Our stay at the Uma by Como Hotel was not all about relaxing and enjoying that view, stunning though it was.  We also took several short trips out into the countryside to enjoy other sites, and sights, in this most beautiful of valleys.

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On the map, our hotel is marked with an x, just above the word Punakha.  Our first foray into the countryside took us further north up the Mo Chhu to the tiny settlement of Yambesa (near Sirigang) to visit the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten.  Another wander along windy back roads took the group (minus me, because I had a tummy upset!), south to Talo and other villages near the Samgnacholing Dzong.  The next day we ventured further south, close to the junction of the road back to Thimphu, where we visited the Chimi Lhakhang Black Dog Chorten before coming back to Punakha to, at last, visit the famous Punakha Dzong.

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With all those names that sound so strange to an English speaker, it’s no wonder at all, is it, that we needed a Bhutanese guide!  And that guide was Leki, a very handsome and personable young man – and an excellent guide.  So now, let’s take our time and spend a few musing episodes wandering with Leki in this stunningly beautiful Bhutanese valley.

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To be begin our wanderings in the Punakha Valley we travelled north up alongside the west side of the Mo Chu. Our destination for the morning was the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten which, we discovered, was on the other side of the river and perched high on a ridge.  For anyone wanting to get to this special chorten, the river must first be crossed via a colourful, prayer flag festooned footbridge. After that, it’s a rather long uphill hike.  Bhutan is a place for walking and most of that walking is initially in an uphill direction… of course, coming back down is not such a huff and puff affair.

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For most of the group, this was their first chance to experience a Bhutanese footbridge.

With the river swirling below and the prayer flags flapping near your face…

this can be a somewhat disconcerting walk.

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On the way up, we passed a small private Chorten standing alone in a field.

Buddhists  believe that building a Chorten is considered extremely beneficial, giving to those who build it very positive and accumulating merits during one’s life.  On the other hand, they also believe that destroying or vandalising a stupa is considered an extremely negative deed. Such an action would likely create massive negative karmic imprints leading to future problems during the person’s present stay on earth and even after death.   There are stupas of every size in Bhutan; some are very grand, but even simple ones like this, seem to add a sense of permanence and place and peace.

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A young Bhutanese boy watched our progress.

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As did an old man.

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Our path took us up along a ridge through rice fields.  Here, we watched a farming family at work threshing the rice. Everything is done by manual labour; it’s all hard work.

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I spotted this twisted tree trunk on a small side path – time to duck the head.

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An unknown herb beside the path.

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At last a sign to let us know we were indeed on the right path.

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Colourful prayer flags and a buddha statue stands opposite the main door into the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten.

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There were large, highly decorated prayer wheels in a small pavilion in the grounds.

You always walk clockwise around a prayer wheel.

Individual Chortens stand on a ridge behind.

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Fascinating shadows on a line of small chortens.

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This gentle old man was very welcoming.

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He was happy to smile for this portrait even though we interrupted his meditations.

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Many strange beings adorn the buildings.

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Finally we arrived at the very impressive, four storey high Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten.  It was built by Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck, the third of the four sisters who were simultaneously wives of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.  A splendid example of Bhutanese architecture and decorative art, this Chorten took almost nine years to complete and is the only one of its kind in the world.  Although most Bhutanese buildings are constructed without formal plans, what makes this building unusual is that not even engineering manuals were consulted for the building of this temple.  Instead, the Bhutanese craftsmen involved in the building, including carpenters, painters, and sculptors, consulted religious scriptures for all the detail.

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The Queen is said to have built this temple in the hope of removing negative forces and to promote peace, stability and harmony in a changing world.  The temple was consecrated in a three day ceremony in 1999 and was dedicated for ‘the well being of the kingdom, its people and all sentient beings’.  It is a stunning building and well worth the climb.

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And the views from the grounds of the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten are also stunning.  We’ll look at those in more detail in the next episode when we’ll retrace our steps down the hill, taking in the views at a leisurely pace, back to the bridge.

David

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