My Travel Adventures

Today was one of those lopsided days, with a packed itinerary in the morning and a long bus journey after lunch. We began with an early visit to Jampey Lhakhang, one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. It is said the monastery was founded by the great Tibetan conqueror Songtsen Gampo, who was advised that a giant demoness possessed his realm. In an effort to subdue her, Songtsen Gampo had thirteen monasteries built at the same time across the demoness’s body, including two in Bhutan. The ancient monasteries in Jakar and Paro pinned down the left ankle and knee of the demoness. Her heart was subdued by the monastery in Lhasa.

On our way from Jakar this morning, we made two brief stops to take pictures of local sights. The first was Jakar Dzong, alleged by some to be the largest Dzong in Bhutan. The second was a rock by the village of Jalikhar, in which some recognise the shape of a vagina. Our first main stop, however, was Membartsho, also known as Burning Lake. The place holds a very special place in Bhutanese history, as it was in this lake that Pema Lingpa discovered his first terma: a teaching hidden by Guru Padmasambhava, held by Vajrayana Buddhists to be an incarnation of Buddha Amitabha.

Today was a major travel day: we had to make the seven-hour journey from Wangdue Phodrang to the city of Jakar in Bumthang District, the historic heart of Bhutan. Winding our way up and down the major artery that connects Thimphu to the central regions, we covered the 2000 metres of altitude that separate subtropical forests from the snowline. The change in flora was remarkable. In the lowlands, we spotted banana and papaya trees, whereas higher up, the lush green landscape gave way to forests of pines and rhododendrons. These grow to enormous heights in Bhutan, rivalling even the moss-festooned magnolia trees that often find themselves sprinkled in between.