Meri Punsum Resort Punakha

... and refreshments at the cafeteria which offers an imposing view<br>of the cultural landmark. (The hike can be quite strenuous and a pony<br>ride to the monastery can be arranged at additional cost). <br>The late afternoon is free to relax and enjoy Paro.<br>Day 07: Departure.<br>Most<br>of our Paro hotels are within 15 minutes drive to the airport. Transfer<br>to Paro Airport. Check in two hours prior to flight departure to ensure<br>the best seats on board Druk Air.<br ...

... of the monastaries along the way, A senior monk from the area made her guess how many stairs led to the top, and she got it right! Good to see we are staying mentally fit as well. Our first night north of the capital was way up in the hills above the river, in a small village, where we participated in a homestay. It was an odd experience, as we felt as if we had displaced the owners for the night while they slept in the kitchen and we slept upstairs, but T assured us that 1. they were ...

... passed through the metal detector enroute to the stadium entrance. Unfortunately, we had not heard that cameras were not allowed, so we had to offload our camera equipment to Sonam, our guide, who offered to run them back to the hotel and re-join us at the stadium once he got back. (This would be his second line-cut of the day, making mine seem less bad....I think!!) The second queue to enter the staduim gate was really just a ...

... the petrol stations are attractive). All of this is in a wonderful setting of mountains covered with trees, some of which are displaying their autumn colours. It is an absolute delight. Our first site we visited in Bhutan was the Thimphu Dzong (fortress). This remarkable building houses the King's administrative area at one end, and we even saw the 5th King walking around the grounds with his followers. He is incredibly well respected by the ...

... us. We asked why, but they would not tell us, and as they had guns, and they kept pointing them at us, we thought it best to believe them !!! Thimphu Town Being the capital, it is the biggest place we have been to, but still no traffic lights. Out in the centre is a policeman giving out hand signals, but this being Asia 1) Nobody understands them 2) The locals ignored him !!! We ended up in the shops, and realising the ...

... we arrived. There is the usual prayer wheel, which we spun and did the Bhuddist prayer Om Ma Ni Pe Me Hung And as I had impressed the local monks, they let us in the temple !!! It was small with three statues, so we left a donation because Lucy wanted to be blessed by a ten inch dick !!! That's another thing about this country, they are painted everywhere !!! And even after a donation, Lucy never got the dick, so we moved on Punakha Dzong Our guide said that ...

... party elements to arrange. The evening gets off to a wonderful start. The meal is excellent, and the birthday celebration done in a traditional Bhutanese way, with a prayer offered by the guide and the lighting of a butter candle. Awards are given, and then I am pigeon holed by the local tour operator who desperately wants me to do business with him again. The fact that ...

... s reading is on the topic of "A Genuine Smile," and it is full of wisdom and inspiration. My favorite part is when the boy compares a smile to the most cost-efficient form of energy. A genuine smile sheds a great light, and does not cost anything. We head out of Thimphu and up into the mountains, crossing the 10,000-foot Dochula Pass. At the summit is a huge hill with many Stupas. We can barely discern the high ...

Punakha valley is lower and therefore quite a bit warmer than the area around Thimphu . Like many others, the local Dzong was damaged some years ago (by a flood), so it looks rather new now. Some important battles between the Bhutanese and the Tibetans were fought here ...

... was the crown prince at the time, but some high lama told her that this would bring him luck. We drove as far as possible, and then crossed the river on a footbridge before walking/hiking up 1 hour. The walk was brutal because of the heat. But once we arrived, it was totally worth it. The view from the top of the chorten was spectacular. The walk down wasn't ...