Bhutan
Damthang

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  • Day 118–119

    Paro - National Museum and Dzong

    December 3, 2024 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We left our basic Hotel Pema Karpo - which reminded me of a communist all inclusive hotel - to head towards Paro via Do Chula Pass and Thimpu. Again a very relaxed lovely 3.5h ride and we could enjoy the scenery of Bhutan.
    First stop in Paro was Kiychu Lhakhang. It is one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. The main chapel has roots as far back as the 7th century, with additional buildings and a golden roof added in 1839. The original temple is said to have been built overnight on the left foot of a colossal demoness—who intercepted the spread of Buddhism as she lay across the land. It’s thought to be one of 108 temples established to overpower her so Buddhism could flourish far and wide. In the 8th century, there was a popular revival under the guidance of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who was credited with bringing Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan followed by a revered Bhutanese luminary named Je Sherub Gyeltshen gave it a boost in the 19th century. The inner shrine of Kyichu Lhakhang is decorated with beautiful paintings and paintings depicting Buddhist deities and myths. These objects shine with their vivid colours and intricate patterns, enriching the historical and spiritual fabric of the temple. During our visit the monks did their mantras which added additional speciality to the visit.
    2nd stop was Ta Dzong (watchtower), built in 1649 to protect the undefended Dzong and renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. The unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m-thick walls. The Ta Dzong suffered damage in the 2011 earthquake but reopened in 2019 as the National Museum of Bhutan. It’s housing more than 3000 artifacts dating back to 1500 years. No camera was allowed. It gave us a good understanding about the history of Bhutan.
    After visiting, we walked down a path from the museum to the Rinpung Dzong. It was constructed in 1646 under the guidance of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the unifier of Bhutan. It was strategically built on a hill overlooking the Paro Valley to serve as both a fortress and a monastery. The site was chosen for its defensive advantages, protecting the region from Tibetan invasions. It houses the district Monastic Body as well as government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag. According to the history of Paro Dzong, written by Drungchen Dasho Sangay Dorji, the rock face below the dzong was named 'Ringpung' by Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century, hence when the Dzong was later built here, it came to be known as 'Ringpung Dzong'. It is a masterpiece of traditional Bhutanese architecture, showcasing the country’s unique building techniques. The fortress is adorned with intricate wood carvings, bright murals, and exquisite paintings that narrate Buddhist legends. Inside Rinpung Dzong are fourteen shrines and chapels. We visited the Temple of the Guru's Eight Manifestations. That was one of the most impressive temples during our time in Bhutan.
    In the evening we met the son of one of Junita’s school friends from the time Junita was 14 years old. The son is studying in the USA and is doing an internship about sustainability at the local university in Paro. When we met there was a 1hour power cut in Paro and we had Momos with candles in a nice local restaurant. Nice evening!
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  • Day 4

    Paro, Bhutan

    September 1, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The first 2 pics are of Kimchu much monastery, one of the 108 monasteries built in a day in specific locations to tie down a demon that had stolen a king's soul. Next is a dzong being rebuilt after a fire. It was built in the mid-17th century to commemorate a victory over invading Tibetans. 4th is a long view of the Paro Dzong, and last is a street scene on downtown ParoRead more

  • Day 9

    Lets Keep Going !!

    November 14, 2024 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Ofcourse the hike to Tiger’s Nest was challenging. Sonam and Nangyel offered us to return to hotel for rest buy it was still early afternoon and we told that we could still continue our sightseeing.

    So our next destination was the oldest monastery of Bhutan named "Kychu Lhakhang Monastery". The oldest section dates back 7th century. Another very attractive part of this monastery was the garden and as in Bhutan it was season of flowers blossoming so we saw many colorful flowers specially Rosesa and ofcourse many colorful praying wheels.
    💡Monastery info and related Folklore -
    https://www.drukasia.com/bhutan/bhutan-landmark…

    After this sightseeing Sonam dropped us at the market place where first we had sumptuous lunch of local delicacies(PUTA - buckwheat noodles and HOENTEY - buckwheat dumplings) with coffee and Mountain Cafe. The cafe was intrinsically crafted to give it very bohemian look. The highlight for me(or for engineer inside me) was there on working roaster where they roast the coffee beans.

