Tuesday, October 22, 2024
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From the parking lot, we can barely see our goal on the
mountain ahead, Taktsang Goemba/Tiger's Nest Monastery,
which was rebuilt 2000-2005 after a fire in 1998 |
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| We were starting at 2598 m/8525' |
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There were ponies for hire to take you halfway, but
Road Scholar participants were prohibited from using them |
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One must climb up past the three shrines on the left,
then take stairs down partway into the crevice, and
climb up to the monastery perched on a cliff
(the white spot on the taller mountain on the right) |
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Now we have a bit clearer view of the
monastery buildings rising up toward
the right, but a better view of the
final observation point |
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At the halfway point at 2895 m/9498', there is a
fine view of the monastery on the right and
Zangdok Pelri Temple on the peak at the left |
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| Zooming in on the monastery |
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Unfortunately, this was as far as Tamiko
could make it; physically the trek was
doable, but not enough oxygen was
getting to the brain, and it was too late
for Kent to join the A Group who
went all the way to 3120 m/10,236' |
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| The halfway point had a café and restrooms |
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| Small shrine for offerings |
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| This was as far as the horses went |
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Heading back down, one of the horses was loaded
with propane tanks |
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| Prayer wheels |
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| Large prayer wheel |
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The better section of path with steps, and at
times there was a parallel path for the horses |
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| Getting steeper |
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A glimpse of the monastery through the trees
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| Prayer flags |
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| Kent brought trekking sticks for this hike |
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| Quercus semecarpifolia/Brown Oak |
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| Pinus wallichiana/Blue Pine |
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| The ascending horses stop at a water trough |
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The horse guides and the tourist guides do this trek
multiple times; our local guide Ugen was on his 77th trek |
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| Rhododendron arboreum is a tree! |
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| First descending glimpse of the parking lot |
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| More typical path with uneven rocks |
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| A chute waterfall and prayer flags |
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A row of three water-powered prayer wheels,
which were not operating when we descended |
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| Populus rotundifolia/Poplar |
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| Makeshift shrine |
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| Elsholtzia fruticosa/Shrubby Mint |
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| A last look at Taktsang Goemba/Tiger's Lair/Nest Monastery |
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| Ramthangka Lhakhang/Chapel and chorten/stupa |
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| Must be rice stalks |
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Lunch was at Momo Corner, but we did not have
any momos/dumplings |
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| Red chilies hanging to dry |
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The runway at Paro Airport, where both ends are
blocked by mountains; airplanes must come down
another valley and bank toward the runway (KSS) |
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| Paro Airport terminal (KSS) |
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