Thursday, March 24 | Thimphu to Trongsa After breakfast the next morning the pilgrimage caravan of 15 vehicles began the long drive to Trongsa. The road which is under massive reconstruction by the Bhutanese government climbed steeply through forests of pine, cedar, dwarf bamboo and hanging lichen. At the Dochula Pass (3,050 meters / 10,000 […]
Friday, March 25 | Trongsa to Bhumthang On this day the group boarded the buses for a day-long journey to Bhumthang, making a much-anticipated visit to the Tharpaling Monastery. Tharpaling, which means Land of Liberation, is the sacred site and retreat cave of the great master Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363). Longchenpa established the monastery at the […]
Saturday, March 26 | Bhumthang Rinpoche led the group to several sacred sites in the Chökhor valley. The first stop of the day was at Jampa’i Lhakhang built by King Songsten Gonpo in the 7th century – one of the Tadrol temples which were constructed during his reign. Following a hike across the Chamkhar River […]