Destination Paro

-
Paro, home to what is considered as one of the most dangerous airports, was our final destination.  The drive from Punakha to Paro was a long and uncomfortable one because of the road work and long road blocks. One of the roadblocks was close to Dochula resort . A short walk to the resort and we were in the comforts of closed environment. The resort boasts of a 360 degree view of Himalayan ranges on a clear day. But we were not so lucky.  All we were greeted with was the silhouettes of sparrows, Doves and pine trees. The resort has a souvenir shop with some very interesting exclusive  pieces of knick knacks and should not be missed.


Itinerary at Paro had a repeat of activities and sights similar to Punakha and Thimphu. The exemption was the finale of the trip. Every traveler we came across spoke with such excitement while sharing their experiences that all the other sights felt dull. But more about it later.

Like with other places , Paro has its own Dzong with its wooden bridge. A poor cousin of Punakha Dzong, we did take in the sights with a little less enthusiasm. The overload of Dzongs and the long tiring journey had dampened our spirits. But that did not stop us from capturing the memory into a still. So here you go, images of the Rinpung Dzong!









The only other stop over was at the local National Museum of Bhutan. Among other things , it reminded me of the various Zorig Chusum or the arts and crafts we had come across so far. And let me reintroduce some and list out the others that I missed out.
Do Zo      - Craft of Stone work
Gar Zo     - Craft of Iron work
Lug Zo     - Craft of Bronze work
Tshem Zo - Art of tailoring
Thag Zo    - Art of weaving
De Zo       - Craft of paper making
Troe Ko    - Craft of traditional ornament making
Jim Zo      - Art of clay work
Tasha Zo   - Craft of weaving bamboo and cane
Shag Zo    -Art of wood turning
Lah Zo      - Art of Bhutanese painting
Shing Zo   - Craft of wood work
Par Zo        - Art of craving

We would have loved to spend more time taking in the various displays. But the long drive that day and the long trek the next day made us rush to our home for that night.


On  arrival to our room at the Dewachen resort , we immediately went into a meditative mode and took in a deep breath of breathtaking views. Yes, we were all set to trek to Tiger's Nest next day.



Date : September 2014
Place : Paro, Bhutan

Tip : Look out for the airport strip from the museum and Dzong
First : Paro!
The travel connection : A museum is a place where one should lose one's head- Renzo Piano

You may also like
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2015/02/destination-paro-taktsang-tigers-nest.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2015/01/destination-sangchhen-dorji-lhuendrup.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/10/destination-punakha-lhakhang.html  
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/10/destination-punakha-dzong.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/10/destination-dochula-pass-around-and.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/09/destination-thimphu-city-and-beyond.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/09/destination-thimphu-capital-city.html
http://the-travel-connection.blogspot.in/2014/09/destination-thimphu.html

 



 


Location: Paro, Bhutan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Destination Aihole

-
Image
The cradle of Hindu temple architecture, Aihole or Aryapura was the destination to learn and experiment on the temple architecture. Under the patronage of early Chalukyan kings, the Chalukyan style of temple architecture was refined here between  the 5th and 8th century.  The preview of Aihole given to us by the guide at Pattadakal was enough to excite me about visiting the ancient school of architecture, You wonder if you have arrived at Aihole as the narrow lanes leads you into the chaos of a village life but the complex of ancient structures in various states of disintegration  make you think you have time traveled. The proximity of the timeworn stone monuments and the present day village dwellings raised a lot of questions. The encroachment of these temples was even more intriguing. Be it the cattle housed in these structures, smoke bellowing out or the colorful clothes drying on a line between intricate carved column, all of it just amazed me. When we arrived at one of the b
Read more

Destination Punakha Dzong

-
Image
If I had to choose my favorite structure, It would be the bridges without any hesitation. Bhutan renewed my fascination for bridges with their traditional cantilever bridge called the Bazam. Tintin's knowledge about architecture was limited. My questions on the location of  the toilets, kitchens inside the Dzong  or how the water supply/ drainage worked  and other queries must have driven him mad or made him think that the mountain air had made me go bonkers. So my hopes of understanding the bridge through Tintin was futile. Punakha Dzong is undoubtedly one of the most elegant structures in Bhutan.  To get to the main building , one has to cross Mo chhu through one of the most beautiful bridges I have come across so far. Most buildings in Bhutan are a replica of their ancient self. Due to natural calamities or fire, almost all the prominent sites in Bhutan have been rebuilt in the recent years. The Punakha bridge is no different. You can read more about it here. http:/
Read more

Citadel Acropolis Of Athens

-
Image
Faded reminiscent of a lavish bygone era, Acropolis is a collection of multiple monuments. The current state is due to foreign occupation, pilfering of foreign archaeologist, inept renovations and of course nature's fury. Along with these factor,the indifferent visitor who do not respect the history have made it worse. Does this  remind you of multiple monuments across India. History repeats itself no matter the location. A short climb up the flat rock outcrop and one reaches the propylaea. It is the gateway to the cradle of history. Phidias was the lead architect. The first sight of Doric columns from a distance, the most easiest to sketch was underwhelmed by the crowds. But as we got closer to the gateway, the temple of Athena Nike with ionic columns and the scale of the Doric columns gave us the first preview of what can be expected inside the citadel of acropolis. Stairs Leading to western facade of Propylaea The reconstructed Temple of Athena Nike in tetr
Read more