Bhutan – Day 2

Our day began when we were picked up from the hotel and our first stop would be the National Memorial Chorten.  A chorten is basically a Buddhist monument and this case, it was built in 1974 in memory of King Jgme Dorji Wangchuck, the third king of Bhutan.

This is place where many locals come to pay homage and worship.  They walk around the chorten in a clockwise direction, usually 3 times.  There are a number of prayer wheels that they may turn as well.  The ‘om mani padme hum’ (hail to the jewel in the lotus) mantra could be heard being repeated by some of the worshippers.

We still had a long drive ahead of us, so we didn’t stay long.

We began ascending to the Dochu La Pass (3140m elev).  It was a very narrow road with steep cliffs and switchback turns.  We passed one checkpoint as we passed into the next district.  There was a woman selling apples at the roadside and after we stopped and determined the price, we bought a 2kg bag.  What Nima neglected to tell us before we bought the apples was…they might be a bit ‘old’.  He commented on it just as Mark took the first bite – yup, a bit ‘mealy’.  Oh well…lesson learned.

Dochu La pass offered up the most amazingly clear view of the Bhutan Himalayan mountain range.  Apparently, this is quite a rare sight.  We parked here for a short while to take in the sight as well as walk around the collection of 108 chortens that were built in 2003. 

Further up the hill, we walked to a monastery where a Buddhist monk unlocked the doors so that we could go inside (after removing our shoes) and view the interior – beautiful!

A short drive down the other side of the pass, we stopped at the Dochu La Hotel for some tea and biscuits.  It was chilly, but the sunshine made it seem much warmer, so we sat outside…along with our 4 new-found friends (dogs) who decided that biscuit crumbs may be forthcoming.  They didn’t have to wait long. :)

Legend suggests that many believed the area was inhabited by spirits and our next stop was to Chimi Lhakhang (near Metshina) which was built by the ‘Divine Madman’ (Lama Drukpa Kunley) in the 1499 to ward off these spirits, was also built as a celebration of his victory over the demoness of the Dochu La.

There is a storied past to this Divine Madman.  Apparently, he thought the clergy of the day were quite stiff and needed to be more relaxed in their teachings in order to garner the interest of the average person.  So, he used his own way of teaching – often obscene, with sexual innuendo – as a way to get people to throw away their preconceived notions.  Let’s just say that the phallic symbols that can be found painted on the exterior of homes, represented in door handles and carvings – well, it’s not surprising that women and couples will visit this temple to receive a blessing and pray for children.

hmmmm, should I post photos?

We had lunch in Metshina with a beautiful view of the now-harvested rice fields and the Chimi Lhakhang in the distance.  But, we completely missed the Fertility Handicraft emporium on our way back to the vehicle.

Our final stop would be in Punakha to visit the Punakha Dzong, built in 1637. It is an impressive building that housed both government administrative offices as well as a monastery and assembly hall (which contains gold statues and murals depicting the life of Buddha).  Situated between two rivers at the point where they meet, it is built like a fortress – high walls (six storeys) and inner courtyards.  The design apparently came from a dream.  There has been many reconstructions over the years due to fires, flooding, and an earthquake.  But despite the natural disasters, the building remains a significant part of Bhutan’s history and continues to be a used for ceremony and worship.

Off to our hotel – Damchen Resort, which sits alongside the Panachu river. Our room has a beautiful view of the river and the high hills on the opposite bank. 

Unfortunately, our guide did not join us for dinner as he was off to the hospital to visit a friend who suffered a leg injury while playing darts (kind of like the lawn darts that we all used to play many years ago).  Ouch!  And, I wondered why they were banned in Canada!!