On our five-hour drive of 88 miles over narrow, switchbacked, single paved lane (sometimes) road up over Dochula Pass (10,000 feet) we made several photo stops looking at temples and rice fields and dodging landslides on the road. The country of Bhutan has 700,000 people and is 80 miles from north to south and 200 miles from east to west. The few roads are in terrible condition and get worse with each monsoon season.
Driving in Bhutan can be interesting
They do drive on the left - Brit style
This is a frequent occurrence
Lots of drivers sport these prayer wheels on the dashboard - for good reason!
On the way out of Paro we passed lots of rice fields and a temple/monastery (Tachog Lhakhang) founded by a monk who found iron ore on the hillside in the 15th century.
Abandoned farmhouse left standing because people believe it contains evil spirits
Rice fields being harvested
Rice fields being harvested
Rice fields being harvested
Women threshing rice by hand using a rock on a stump
Bridge over the Pachhu River
Tachog Lhakhang monastery founded by the "iron ore" monk
Typical roadside marker
Sign commemorating the construction of the bridge at the confluence of the Pachhu and Wangchhu rivers
Confluence of the Pachhu and Wangchhu rivers
Stupas across the river
The King and Queen
Fifth Dragon King (Drik Gyalpo) - Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Queen (Druk Gyal-Tsuen) - Jetsun Pema
Prayer wheels are everywhere
Archway over the road where you enter a different district
Decorated truck and road signs
Another decorated truck. You blow your horn when you come up behind a vehicle and you want to pass
Chilis drying on a roof
On the top of Dochula Pass (10,000 feet) are 108 stupas (Druk Wangyal Chortens) that one of King #4's queens (he has four) had erected to honor the 11 Bhutanese militia that were killed in 2003 as the country got rid of Indian insurgents/terrorists who were moving into southern Bhutan. There are 108 of the stupas because 108 are a very auspicious number in Buddhism.
View of the Druk Wangyal Choetens (borrowed from the Internet)
Another view of the Druk Wangyal Choetens
Choeten details
Choeten details
Choeten details
Druk Wangyal Lhakhang temple at the top of Dochula Pass
Field of prayer flags across from the choetens
Just over the pass we stopped for a buffet lunch at the Dochula Restaurant. It was too cloudy to see the Himalayas in the distance. We did see a troop of grey langur monkeys playing in the trees and running from building-to-building.
Hard to see Langur monkeys running between the buildings
This is the main (only) road between Thimphu (the capitol) and Punaka!
Road construction is done mostly by hand
Terraced rice fields and other crops
Terraced rice fields
Terraced fields and crops
Bjachung Karmo Nunnery on the hill above Punakha
A forest fire burned last spring threatened the nunnery
