The Haa Valley

Last weekend we went for a day trip to the Haa Valley. This trip took us to the west of the capital. Although it was a lot of driving, it was a breathtaking trip.

We left Thimphu in the early morning and entered the valley at a more southerly point, worked our way north, and then started our return to Thimphu through the highest mountain pass in Bhutan, slightly over 13000 feet. The day was absolutely clear and sparkling, and we were afforded terrific views of the distant Himalayas.  Although this map is likely irrelevant to most readers, here's our itinerary:

We climbed steadily, and then encountered Dobji Dzong, an old dzong that had been used as a prison until 1976 and is now a monastery. It is set on a promontory. The location and structure are both quite striking:

We did not go down and visit.

We continued past terraced rice paddies in early spring, a site we saw throughout our trip. I stood and watched the valley below us, and it felt as though time stood still. I could not tell if we were in 2014 or 1614. Here are some samples from throughout the trip:

We were fortunate enough to catch a couple of interesting sites along the way. First, we saw an archery contest. Some of you may have read my previous postings about archery (see 2010, The National Sport). This contest was interesting in that there was no level ground for a single playing field. One team was on one side of a valley, and the other team was on the side of the valley. Because the target areas were so small, the archers actually had a shielded area for their protection.

Close group

Far group, a bit hard to see, sorry.

 Scenery was great at this stop, and I got to see another one of those really neat looking Bhutanese cats:

The pictures could be endless; it was incredibly photogenic. Everywhere, there were snow-capped peaks and deep green forests covering the local hills. After stopping in Haa, we visited the white and black monasteries. A cow wandered unconcernedly (both cow and local folks) through town.

White Monastery

Black Monastery. The grey paint is extremely unusual.

Cow. Maybe a bull?  Didn't get that close to check.

We climbed toward Delelu pass, the highest paved road pass in Bhutan, and saw a yak herd:

Pretty cool.

We finally reached the pass. The views were spectacular.

And then we came home. We had yak burgers a couple of days later; they were delicious.
Next:  We play hooky and go to Tango