We’ve settled into a rhythm, now, of meeting people and particiapting in activities each day. On this day, we hiked to Khamsam Yulley Namgyal Chorten, learned about traditional Bhutanese beliefs about demons (metaphorical ones that haunt our minds), rafted down the Mo Chu, learned about Vajrayana Buddhism at the Punakha Dzong, and then walked the longest suspension bridge in the country.
Today, you’ll see images from our day, as well as some insights from our travelers. You’ll see more of their words and images than mine as we got through the trip. Internet connections are not great, so I’ll upload images as soon as I can!
Our day was perfect as we drove to the trailhead to Khamsam Yulley Namgyal Chorten. At this point you cross the Mo Chu over a suspension bridge and hike through rice patties, wheat fields, and crops potatoes. The hike contours around the hill the temple sits on and the trail is well used and the steps are of various heights making the hike a climb in some places.
Once at the temple, Tenzin explained the importance of the site, and we took the four flights of stairs to the top, overlooking the Mo Chu Valley.
After our visit, we headed back down for our rafting trip. The river was calm, and that allowed us to splash, laugh, and generally just enjoy the experience as we floated past 1000 year old structures and were guided by Namgay who did his own splashing. It was a blast and a fun reprieve from Dzong-Temple-Dzong.
From their we dried off and visited Punakha Dzong. This temple complex is among the most impressive I’ve ever seen and the shrine room was filled with monks chanting and beating drums. The moment was incredible, and we entered the room in awe of what we were hearing and seeing.
Our last adventure of the day took us to the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. The wind and the rocking made from some interesting moments and we enjoyed making it across and back.
Exhausted from this long day, we ate a quick meal, and headed to bed. Tomorrow’s trip to Bumthang promises to be equally compelling!
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