Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) flew on the back of a tigress to this rock outcrop to subdue a local demon. He meditated there for three months and then went on to bring Buddhism to Bhutan (officially, in Bumthang in 746.) Now chillips (foreigners) hike for hours (2+) to get here. Facts are a bit conflicting, but you have to climb around 2,000 feet, to 10,300 foot elevation. It was difficult, and I got alarmingly light headed at points, but well worth it. Although there are a gazillion pics of the place, the principal advertisement for Bhutan, here are some more.
The day started with this view (Very sorry it's a lousy photo, from a moving bus.)
That white dot on the middle rock. From here to there.
(Dear readers, know I love you. This is taking freakin’ forever to post these few pics.)
You can ride these little horses up, but you can't ride down, and bridles are not included.
Glimpses through the trees to lead you on as you climb up.
Nice fall color along the way. Azaleas, roses, vines, etc.
We've made it to the overlook. The lama and his group (I tagged along for the day.)
The telephoto view.
The broader perspective.
No cameras were allowed inside, but here is more detail.
You know me, I have many more photos: plants, details, etc, but it took almost two hours to get this post up, so I am stopping here. It would be nice to find a more efficient way, or a faster connection speed, or something. Perhaps I should stick to text, but I’ve noticed I’m a slow writer too. I guess this might explain the dearth of blog posts. Impulses in the right direction, but somewhat thwarted in execution. Find me on twitter while you wait. Short and sweet.
Gorgeous.
Jennifer, Thanks for your efforts for us who are following your journey/adventure.
I wonder what it was like inside; assuming that monks are living there and taking care of
the place.
We didn’t see the whole thing, because we got there a few minutes before the lunch hour closing. There is Guru’s meditation cave and a few other holy rooms built around the rock. The walls are lined with gold (Gold gold?), thangkas, statues, and other paintings. Two rooms were big enough to meditate in, which we did for 5 minutes before being kicked out. You have to leave your bag/cameras/phones with the policeman at the door, and there are a few monks inside to explain or lead meditation. The stairs from room to room are truly precipitous. The stairs outside are precipitous.
Oh, and the whole thing burned recently, and they rebuilt it. Many holy places have burned because of the practice of lighting butter lamps (and ordinary, non-electric lamps, I assume.) Butter lamps are now in separate small structures, so if they burn, they don’t burn the whole precious building.
Fab photos. Thanks for putting up with the slow upload. My mouth is watering for my own trip coming up.
Thanks for posting the photos, that place is beautiful. Maybe it won’t take so long if you downsize the photos a bit in iPhoto before posting them? xoxoxoxo
This armchair traveler is so appreciative of your efforts to enrich my virtual travels! Thank you bunches, Jennifer. I love that the horses did not have bits in their mouths, and they did have bright, lovely saddle blankets. Reading and seeing bits of your adventure – a treasure.
Lois Q
Oh sweetie, exciting! I hoope you’ll keep posting photos!
Butterfly in Bhutan, you are…
XOJessica
OK, so I took the plunge….and the photos and your words were sooo worth it!! Much love, Sara