An evening at the magnificent Taj Mahal Palace never disappoints. And if that evening is followed by a nights stay at this architectural marvel of a property, you are sure to feel special. With its hand woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, a cantilever stairway and tall columns and archways, the Taj Mahal Palace is a perfect venue for any grand occasion. And yes, they do make you feel like a true Indian Maharajah. We were here to celebrate Laveena’s birthday.
On Day 6 we were up before sunrise. Although we were not scheduled to leave until 9:00 am, we deliberately woke up early as we wanted to feast our eyes and soak in the last of the unimaginable beauty that made up the Punakha valley.
On day four post a fabulous lunch at the Gangtey Goempa Lodge, we started on our journey to Punakha. En route we drove by Lobesa where we noticed that the local homes done up in the typical traditional Bhutanese style, had one glaring difference. They all had paintings of phalluses on the outside walls. Vijay our guide explained that we were in the fertile valley of Lobesa which borders Thimphu, Punakha and the Wangdue Phodrang districts.
After spending an extraordinary two nights at the Taj Tashi in Thimphu, we set out early on Tuesday for Gangtey. We had been pre-warned that across Bhutan there are hectic road widening projects underway as a result of which one has to carefully time ones commute from one city to the next as many roads are being widened and access through these roads are based on government set timings.
Paro International Airport Bhutan (aerial view)
Beyond that magical place where the sky and the earth meet, there lies a mystical Himalayan Kingdom, Bhutan. As we journeyed last week through Druk Yul or the land of the Thunder Dragon, we experienced an almost unimaginable spiritual awakening.