coming down

inside the monestary it was shaded and quite chilly hugging the rock cliffs... once we got back outside, we peeled off our layers, and climbed back down the stairs to the waterfall, and up the other side back in the sun to the opposite cliff. we really got in and out of the nest with the prefect timing cuz the masses were arriving as we left. 

we took a bunch more amazing photos in the sun on the way down. 

inside the tigers nest

to go into the monestary, we had to leave all our bags, cameras and phones behind. the security was a lot tighter at this monestary than anywhere else we went. there are a good amount of tourists, but they have only been allowed to enter the monestary since 2000. in 1998, almost the entire monestary burned down, the cause of the fire was unknown and lots of relics and the lives of the caretakers were lost. it took 2+ years and the generosity of many nations and donors to rebuild the monestay. all the temples were repainted, and new alters and artifacts were brought to the site. pretty amazing! 

the nest consists of a handful of monestary buildings, intricately woven into the side of the cliff. only a half dozen monks live there to care for the space. the buildings are built above the sacred caves where legend holds that the guru rimpoché flew in on the back of a tiger, and meditated, and left sacred artifacts (scrolls and statues?) behind. 

we visited 4 of the inner temples, all dedicated to different Buddhas, dieties, and incarnations of prominent figures who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. one of the temples had a trap door in the floor, where you could look down into the upper part of the sacred cave, the hole is the shape of the auspicious symbol of the three sided blade. 

as with all the other temples, tshe tshe filled our heads with vibrant descriptions of the art, alters, and stories that weave them all together. 

as impressive as the structure of tigers nest looks from the outside, it is nothing compared to the inside. 

sunshine on the cliffs

as we made it to the top of the facing cliffs, the sun had come out, and we couldn't walk 10' without shooting more and more pictures. the monestary and surrounding are simply overwhelming. 

from the cliffs on one side, you descend a bunch of stairs down to a waterfall, and then back up the other side into the monestary. 

up up up to tigers nest

on our last day in Bhutan, we hiked up to the world famous tigers nest monestary, set high up in the hills above paro. it is a popular tourist destination of all people coming in and out of Bhutan, and our guide was smart, and got us on the trail by 8:15am to begin the hike. 

it was a chilly morning with a bit of fog hanging low, which kept us cool as we started hiking up. it was a well used wide trail, but up up and up. as we ascended the fog started to lift, and we came around corners to see tigers nest nestled in the cliffs above. 

our motley traveling posse

it has been a challenge to keep up with a simple description of all we have seen and done on this blog... And I have definitely neglected to talk about how much I am also enjoying the company of our traveling posse. rachel, rich, dan, and scott have been a delightful traveling companions. a great combination of people and personalities, and we have all been on the same page through this adventure enjoying each other's company, and playing as a group. we have cut out just enought time individually to rest, but mostly opt to spend evenings chatting, laughing and drinking beers together, and sharing our many photos and things we experienced during the day. 

I really treasure that we have had this shared adventure, and all have unique perspectives on what we have learned and experienced. everyone saw different things, chatted with different people, but we have one amazing tale to share when we get home. ;) 

we huddled together with beers in our room to keep warm that night! paro was a tiny bit warmer than bumthang, but not by much. the hotels are lovely and well equipped for westerners with hot water, good plumbing, etc, but not so much with heat for cold weather (we are at the very tail end of tourist season). 

paro dzong

we made it into the dzong about 30 minutes before closing time. it was similar in structure to the other dzongs. and once again tshe tshe took us into the inner temples, and described all the statues in the alters and stories behind the murals painted on the walls. 

the inner temples are so rich with ornamentation and storytelling that each one blows me away anew. with so much repetition, the stories are becoming slightly familiar, and I am able to pick out some of the central characters... but I am only scratching the surface of comprehending how Buddhism is woven into all aspects of life thought and culture in Bhutan. it is a lovely foundation, and one that people choose freely how they live it. 

the 8 auspicious symbols... dharma wheel, 2 umbrellas, the fish, lotus, infinite knot, conch shell. 

Bhutan national museum

from the airport we went to lunch... and then off to the Bhutan national museum and the paro dzong. 

the original national museum was located in the watchtower above the dzong, but due to sever damage to the watchtower during a 6.9 earthquake in the last 10 years, it was moved to the building next door. 

similar to the temples, no cameras were allowed in the museum. it was really interesting to see a lot of the cultural artifacts we had observed out and about displayed in the museum with further explanations. there was a room of the traditional ceremony masks, paintings and tapestries, traditional dress, cookware and weapons, and then extensive displays about the different landscapes, plants, and animals. it wasn't a super big collection, but all interesting stuff.