World Bhutan Thimphu

India, Bhutan and Nepal

Dzongs - Monasteries and Fortresses Dec 30, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS • Sopsokha Temple • Wangdue Phodrang Dzong • Drive to the capital, Thimphu DETAIL I head for breakfast and the ‘Italian Job’ joins me. They are at the end of their tour so they head left and I head right. Our first stop is the Sopsokha Temple. We park the car and it’s about a twenty minute walk to the top of the hill to the temple. It’s a working temple with about thirty monks and I am allowed to see the inner working of the monks. The young monks play in their dorms with board games and electronic games. We then go into the hall where prayers and again I get mystified at the idols and paintings. This sect of Buddhism has three Buddha’s: The past, the present and the future. Also, there an idol of the ‘Wandering Monk’ who was a manifestation of the present Buddha – all very confusing. Next to the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong and again this is a working monastery with about 300 monks. This Dzong, i.e. fortress/monastery has not be restored at all and its gives me a better feeling for what it would have been like about 400 years ago. The view of Wangdue town and the Puna Tsang River below is spectacular. We head back for lunch and more food. I had asked Sangay if we could drive to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan today as I want to check my email as well as whether I am confirmed on my flight to Kathmandu. The temperature is a lovely ten degrees and sunny but we are going to go higher and therefore colder. So we leave for Thimphu and it’s about a two hour drive. We drive back along the same roads which whence we came but the weather is much clearer and I get a good view of the mountains. One cannot see the Himalaya’s from this far south though. We arrive at the capital, about 100,000 population and check into another great hotel. I made a major mistake though. I should have flown direct from Paro, Bhutan to Kathmandu which would have saved me two days and $30 but there are no flights so I have to go back to India and cross into Nepal and then fly to Kathmandu.

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