"Life is a journey, walk it."
I have seen Taktshang in photos till now. But recently, some of my friends wanted to plan a trip there. "We are making this trip for you, since you are always wandering around eastern forests", joked one friend. I couldn't show any excitement that time because I was actually satisfied seeing photos of Taktshang anywhere, until one day...
The Yesterday
We were of five. Three friends were told to pack only curries for the lunch. And two (which includes me), were to bring only rice. I always loved journeys and adventures. The night, I was visualizing my trip.
The Today
At 9 in the morning, we moved from Thimphu. It was little foggy and in the middle of the way, it rained. We anticipated the unfavourable journey due to the whether.
It took around an hour to reach the parking of Taktshang. We decided to leave the packed lunch in the car and have it when we get back. Actually, I though the journey would be little short but it was quite a walk.
We began the walk upwards. I saw an elderly man, who was a tourist, walking down alone. He was with a rain coat. Rain was sprinkling. "Hello. How was the trip?", a friend of mine asked. "So easy." He lied.
We were of four boys and a girl. The girl was in difficulty. She had to walk with a stick. I wanted to walk with her and three other friends went far forward. I pretended like I was accompanying her but let me admit, I walked with her because I couldn't catch the gentlemen in the front.
At certain point, the three friends were waiting. They said that Taktshang should actually be visible from that point but the fog prevented the visual. And they added that Lungten (me) have no Lungten (prophecy) to visit Taktshang. Hmm...
I was actually surprised by the number of tourists we met on the way. They were countless and from various parts of the earth. One time, I asked an elderly woman, "How was the trip?". She curiously glanced at her guide. I don't remember what the guide told her. I heard something like 'shi sha sho la mamo pala...". And then the woman told me, "beautiful but..." and she pointed her index finger to her knees which was muddy. I understood she slipped.
We continued our journey. We reached Taktshang Cafeteria where the price of the Tea was Nu 150. So that's ahemm... a little too much, I thought, for me.
We continued our journey upwards. I haven't seen Taktshang yet because of the fog. As we walked upwards, I looked aside and suddenly got my palms together upon seeing a little portion of Taktshang. I got the energy to walk a little faster.
There we reached the top and had to walk through the trail by then. And here we did it. The Taktshang that I saw in pictures and the Taktshang I saw in real had a difference of sky and earth. The feeling was completely out of my mind. It was extra-ordinarily beautiful and full of power. I was wondering, how in those times, it could have been built in such a speechless site.
We wore our formal uniforms and before entering, we took lot of photos. We then entered the phenomenal Taktshang and, honestly, everything inside was what we see in Monasteries. The wonders all lie in it's location, the breezy waterfalls, the precision of architecture that is too catchy of eyes and souls and mainly it's height of beauty.
We then walked back. Our prayer is all that we left.
The Tomorrow
Well. I understood that there is more to life than everything that we face daily. There are more places that we have to walk to, more paths that we have to walk through and more people we have to walk with. It must be full of surprises. And for now, all I can say is that life is worth living.
The Yesterday
We were of five. Three friends were told to pack only curries for the lunch. And two (which includes me), were to bring only rice. I always loved journeys and adventures. The night, I was visualizing my trip.
The Today
At 9 in the morning, we moved from Thimphu. It was little foggy and in the middle of the way, it rained. We anticipated the unfavourable journey due to the whether.
It took around an hour to reach the parking of Taktshang. We decided to leave the packed lunch in the car and have it when we get back. Actually, I though the journey would be little short but it was quite a walk.
We began the walk upwards. I saw an elderly man, who was a tourist, walking down alone. He was with a rain coat. Rain was sprinkling. "Hello. How was the trip?", a friend of mine asked. "So easy." He lied.
We were of four boys and a girl. The girl was in difficulty. She had to walk with a stick. I wanted to walk with her and three other friends went far forward. I pretended like I was accompanying her but let me admit, I walked with her because I couldn't catch the gentlemen in the front.
At certain point, the three friends were waiting. They said that Taktshang should actually be visible from that point but the fog prevented the visual. And they added that Lungten (me) have no Lungten (prophecy) to visit Taktshang. Hmm...
I was actually surprised by the number of tourists we met on the way. They were countless and from various parts of the earth. One time, I asked an elderly woman, "How was the trip?". She curiously glanced at her guide. I don't remember what the guide told her. I heard something like 'shi sha sho la mamo pala...". And then the woman told me, "beautiful but..." and she pointed her index finger to her knees which was muddy. I understood she slipped.
We continued our journey. We reached Taktshang Cafeteria where the price of the Tea was Nu 150. So that's ahemm... a little too much, I thought, for me.
We continued our journey upwards. I haven't seen Taktshang yet because of the fog. As we walked upwards, I looked aside and suddenly got my palms together upon seeing a little portion of Taktshang. I got the energy to walk a little faster.
There we reached the top and had to walk through the trail by then. And here we did it. The Taktshang that I saw in pictures and the Taktshang I saw in real had a difference of sky and earth. The feeling was completely out of my mind. It was extra-ordinarily beautiful and full of power. I was wondering, how in those times, it could have been built in such a speechless site.
We wore our formal uniforms and before entering, we took lot of photos. We then entered the phenomenal Taktshang and, honestly, everything inside was what we see in Monasteries. The wonders all lie in it's location, the breezy waterfalls, the precision of architecture that is too catchy of eyes and souls and mainly it's height of beauty.
We then walked back. Our prayer is all that we left.
The Tomorrow
Well. I understood that there is more to life than everything that we face daily. There are more places that we have to walk to, more paths that we have to walk through and more people we have to walk with. It must be full of surprises. And for now, all I can say is that life is worth living.
