Leaving Bumthang and heading west represents the beginning of the end of our travels in Bhutan. Just about everyone commented on the fact that our trip is rapidly coming to an end. Yes we still have a couple of days left and yes we still have adventures to tackle AND we all can see the end of this experience and to a person we do not want it to end.
On each of the trips I have led to Bhutan, the group comes to the same conclusion at the same time….that we feel our experience just beginning. That feeling is a good one, based on time well spent. Our time in Bhutan has been especiall
y full.
The Phobjikha Valley sits just south of the road into Trongsa and climbs to about 3500 M….the valley spreads out before you much like Valles Caldera….a wide, grass-filled valley with a stream running right through the middle of the place. The photos we took hardly do it justice.
We hiked from the local temple, about 4 km to the valley floor. Once we reached it, we found a small group of folks playing soccer. Our football ambassador, Austin, wanted into the match….so we joined. That hour on the field was among the most remarkable moments of the trip….playing football in the middle of the Phobjikha Valley…as you will see, an idyllic setting.
At exactly the same time, a group of horses galloped into the valley from the surrounding hills and frolicked in the grass and marsh. It was surreal to see the game going on while horses played nearby….another amazing experience on a trip filled with them.
The next morning we left very early for our travel to Punakha and a date with Druk Rafting Service. We rafted the Mo Chu river….the experience was wonderful and we paddled our way past temples and dzongs, seeing the royal sheep (no joke) a mongoose, and other fowl and beasts.
By the time we made it to Thimphu to eat, of all things, pizza, we were fairly spent.
Tomorrow, we head up to the Haa Valley and, hopefully, a clear view of the Himalayas.
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