Bhutan: Tiger's Nest Temple

The Tiger's Nest temple is the epitome of Buddhist temples for me. The story goes that a monk flew from the valley on the back of a tiger to the cliffs above the Paro Valley in Bhutan. There he meditated in a cave for years. Ellen and I rode horses up through the valley until even they were stopped due to the steepness of the cliffs. The monestary is at an elevation of 10,000 feet and the valley floor is at 7,000. Once we arrived at the top we were greeted by the head monk and given a ceremony that celebrated our love and offered blessings to my ailing mother. While walking though the temple I came across a door that lead to a cave!! Yes - I was able to do some caving in the middle of this 3,000 foot cliff.

more on life on Mongolian Plains - Gers, Horses

Rand and I both rode the longhaired horses owned by the family whose Ger we visited. (That's Rand in the blue jacket).

We learned that the 70 year old woman (the beautiful lady in Green) who lived in the Ger had inherited it from her parents and that it was 90 years old. She hopes to leave it to her children.

The Ger is heated by a small stove - dried cow dung is the fuel. It has a waterproof felt roof with a round hole at the top covered by clear plastic. The poles that hold up the roof are decoratively painted.

Being nomadic, the family moves when the grazing land for its horses, cows, camels and goats is bare. The heaviest part of the Ger to move is the felt, so they are sure to wait until 3-4 weeks after any rain because any moisture makes the felt much heavier.