Taktsang (tiger's nest) Monastery

Hello lovely people,

My sincere apologies for the radio silence. I am not cut out for consistent writing, unfortunately. I spent this past weekend in Paro which is about one hour west of Thimphu. The immensely winding roads on the drive reminded me that these cities are situated in a very unique spot in the world -- I am very lucky to be here! The first stop was the famous hike to Taktsang, or Tiger's Nest monastery. I was long awaiting this opportunity as the existence of this monastery was one of the only things I knew about Bhutan before arriving here. The hike consists of a steep three miles or so, with stunning views of the Paro valley and the Himalayan foothills. The monastery is clearly impressive. Being situated practically teetering over the edge of the mountain makes it all the more breathtaking. It was quite the trek to get up there, and I can only imagine the process of putting it there in the first place.

A bit on the history... Guru Rinpoche is one of the founders of Tibetan Buddhism and is the individual who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. After coming to Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche went to a cave on the side of this mountain where he then meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, and three days. Later in the same spot, he subdued a demon that was in the same area. The monastery was built in this exact spot. The monastery is called Tiger's Nest because Guru Rinpoche was said to have arrived here by flying on the back of a tigress. No matter one's beliefs, this monastery is an astounding place to visit with intriguing history.

My favorite part about this experience was descending into the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated. Getting down there was no small miracle. I am not sure that I would've felt confident performing this feat if I wasn't a climber... one has to scale three extremely rickety, haphazardly-placed ladders. In the dark, no less. The cave is much more vertical than horizontal. At the very bottom and the very back of the cave, there is a small shrine with a butter lamp lit for Guru Rinpoche. This was possibly the quietest place I have ever been. The darkness added to the serene feeling; there was very little light besides the candle. I would recommend coming to Bhutan just to be able to experience this exact place.

No matter how many temples and monasteries I visit, I will never become tired of them.