Click on photo to return to the valley floor and see the view at dawn.
The waters to the right flow from Jhomolhari and join the left stream in
the main valley. They cascade back the way we came, all the way to the
Paro Valley. The ruins are to the right. The distinctive shape near the middle
is a circular stone shelter and adjoining caretaker's quarters. Our three tents
can be seen by a thin ribbon of water. The stone shelter is for trekkers' use
on a first come first served basis. It was built with stones from the ruins!
The reuse of building materials is rather common in history. It can throw
historians and anthropologists for a loop, and then suddenly, everything
becomes richer and textured. We stay here for two nights. For the second night,
we are the only party. When we first arrive, there is one group set up ahead
of us with tents that you can sort of see between ours and the ruins. The head
of that party is Bhutan's Minister of Trade. He has about 8 other people with
him. His horses have climbed to this overlook and beyond to expanses of tundra.
The Trade Minister's helpers invite me to follow them up the mountain.
It's a heart pounding climb straight up to over 15,000 feet. We see blue sheep
grazing fairly close to the horses. The altitude does not affect me too much
since I have lived at 8500 feet for the last 24 years. I don't take any medications.
Bob and Linda are from sea level and they have been taking medications that
make them tingle. At the beginning of this trek there are e-mail links that you
can use to ask them about what they recommend in terms of dosage, body weight
and age. They are not doctors and will want you to get prescriptions (if any,
or for emergency) professionally tailored to your specific requirements.

Click on the griffon or the photo to continue.