Hike to Cheri

The hike up to Cheri Goemba was gorgeous. It ended up taking an hour each way and we spent a lot of time in and around the monastery. The meditation rooms look like they are carved directly into the mountainside. Monks remain in the rooms for 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days in isolation.

The main temple houses the ashes of the father of the man who united Bhutan and the entire structure has been in place since the early 16th century. The site is deep in the forest and was exactly the scenery I was hoping for. Birds flitted in the trees around us and the dirt path was all ours until the hike back down.

The goral around the monastery are wild, but well habituated to human presence. It took some time to find them, but after an addition climb of just under 300 stone steps, we came across a little herd. The trip down went quick and we cam across some French tourists. We (Jigme and Pem joined me on the hike) stopped for tea, zhau (fried rice snack), and biscuits. It was a lovely, energizing morning and a great way to say goodbye to Bhutan.