Phobjika Valley is as far East as we got during our week in Bhutan. One of our first outings in the valley was a hike. Truth be told, I wasn’t in the mood to go on a hike. Don’t get me wrong - I love hiking - but for some reason that day I was more in the mood to get to our hotel, cozy up & take it easy. I'm proud enough to admit when I’m wrong, and today I was WRONG in a big way! I’m incredibly glad the instinct/preference of Jamyang & crew won out. This hike will go down as one of my (ours as a family too) very favorite hikes ever! No exaggeration.
Local Load
Our hike started out along a few homes from the local village. We saw an older woman carrying a load of large tree branches on her back. She trudged along the road and eventually up a steep ladder. Jamyang hollered over to her and we learned that these branches & leaves would be used to insulate the roofs of little huts for the cows over the winter months. We’ve seen a fair amount of people - interestingly, usually women - carry heavy loads on their backs and/or heads. In India, Jordan, Israel, Bhutan. Manual labor, intrinsically linked to the land, is ingrained in many of these cultures in a way that you don’t commonly see in America.
Water Prayer Wheel
We passed a water prayer wheel (fueled by the churn of water) and continued onward. No longer a soul around us in this beautiful landscape.
Jamyang Jaunt
The girls fell into sync with Jamyang, hand-in-hand, as they so often did on hikes during our week in Bhutan. They skipped along ahead of me & Doug and we watched in admiration of the girls’ ability to connect with a “stranger” so easily and genuinely. On the whole we’ve had super tour guides in our travels (the only dud was in Petra, Jordan), but Jamyang is the first who has really taken care to engage with the girls on their level, and it was very endearing.
As Jamyang and the girls led the way, Doug & I passed a “local” :) We later passed yaks & cows as well.
Enjoying the Views
The terrain was a combination of short grass, pines, moss (always a favorite) and ultimately sweeping views of the valley. Its beauty wasn’t necessarily what you’d typically think as beautiful; the vibrant green of the rice harvest was gone and peak Fall had come & gone. But still … something in the cool, crisp air and raw nature that just made your senses wake up and say “Wow” and appreciate the moment.
Animals in the Wild
We ended up walking along a little ridge along the valley. Off in the distance we spotted several black neck cranes; their white bodies contrasted with the black necks help give them away. We also saw about a dozen horses galloping freely. Amazing!
Pausing for Prayer Flags
At one point there was a collection of prayer flags, whipping around in the brisk wind. Ahhhh. Just beautiful. Couldn’t resist taking a few pictures, and let the girls snap a few as well.
Connected for a Reason
As we wrapped the hike, all four of gushed to Jamyang how amazing & beautiful the hike was, and thanked him profusely for taking us on it. It was another moment where we felt like we hit the jackpot having been matched with Jamyang for the week. The first day we met him (within the first hour of arriving in Bhutan, actually) he told us that he felt strongly that we were matched for a reason, that it was not random. That somehow our souls had already crossed paths - either us or our relatives in past lives/incarnations - and that we were matched now to reciprocate good merit to each other. I’ve always been a big believer in the notion that “everything happens for a reason”; not fate, not chance, but some midday point. And while the “reason” might not be apparent at first, it ultimately reveals itself. What Jamyang said was a somewhat similar concept, with the additional spiritual layer of reincarnation and reciprocated good merit.
Walking away from today’s hike, I truly felt what he said was true; that we were connected in Bhutan for good reason. We’re incredibly grateful for Jamyang steering us towards these kinds of uniquely special and un-touristed places/experiences that give Bhutan a very special place in our travel hearts.
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