The Land of the Thunder Dragon, Part 3: Drukyel Dzong to Shana Zampa

On our third day in Bhutan we started our trek. We had decided to do one of the more popular Bhutan treks, the Chomolhari (also spelled Jomolhari) Trek. The Chomolhari Trek comes in several versions -- ten days, nine days, and eight days. We didn't have quite enough time for the longer distances, so we opted for the eight-day loop.

We expected the trek to be tough. Bhutan Footprints told us, "This trip is quite beautiful, but requires that trekkers are in very good physical condition, as it includes many walking hours." REI, which also leads a Chomolhari trek, rates it a 5 out of 5 on their Activity Scale: "Strenuous: Designed for very fit travelers. Trekking in Bhutan is for active people in good health who enjoy vigorous hiking. Bhutan has an 'up and down' topography, there is very little level walking. We expect participants to be strong, experienced hikers in good physical condition." National Geographic Expeditions classifies the trek as an "Ultimate Challenge!" (with an exclamation point, no less). A couple of months earlier, when we were planning this trip, we wondered whether we should choose something a little easier. It may have been that our sense of adventure was greater than our sense ... but don't all great adventures start that way?

Namgay and Tilley met us at the hotel for the drive to Drukyel Dzong, on the outskirts of Paro. There we met the trekking crew: Sonam, Namgay's right-hand-man; the cook, who we knew only as "Cook;" the wrangler ("the Horseman"); and seven mules and two horses. While the team loaded our two duffel bags and the rest of the gear onto the animals, we talked with a group of older Dutch tourists who were visiting the dzong. They were as excited about our trek as we were -- if we'd had enough sleeping bags, we're sure they would have joined us!



Our trek route was to follow the Paro River, the same river that ran in front of Rimpung Dzong. The first day's hike was gentle and easy, with dirt roads and small villages giving way to farmland.



We passed a woman preparing a traditional hot stone bath on the bank of the river. The river would fill the stone trough, and she would drop stones heated in a small campfire into the water to bring it to an appropriately therapeutic temperature. Namgay explained that the Bhutanese use hot stone baths with traditional herbs and salts to heal all sorts of ailments.


Our walk took us through a schoolyard at lunchtime. We wondered whether the mothers who prepared these lunches knew who ate them!



Crossing and re-crossing the river, we snaked through terraced rice paddies and millet fields punctuated with apple trees, as forests of firs and blue pines stood watch on the hills rising all around us.











We eventually made our way into the Jigme Dorji National Park, where we planned to spend the next seven days. This is Bhutan's largest national park; it is named after the third king, who is considered the father of modern Bhutan. After the Bhutanese Army checked our visas and trekking passes at a military camp next to a small school, we headed deeper into the hills.





Namgay contemplated a hill that would be a major challenge of the second-to-last day of the trek. "Many rocks," he told us, "going downhill for two, maybe three hours. I always hate that part."


This farmhouse has a set of white manidhar prayer flags, erected to the memory of a deceased loved one. The flags are printed with prayer texts to bless the dead and set within sight of the river where they will catch the wind. The Bhutanese believe that the wind will carry the prayers to the river, where the prayers will float as long as the river runs.



Around 4:00pm we reached our campsite at Shana Zampa, much to the relief of the mules.



The cook made a great dinner of rice, asparagus, beef and chilies. At the end of the meal Namgay broke out a bottle of Bhutanese Special Courier whisky, which is made by the Bhutanese Army Welfare Project. We talked for a while about the wildlife we might see on the trek. "Are there bears?" Jennifer asked. Namgay told us that there were a couple of species of bear in the park, but it was unusual to see them. Taking a sip of whisky, he looked at us solemnly.

"But I think the Himalayan bears like the taste of Americans best."

We were still laughing as we settled into our sleeping bags on a lovely, cool night.


Distance: 10.6 miles (17 km)
Altitude gain: 1,180 feet (360 meters)
Final altitude: 9,350 feet (2,850 meters)
Estimated time: 4-6 hours
Actual time: 5.5 hours

The Land of the Thunder Dragon, Part 2: Taktshang, the Tiger's Nest

Our first dawn in Bhutan came with a lot of blue sky and bright sunshine. Since we knew we'd be hiking at high altitudes on our trip, we were a little concerned about altitude sickness. We'd done our research and consulted with the Medical Unit at the Embassy in Bangkok, so we brought with us a packet of Diamox. Diamox not only treats the early symptoms of altitude sickness, but it can also act as a preventative. As the Everest Medical Clinic of the Himalayan Rescue Association explains:

"Acetazolamide (Diamox®) is a medication that forces the kidneys to excrete bicarbonate, the base form of carbon dioxide; this re-acidifies the blood, balancing the effects of the hyperventilation that occurs at altitude in an attempt to get oxygen. This re-acidification acts as a respiratory stimulant, particularly at night, reducing or eliminating the periodic breathing pattern common at altitude. Its net effect is to accelerate acclimatization. Acetazolamide isn't a magic bullet, cure of acute mountain sickness (AMS) is not immediate. It makes a process that might normally take about 24-48 hours speed up to about 12-24 hours."

