Friday, March 10th, Punakha, Bhutan

Greetings!

Traveling between Thimphu and Punakha means driving over the Dochula Pass.  Separating two climates, two eras of the Kingdom, and two Dzongs (palaces), the 10,000 foot pass presents alpine, rainforest, and troical flora along some of its hairpin turns and gorgeous views.  At the top sits the 108 stupa memorial to the purge of Nepalese dissidents arranged by the 4th King of Bhutan.

Dropping down into the Punakha side of the mountain, we stopped at a recently created prayer flag spot that beautifully allows for the presentation of Bhutanese expressions.  Tandy recounted how the site has evolved during his visits over the past decade.

Next, we stopped at Chimi Lhakhang, a Budhist temple and monastery across from a restaurant with a view of rice fields and farms spread out over the valley floor.  We're staying at the Zhingham Resort in Punakha.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 10th, Punaha, Bhutan