Our visit to Bhutan provided me with one of the two best experiences on our journey, hiking up a mountain to Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon, is a Himalayan kingdom of myths and legends, deep Buddhist faith, harsh but beautiful landscapes, where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than Gross National Product.

Upon arrival we toured downtown Paro and encountered monks and everyday Bhutanese, all friendly and welcoming.  Some had red teeth and lips from chewing betel nut, a mild narcotic.  We visited a Buddhist temple, removing our shoes, and watched the monks play horns, drums and cymbals while reciting or chanting prayers.  Huge prayer wheels are omnipresent throughout Bhutan, and some of our group gave one a try.

The next morning we set out to climb to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Taktshang Goemba), a fantastic structure which clings to the sheer cliffs soaring above the whispering pine forests.  Legend says that Guru Rinpoche flew to this site on the back of a tigress to subdue a local demon.

It was a brutally difficult climb up broken trails of dirt and stone, hiking from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet.  It was the most difficult physical challenge of my life (adjusted for age), and it turned out to be a personal quest.  I think about two dozen of our group of 66 attempted the climb and about 15 completed it.  We had a small team of friends and we kept each other going with encouragement on the way up.  Just as you reach the level of the Monastery on a facing mountain completely exhausted, you have to go down about 400 feet to cross over to the other mountain and climb back up again.  The sight of that monastery on that mountainside is the greatest landmark scene I have ever witnessed, edging out Machu Picchu.

All in all, Bhutan is a truly unique and extraordinary place and culture, the last remaining great Himalayan kingdom.