We had taken our first dose at bedtime the night before, to start tapering up to the recommended dose of 500mg per day during the trek. We also figured it couldn't hurt to have a little in our systems for our day hike to Taktshang Goemba, the monastery-temple-architectural marvel known as the Tiger's Nest.


The Bhutanese believe that Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha and founder of Buddhism in Bhutan, defeated the demon Singey Samdrup on the site of the monastery, which he reached by flying on the back of his consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, who had manifested herself in the form of a tigress sheathed in mystic flame. He meditated in a cave at the site for three months, after which it was viewed as holy ground. The first monastery was built here in the late 1600s, the buildings held to the cliff face by the hairs of angels, who carried the timbers up the cliff. After a fire destroyed the monastery in 1998, it was reconstructed in its exact form -- sadly, without the help of angels.


Namgay and Tilley met us after breakfast, and together we drove out to the base of the mountain where Taktshang is perched. "The only way up to the Tiger's Nest is to walk, ride a horse or fly on the back of a magic tiger (the latter generally reserved for Tantric magicians)," the Lonely Planet guide to Bhutan told us. The monastery was about 1,250 feet (380 meters) above us, so this would be a good warm-up hike for our big trek. Namgay told us we should be able to complete the whole hike in about five hours.


There were shrines and prayer wheels along the path. Some were powered by small streams cascading down the mountain.




Guru Rinpoche is said to have hidden terma, or "treasures" -- sacred writings and objects -- throughout Bhutan. These treasures can only be recovered by tertons, treasure-revealers who are the reincarnations of Guru Rinpoche's special disciples. This rock contains a terma.


About halfway up, there was a small teahouse where we could have a snack and catch our breath. We picked up a hopeful trail dog looking for handouts.




Shortly thereafter, we began to encounter our first serious obstacle: Jennifer's left boot began to delaminate. The sole was separating from the boot. We'd seen this problem in other shoes before -- dry rot of the plastic and rubber in the sole of the shoe. Apparently a lot of people who live in the tropics have this problem. The timing, of course, was extremely bad, as we were planning to start an eight-day hike the next day. For the time being, we followed a mantra popular in the Marine Corps: Improvise, adapt and overcome.


By the time we reached the observation point before crossing over to the cliff where the temple stands, Patrick's boots had also begun to fall apart. The ever-patient and resourceful Namgay did what he could to keep us together.




All of our boot troubles were easily forgotten when we saw the temple at close range. It seemed like something from a fairy tale -- utterly astonishing. The temple was open to visitors when we arrived, so we surrendered our bags, camera and hats to the guardhouse and made our way through the complex. The temple seemed to grow organically from the rock, completely natural and integrated with the mountain.




A number of Bhutanese pilgrims were on the grounds with us -- every Bhutanese tries to make a pilgrimage to Taktschang at least once in their lives. Namgay's first visit was at the age of 13, when his father was in the military in the capital of Thimphu. In one chapel, a senior monk was distributing blessings of holy water. We received the water in our right hand, took a sip, and spread the rest on our heads.

Every surface was painted -- either with floral and geometric designs or elaborate murals of Buddhist deities, demons and parables, all done in mineral paints. Every statue, mural and object seemed ancient, and we had to remind ourselves that the temple had only been reopened in 2005. Namgay opened a trapdoor in one chapel and allowed us to peer down into a cave where a famous monk had meditated for three years, three months and three days.


Soon it was time to leave and we made our way back down the mountain. Just after the observation point, Patrick's boots completely fell apart -- he stuck the soles in his backpack and hiked the rest of the way down without them. We were astonished to find that we'd done the hike in just over five hours, just as Namgay had predicted. "I think we could have done in four," he said.


From Taktshang we headed to a restaurant called the Yak Herder's House for lunch. Again we ate a delicious meal of Indo-Chino-Bhutanese tourist food, but the real treat came when Namgay brought in a large iron bowl and a bamboo straw. "Thongba," he said -- and so it was!


Thongba is fermented millet (when made from rice, it's called chhang). One pours hot water over the millet, allows it to steep, and drinks the liquid through a straw. It's mildly alcoholic, supposedly good for the circulation and digestion, and very tasty. It's a bit sour and yeasty, with a touch of effervescence. Thongba is popular in eastern Nepal, Sikkim, and in western Bhutan. Namgay, being from the far east of Bhutan, preferred ara, but he was very pleased that we were so excited to receive this gift. He told us that he'd asked a local farmer for a batch, and the farmer had given it to him for free -- but made Namgay promise to bring back his good bamboo straw!


After lunch we headed back into downtown Paro to see the local cobbler about our boots. As we'd feared, he pronounced them unrepairable. We loved our boots -- Patrick had worn his REI boots since 2003, Jennifer's Lowas had been around since 2004 -- and were really sorry to have to throw them out.



Jennifer got lucky -- sort of -- and found a pair of counterfeit men's North Face boots that fit her reasonably well. Patrick couldn't find anything that fit him, but he thought he could get along with a pair of light leather boots he'd worn in Mongolia.

Namgay and Tilley took us back to the Uma Paro, where we enjoyed a dip in the heated pool and a brief steam bath, then organized our gear to head out on our trek the next day. We had another fantastic dinner in the hotel restaurant, took another dose of Diamox, and headed for bed. We had a big day ahead of us in the morning....