yells out topo 7 and more stones and weeds appear for her. Between the four of us we keep our boy pretty busy for 45 minutes or so. Topo means more stones in case you havens guessed. It felt great after the hike.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 16, 2019, 11:00am · ☀️ 16 °C Altitude: 2,559 m
  Thimphu 27.458677, 89.63096727°27’31” N 89°37’51” E
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Day26
Country Luncheon
November 16, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
We have planned a tradition Bhutanese lunch today around a farm close to Paro. The farm seems prosperous considering the size of the farm house. We are led into a windowless room that is decorated with water carrying skins and a hide satchel, all from yesteryear. I think this could be interesting because I know DIanne is not as adventurous as I am when it comes to food and Liz and Alan eve less than she is. However, they are all polite. Should be fun.
First on the menu is butter tea. They didn’t say what kind of butter; I immediately think Yak. The tea is strong and flavourful. For more enjoyment we add home made Rice Krispies to the tea. Its good, but you need a spoon to finish it. The food comes out all at once. Pumpkin soup, cooked radishes, steamed cabbage, pork belly, cheese chilli, (the national dish), beef with rice noodles and red rice. There was was way more food than we could eat. The most fun dish was the cheese chilli. It looked inviting and tame. Dianne got a little rice and a couple of forks full of it in her mouth before she realizes the heat that was generated by the chillies. Her eyes were watering as she pushed the rest of hers on to my plate.
Everyone did great. We tried everything and ate our fill. There was a milk tea for cooling your mouth if needed. We were all hungry after our morning hike and this was the perfect meal.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 16, 2019, 10:30am · ☀️ 16 °C Altitude: 2,328 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Tashi Chho Dzong Thimphu Institute of Zorig Chusum 27.483324, 89.6356427°28’60” N 89°38’8” E
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Day26
We did it!
November 16, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Descending the mountain is more dangerous, but less tiring than the climb. Even so, it is hot now and my quads are aching. We all rented some poles for the journey this morning and they do come in handy but as poles go, these are not much better than a stick you find on the trail. Sounds like the lament of a Prima Donna.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 16, 2019, 4:00am · 🌙 6 °C Altitude: 2,343 m
  Thimphu 27.472537, 89.63444527°28’21” N 89°38’4” E
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Day26
To the Tigers Nest (Taktsang Monastery)
November 16, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
Today is the day I’ve been looking foreword to for the whole trip. We are hiking to the Tigers Nest. It is a monastery located on the side of a cliff, overlooking the valley below. It is old and mythical and considered holy by most people, not just the Buddhists. Our hike starts fairly early. We started about 7:15 at an elevation of 8300 feet. The destination is about 9800 feet.

Together we had talked a lot about this hike, among ourselves and with others who had done the hike. You can rent a donkey for the first part of the trek if you don’t think you are up to the whole thing, and some of us had considered that as we had some coughs and colds left over from India and Nepal. In the end though we all elected to walk. While we were walking, I noticed that some of the donkeys needed some motivating to keep going, a lot of motivating. It looked like the donkey motivator was pulling the donkey up the hill with a person on it.

