Life's Bounty

My Lifestyle Blog

Day 16: Punakha to Haa Valley

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27 October 2019

The weather gods really smiled on us today. At 5am the clouds were right down and not looking promising but by the time we set off in the bus the clouds had burned off and the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. We are heading back over the Dochula Pass were we could hardly see anything 2 days ago and are really hoping for a view of the Eastern Himalayas. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions: the peaks coming into view as we climbed up to the pass (stopping for photos on the way). At the top we are only supposed to have a short break but everyone is just taking more and more photos – it is so inspiring. We can see the world’s highest unclimbed peak Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m) and a whole lot more that are above 7,000m. They are only visible about 20% of the time so we are extremely fortunate.

On the way Chengha talks to us some more about the pillars of happiness. Number 1 is to care for the environment (including the decision to not allow people to climb mountains above 6000m in Bhutan because of all the issues and rubbish etc that Nepal faces with Everest). Number 2 is to maintain their cultural integrity: the importance of their national dress, national language and other cultural activities. We hear that movie theatres only screen Bhutanese movies – although many people have TVs now and can access all the movies and series that we do.

Then we continue back to Thimphu and then on back to Paro. When we had come from the airport on the first night it was already dark so we hadn’t seen the scenery and were very surprised to discover that it was very barren and rocky – so different from where we had just come from such a short time previously.

We stop at a very popular restaurant in Paro for lunch – tucked away down an alley with no signs that we could see but it was packed to overflowing. It was the traditional buffet but this time included some delicious battered eggplant. As we waited for the bus we found a little shop that sold ice cream so went in to try it out – perfect! Just what we needed.

I was also able to find a pharmacy to get some Strepsils and Panadol. I woke this morning having slept quite well and feeling quite lively but discovered that I was now coughing blood (which could just be similar to a blood nose). Unfortunately it is Sunday so I can’t go to a doctor. Margaret has given me some lozenges that numb the throat and have been a godsend in stopping my coughing for a while.
On our way out of Paro we saw a plane taking off and performing the required right and left banking to fly out. We saw another plane moving and stopped hoping to be able to take photos but unfortunately it wasn’t taking off, just moving elsewhere.

We climbed rapidly up out of Paro heading towards our destination the Haa Valley. The road is much narrower here and very windy as we twist and turn up through the forest. The trees are beginning to change to autumn colours now and we see spectacular bursts of reds and yellows. As we climb higher the vegetation changes again and we see lots of spruce and larch – some of which are also turning a bright yellow.

The Himalayas again come into view and particularly a peak that the locals call the ‘goddess of peaks’. The afternoon sun is just perfect and we stop many times to take pictures because it is so beautiful. Chengha and Jamba are as enthusiastic as we are. Eventually our climb takes us to the Chelela Pass which at 3988m is the highest pass in Bhutan.

Down the other side of the pass we enter the Haa Valley – one of the most remote and sacred valleys in Bhutan. This area only opened to tourism in 2002 and has one of the strongest auras of stepping into the past, in a country that already feels lost in time. The surroundings mountains push up against the northern Indian state of Sikkim and the south of Tibet, and they are as wild, uninhabited, and unexplored as anywhere in the world. We get a glimpse of the attractive little town of Haa, with traditional two storey wooden shops and a sprawling collection of buildings around a central dzong used by the Indian army.

As it is after 5.00pm we head up a little road to our accommodation for the night – Pisum Resort – which has the feel of visiting people in their home. We are taken into the dining room for hot ginger tea, biscuits and some roasted rice (like eating rice bubbles – Jamba spoons them into his tea). There is a huge wood burner going in the corner and it is toasty warm.

Our rooms are also toasty warm with heaters going which is very welcome as the temperature is dropping fast. We are at 2700m here and we certainly notice the altitude when we walk up the incline from our rooms to the restaurant: one by one we puff and wheeze our way to dinner. This time the buffet includes a delicious mixed vegetable soup that is the best we have tasted and some vegetable ‘meatballs’.

For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Asia with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more ☺.

 

Peregrine Adventures AU

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