Takhtang Monastery (Tiger's Nest): Into Misty Mountains

 Day 2

Trek up to Takhtang Monastery

I saw a picture of Tiger's Nest a few years ago; it beckoned me ever since.

I woke up early and called the hotel reception to check if any group was headed to Tiger's Nest, that I could take a lift with. Taxi was quoting 600, which for one person was steep, especially since I was on a budget. In the end, I had to take a taxi alone.

It was one of the most scenic, quiet and clean drives I had taken in a long time. With the river on one side and the rolling countryside (or should I say mountain side) on the other hand, we passed several chortens and houses with colourful dragons/ other deities painted on their walls.

Slowly, we started climbing up a winding road. As we passed through a thick forest, I spotted a huge, golden prayer wheel in a green field adjoining a small monastery. The driver dropped me off at the starting point and I starting walking in the same direction as other tourists. I met an Indian gentleman from Delhi, exchanged pleasantries and kept trotting on.

We passed a stream rivulet where people were posing for pictures; I stopped to take a selfie. On the trek up, I encountered a dozen horses, oodles of fresh horse-shit and their upbeat masters dressed in gho’s (their national dress). I took a few breaks along the way to sip water and rest my legs. As I hadn’t been exercising much prior to the trip, I could feel the strain in my calve muscles and even pulled a thigh muscle which started to hurt every time I took a step.

The last mile was particularly taxing. I had to climb up and down 700 steps, passing a lovely waterfall to reach up to the monastery. The muscle pain in my right thigh was really beginning to hurt; I had no choice but to carry on. Finally, I was there. Exhausted, I went to the locker room to store my handbag. The staff was pleasantly surprised to meet an Indian girl travelling alone, that too without a guide. A rare sight in Bhutan. 

There were deeply cut steps made out of stone leading up to the door of the monastery. I slowly hobbled my way up. As soon I walked in and turned right, I saw eople standing in a line and walking to a hole in a rock with their eyes shut. The Buddhist believe that whoever manages to place their finger inside the hole will get the same set of parents in their next life. I tried my luck but to no avail. I would still like to have the same set of parents in my next life though, anyone up there listening?

I went inside various prayer rooms, painted with colourful deities and golden statues of various gods. I didn’t have a guide so didn’t get into the depth of what each deity signified. There were lots of prayer rooms with large steps leading to them, I went to only 4 – 5 as I was lacking the energy to do so. In between various selfies and getting pictures taken by other people, I made my way down in good time. I stopped to use the restroom at the only café, en route Tiger’ nest. It started to drizzle, drizzle turned to rain shortly afterwards and didn’t stop. As I had forgotten to carry my umbrella, I got drenched. It was quite an experience, something I wouldn’t want to repeat. Funnily enough, on all the days that I did remember to carry my umbrella, it never rained.

The other trekkers seemed well prepared with their waterproof cover whereas I huddled under my scarf, trying not to fall on the slippery, muddy path. Once I reached the car, I just wanted to get back to the hotel, get into dry clothes and snuggle up in my warm bed.