Being budget travellers, my friend and I researched about the country about a month before backpacking. We decided to travel via the road from Siliguri in West Bengal. We had to do tran shifts which was quite tiresome but totally worthwhile. The best part about taking the road was encountering the locals and the information kept pouring in. We could halt whereever and whenever we wanted, viewing the scenic beauty and letting the aura sink in. It took us an entire day. By the time we reached Thimpu, the capital city we were exhausted and so we decided to hit the sack early.
It was early fall hence we were greeted by a chilly morning. In no time we got charged up to explore the city. A local friend of mine drove us around. In a single day we ran the latitudes and longitudes of the city, occasionally halting at places, tasting the local gourmet, sipping the local drinks, talking to the localites and juicing out as much information from them. My eyes and my camera both have captured absolute scenic beauty of the city. To name a few we stepped in to the Buddha park, the Buddha point, which is supposedly to be one of the wonders of the world.
The second day was the most beautiful part of my stay in Bhutan. We started early on for yet another gorgeous city, Paro. A few miles away from Paro is where the world famous Tiger's Nest lies. It was around 3 hours of trek! There are horses and mules carrying people to the monastery, but what better way than walk the walk to the top! We started the trek from Taksang. Each step gave us an adrenaline rush! Must haves for the trek are a pair of shades, a hat, enough water and lots of sunscreen! As we came closer to our destination, we were awestruck by what we saw! The entire monastery was carved into the mountains! It was the most beautiful thing I had seen, and the view of Paro from the top, how I wish I could describe it in words!
It was a gloomy morning with no suns hining through. It was our last day in Thimpu and the weather added fuel to the fire. I did not want to return so soon but we had got a pass of only three days. A city without the night life is an incomplete city and Thimpu was nowhere near to imperfection. We went club hopping and to my surprise the Bhutanese nocturnals shook their feet to Bollywood numbers too! I got to interact a lot with the teenage population of the city. They were the most friendly souls I've met. They made us feel at home. After the party was over they drove us to a view point which was at a higher altitude. What I saw from there will forever be etched in my heart. The entire city burned in sparkles just like a thousand fireflies, the sky, clear and starry, the moon shone high above, below were we with our new Bhutanese friends sipping the local wine while we looked on.
I'm still amazed when I go through the pictures. The stay wasn't quite enough but I'm definitely packing my bags for a second visit and this time it will be during the fall.
