Weekend Recovery

Tango Monastery

 I had to recover my voice and have had an amazing rest.  On the Zabdrung Kuchoe holiday, which is the death anniversary of the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, I was in Thimphu with 4 BCF teaching friends.  It was a wet, dreary day and we had hoped to trek or hike or have a spectacular break as we all had 4 or 5 days off for the elections.  We headed up to the Tango monastery at the end of the Thimphu valley.

Shabdrung

Lucy and I in the monastery 

Sarah and Matt inside, monks serving tea

       Walked in the rain and there were  hundreds of Bhutanese.  It was rainy and muddy.  We had umbrellas and were drippy.  When we arrived the monks asked us to come in for tea to a large room with the other visitors.  As the room filled up it was obvious that something auspicious was going to occur.  There was a blessing by the resident lama, who is, we learned later, quite young and very special.  We lined up after asking the Bhutanese how to approach and bow and were blessed.  We then visited the altar rooms where the monks were chanting and had a lovely walk down. 

     The ride back to Thimphu was not so lovely as we crammed into a local bus, the ones that are affectionately called the "vomit comets" and had the full on experience.  Which we survived.  No I was not sick, but the children at my feet were. 

 We headed up to Nancy's where we met a ministry of education official and talked teaching, shared a bottle of wine while watching Mr. Bhutan on television and ate some shepherd's pie (yum).  Then to Mark's house for a bit of a party, more wine, g & t's and an amazing dinner.  Not bad !! :)

Sunday we breakfasted together, then headed to Paro . . . back to the Gangtey Palace.  Walked down the valley to the Kyichu Monastery, which is supposedly the oldest in Bhutan.  Lovely walk.

Kyichu

Today we went to Takseng, or Tiger's Nest.  There are thousands of photos on the internet and I thought it might be a bit too touristy, but it was rainy and foggy and an incredible walk up.  Just beautiful.  The prayer flags, the forests, the rhododendrons, the small chortens on the way up and the structure itself.  The meditation caves, the altars.  I thought this might be the only opportunity I would have to walk there, but I can now imagine taking all of my family visitors to see it.