On to Paro …

Loaded with all that phallic energy, we were ready for the long (~100km) drive from  Punakha to Paro. The first half of the drive was along the same road we had taken a few days earlier in the other direction – again with a stop at Dochu La Pass, eventually going through the outskirts of Thimphu and then on towards Paro valley.

We arrived at Paro around midday – right in time for a crowded lunch (or a walk around town) – after which another monastery was waiting for us with Rinpung Dzong. This Buddhist fortress sits on a hill with great views of the surrounding valley and features fourteen shrines and chapels. We – as usual – had a guided tour around the courtyards and some selected shrines.