Our hike up the mountain started out chilly and got warmer as we progressed first from the sunrising and also from climbing. We took it slow and steady, taking breaks as we needed them. Didn’t take too long until we were out of our jackets and down to short sleeves. We stopped at the tea house for tea and a biscuit. Donkeys only go as far as the tea house and it gets steeper after that. We saw some donkey riders going on from there and some of them required motivators too.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 15, 2019, 12:58pm · ☀️ 25 °C Altitude: 2,310 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Lungtenzampa Changlimithang Stadium 27.471613, 89.64392127°28’18” N 89°38’38” E
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Day25
Kira and Gho
November 15, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
In the spirit of our Canadian Prime Minister, we all dressed up in traditional Bhutanese clothing to demonstrate our cultural sensitivity. The women wear a kira (long skirt and jacket) the men a gho. We thought we looked pretty good. The girls liked their outfits with the skirts and jackets. I think my outfit would take too much time for me to dress myself, and I don’t have a butler to help.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 15, 2019, 10:45am · ☀️ 19 °C Altitude: 2,303 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Lungtenzampa Changlimithang Stadium 27.470554, 89.63869927°28’14” N 89°38’19” E
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Day25
Paro National Museum
November 15, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
This is the temporary housing for the museum’s as the origin was damaging in the earthquake. No pictures inside. I can’t say why because there is nothing too great there. Old plates undated, some masks and artifacts. Pictures of the Royal family through history and information about Bhutan’s flora and fauna.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 14, 2019, 2:00pm · ☀️ 25 °C Altitude: 2,354 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Tashi Chho Dzong 27.507739, 89.6338727°30’28” N 89°38’2” E
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Day24
Thimphu
November 14, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
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After a long day, we decide to interact with the locals. For Dianne and Liz that means shopping and for Alan and me it means walking without purpose. I have a camera with me and snap a picture of a traffic cop who looks like he likes his job. Pretty zen fellow. As this is happening, the solar powered dogs come alive. It’s a commotion that draws my attention. What the local mutts are pissed about is some uppity dog riding in the back of a truck. There is a gang of them surrounding the truck barking, some standing on hind legs looking into the truck bed. The dog in the truck is no ordinary dog either. It’s a St. Bernard, with a very deep woof, when it deems to speak. The sound of this woof gets the local mutts on an even rowdier splurge. Who does he think he is riding in that truck and all while the rest of us have to paw and limp our way around here like paupers? Eventually 3 monks arrive at the vehicle, get in and drive away with the St Bernard giving one last in your face woof to the chagrin of the solar dog gang. As all this is going on, the traffic cop stayed focused on his job, directing traffic. Never distracted.Read more
Steve Pierpoint
Looks like the St. Bernard could eat one of those mutts for breakfast.
11/18/19Reply
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 14, 2019, 12:00pm · ☀️ 22 °C Altitude: 2,287 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Lungtenzampa Changlimithang Stadium 27.470287, 89.63992927°28’13” N 89°38’24” E
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Day24
Making paper
November 14, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Himalayan traditional paper making in the Jungshi Factory. We were shown the soaking, cooking, washing, sorting, pounding, mixing with starch, sheets of paper laid out , dried and sorted piece by piece. Incredible! New appreciation of paper making.Read more
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Travel with the Wicks India, Nepal & Bhutan
- Nov 14, 2019, 2:43pm · ☀️ 24 °C Altitude: 2,287 m
  Thimphu Dzongkhag Lungtenzampa Changlimithang Stadium 27.470282, 89.64006827°28’13” N 89°38’24” E
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Day24
Arts & Crafts school
November 14, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Not my cup of tea, but I think DIanne liked it here. The sewing machines still have a pedal, but have been upgraded with power motors. There are many talented kids here. These were actual classes we visited. Sewing the first, metal works, painting, embroidery and sculpting.Read more
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You might also know this place by the following names:

Kingdom of Bhutan, Bhutan, Bhoetan, Butan, ቡህታን, Bután, بوتان, ভূটান, Bhután, Бутан, भूटान, Butaŋ, ভুটান, འབྲུག་ཡུལ།, Bhoutan, بووتان, Bhútán, ބޫޓާން, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Bhutan nutome, Μπουτάν, Butano, Bh2utan, باتان, Butaan, Botan, Bûtan, An Bhútáin, Butàn, ભૂટાન, Butana, בהוטאן, Boutan, Բուտան, Bútan, ブータン王国, ბუტანი, Butani, ប៊ូតាន, ಭುತಾನ, 부탄, Butania, Butaani, Bhoetaan, Butáni, ພູຖານ, Butanas, Butāna, Bhotana, ഭൂട്ടാന്‍, भूतान, ဘူတန်နိုင်ငံ, Bhutani, Bhutaan, भुटान, Iiʼniʼ Tłʼiishtsoh Bikéyah, ଭୁଟାନ୍, Buuten, بھوٹان, بوټان, Butão, Butäan, භූතානය, IBhuthani, பூட்டான், భూటాన్, Шоҳигарии Бутан, ภูฏาน, Pūtani, بۇتان, Bu-tan (Bhutan), Butän, 不丹, Бутанмудин Нутг, Orílẹ́ède Bútánì, i-Bhutan

Bhutan

Top 10 Travel Destinations Bhutan

Travelers at this place

One of the Oldest Temples in Bhutan

Topo 6; Topo 7

Country Luncheon

We did it!

To the Tigers Nest (Taktsang Monastery)

Kira and Gho

Paro National Museum

Thimphu

Making paper

Arts & Crafts school

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