5 November – Hike to Tiger’s Nest

We did it! All of us conquered the all day climb to Taktsang Monastery, affectionately called Tiger’s Nest, 2000 feet above Paro Valley. The monastery seems to hang like magic on the sheer rock face of the mountain overlooking the valley. It got it’s name when Guru Rinpoche rode there on the back of his consort, who had transformed herself into a flying tiger, where he meditated in a cave behind the contemporary monastery. It was a beautiful day for hiking and getting to know the other tourists along the way. It was certainly a fantastic and positive way to end our tour. Tonight we celebrated our climb with hot stone baths, massages and reflections on what a wonderful trip this has been. We truly enjoyed making the long journey from India to western Bhutan. We had the opportunity to observe the differences that modernization and tourism has had on central and western parts of the country but which have not yet reached the east. But everywhere we went, we were impressed with the people, with the landscape and with the spirit of this beautiful country.