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Leaving at 5:00 am, we head to Dochu La, a temple complex along the main east-west highway. In addition to the temple, Dochu La has 108 stupas built after the Assam (India) militant occupation in 2003 in order to ward off future bad events. The Bhutanese are superstitious people, even abandoning homes if something bad happens and the astrologer says they need to move.
Arriving at Dochu La, the sunrise breaks through the clouds eventually giving us clear albeit brief views of the Himalayas. The highest peak is visible: Kangchenjunga, a sacred unscalable mountain. To climb it would bring bad luck, failed crops.
A good morning of birding yields some excellent birds today: Fire-tailed Myzornis (bird of the day), exquisitely marked by bright green body, scarlet tail, deep black lined eyes; Ward's Trogon, pink male, yellow female; Golden-throated Barbet, green body, blue wings, red/yellow/white head with black mask. Picnic breakfast was at the Queens Botanical Gardens where a Sambar was tame enough to come right up to us. Hot picnic lunch in a grove of trees along the road, once again with soup, rice, grilled fish, pumpkin, local (organic) clementine oranges (all produce in Bhutan is organic).
The afternoon was spent at Punakha Dzong, "the most beautiful dzong" in Bhutan. We descend in elevation as the sun provides warmth and we shed layers. Nearing Punakha, terraced rice paddies rise up from the Mother (Mo Chhu) and Father (Po Chhu) rivers that adjoin here. They flow south to a huge hydroelectric dam; Bhutan sells green energy to India. The Dzong dominates town. Lebo, our local guide, led us through the dzong giving us a Buddhism for Dummies lesson. The dzong was breathtaking; dating from the 17th century it comprises three courtyards and 26 temples. Monks pass in their deep red robes, every inch of wood intricately painted, allegorical murals, giant prayer wheels.
No wifi for tonight or tomorrow, but we are in a nice hotel tonight. Lots of stairs to our rooms as it is built into the mountainside, affording a lovely view of the rivers and the Dzong illuminated as night falls.
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