On the last day of our Bhutan tour, we returned to Paro where Bob took the challenge to hike part way to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery.
Tiger’s Nest Monastery or Taktsang Palphug Monastery is what most people associate with Bhutan. It is the monastery that you see in pictures, clinging to the side of a mountain outside of Paro. It is a very sacred Buddhist site. It is also on a list of pending UNESCO sites.
Legend says that in the 8th century, Guru Rinpoche flew to this location on the back of a tigress to battle with evil. Hence the name “Tiger’s Nest.” He meditated in a cave for over three months and then blessed the site and hid treasures there. From the 11th century, Tibetan monks have visited the site to meditate.
The first monastery was built there in 1692 around the cave where Guru Rinpoche had meditated. It was mostly destroyed in a 1998 fire. Restorations took place and finished in 2005 when the monastery was reopened to the public. The monastery now has four temples and residences for the monks.
The trek is an arduous four miles round-trip, but the climb from Paro to the top is nearly 3,000 ft. The final altitude is 10,232 ft. People plan most of a day to get there and back. Halfway up is the Takstang Cafeteria which offers great views of the Tiger’s Nest and is a place where many turn around and head back down after spinning a prayer wheel.
Bob and our guide took off after breakfast to make the climb. I opted to stay behind. They made it to the halfway point. Then Bob decided to return. (Our guide had hiked it several times, often twice a day.) The view from the half-way point was spectacular and satisfied his curiosity. Along the way were hundreds of colorful prayer flags waving. This was a fitting end to our Bhutan adventure.
After a rest, Aiwa picked us up to go to a family-style dinner in a home. The home was very nice—two stories. They also have a hot stone bath, and he showed us the fire where they heat the stones. The dinner was rather typical except we sat on the floor on cushions. They do not use tables and chairs in the home. The wife’s specialty was cheesy mashed potatoes, which I loved. We had a wonderful conversation about what this woman does and her involvement with single moms and abused women. She had even received a commendation from the King that very day. All the people we met love their King.
What are my reflections on our journey to Bhutan?
In many ways the country seems like a fairy tale. The people are friendly, trusting, helpful, truly nice. They seem happy, at least contented. (Bhutan is supposed to be one of the happiest countries in the world.). They love their king. We heard nothing bad about him. One story our guide told was that if the king passed by someone begging, he would stop and ask him why. Then he would offer him an acre of land to work. If he did, it was his until he died.
However, itis a very regimented society. There are rules for everything. The dress codes and the construction codes attest to that. For example the windows in houses are all the same.
A Bhutanese Window. All the windows were like this. It was a requirement of home construction.
Also, itis a matrilineal society. Property is owned by the wife and passed down to daughters. It is so different from the society I live in.
Again, I think “contented” sums up the feeling I have about the people. It seems that their branch of Buddhism really shapes their thought and behavior. It is that philosophy that leaves the peaceful feelings I have about the country.