    After lunch we did small souvenir shopping in the market. For me it's tiem to follow the most important tradition to get the fridge magnets of the places I visited and I did found few so it was a success.

    Finally we returned to hotel took hot water showers, had our dinner and turned into stones kept on bed.
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  • Day 20

    Kyichu Lhakhang

    May 20, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. It was built by a Tibetan King in the 7th century and was one of 108 temples constructed by him to subdue a demon that was terrorising the people of the Himalayas. It houses many important relics including a 7th century statue which is believed to have been cast at the same time as its famous counterpart in Lhasa Tibet.Read more

  • Day 6

    Kyichu Lhakhang und Ta Dzong

    April 3, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Raus aus dem Flughafen und direkt rein in das bhutanische Leben. Zuerst wird der älteste Tempel in Bhutan besichtigt. Im 7. Jahrhundert gebaut (zusammen mit 107 anderen Tempeln, die in ganz Bhutan verstreut standen, wurde auch dieser Tempel an einem Tag gebaut) und wahnsinnig toll. Wir erfahren viel über den Buddhismus in Bhutan, manches kommt uns bekannt vor, aber vieles ist auch neu. Wir haben Glück mit unserem Guide, er beantwortet alle Fragen mit viel Geduld.
    Weiter geht es mit dem Auto zum Nationalmuseum (der Fahrer trägt AirPods und nimmt sie den ganzen Tag auch nicht raus). Hier erfahren wir alles über die Freundschaft mit Indien (gibt es erst seit 50 Jahren), über die Maskentänze und deren Bedeutung sowie über die Flora und Fauna in Bhutan. Spannend, im warmen Süden gibt es Krokodile und Rhinozerosse, im hohen Norden Yaks.
    Sowohl im Tempel als auch im Museum dürfen keine Bilder gemacht werden,
    Als wir das Museum verlassen wollen hat sich innerhalb weniger Minuten der Sonnenschein in einen Platschregen verwandelt. Wir uns die Gelegenheit das Hotel zu besuchen.
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  • Day 6

    Namgay Artisanal Brewery

    April 3, 2019 in Bhutan ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Wir haben ein Glück! Direkt neben dem Hotel ist die örtliche Brauerei. Vor dem Abendessen gibt es also noch einen kurzen Spaziergang (wir merken schnell die 2300 Höhenmeter) und ein Tasting der Biere und des Cider.
    Leider ist die Pineapple-Gosse schon aus, aber auch die anderen Bier sind sehr gut. Über Pilsener, Red Rice Lager, IPA bis zum Milk Stout reicht die Bandbreite.
    Die Biere werde als lokale Produkte vermarktet, wobei lokal hier etwas grosszügig ausgelegt wird: Das Malz kommt aus Indien, der Hopfen aus Amerika. Aber wenigstens kommt das Wasser aus dem Himalaya.
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  • Day 11

    Climb to the Tigers Nest

    May 15, 2013 in Bhutan

    There is one building that is undoubtedly the most famous and most photographed structure in Bhutan. Precariously perched high above the valley on the outskirts of Paro, this amazing building is approximately 900 metres higher than the valley floor. If you want to visit the Tiger's Nest, there is no alternative other than to climb the very steep and rocky path from the car park at the base of the cliff. I can tell you now that it is hard work to reach the top, but the effort is surely worth it.

    After our final full day in Bhutan, we were treated to a cultural show back at our hotel in the evening. The Bhutanese are fiercely proud of their country, and rightly so. We adored our time there and were very impressed at the intelligence and dignity of the people.
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Damthang

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