Part 1 | Tiger Nest Monastery Trekking | Paro Taktsang | Bhutan | Time-lapse Video

Date of Trek: 16th August 2018

Paro Takstang also popularly known as Tigers Nest is located near upper Paro Valley in Bhutan.

Started the journey at around 9.00 am in the morning. The sky was looking good with cloud's playing hide and seek with the sun; chillness in the air and overall weather was conducive for the trek.

The starting of the trek is from Ramthankha after driving 10-12 kms from Paro town.

At the starting of the trek there is horse station where one can hire a horse and complete 2/3rd part of the trek since the last part has stairs to decent and the climb up to reach the Taktsang temple.

Initially there is a mud stone track for about 200 meters and I entered the forest area with dense group of Conifers trees.

The cool shaded with gentle slope uphill is ideal for trekking.

I took my first rest for few minutes at the small shrines where one can hear sound of water and the bells which is due to the water flowing.

By the end of the video after some easy gradient so far, I brace up for some steep slopes.

Part V | Time-lapse Video | Drive | Phuntsholing to Paro | Bhutan

This is the ‘Last’ of 'Five' series Time-lapse video of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing, Bhutan

Start of Time-lapse: Paro Town, Paro Gewog, Paro - Thimpu Highway

End of Time-lapse: View Point Lodge, Taktsang, Paro Gewog

Date of Journey - 15.August.2018

Duration of video - 00:45

We start for our final touch down to the final destination which was the View Point Lodge located opposite to the Taktsang Resort on the road Taktsang road.

The sun was shining down into its twilight as the time was around 4:00 - 4.15 pm as we start leaving the Paro township and drove through the outskirts of Paro town.

In our 8 kms trip we stopped twice in-between to take running school kids who wanted the lift to the next village. Both groups were school going students returning back home after eventful day at school as per the quick chats we had in the short trip.

Finally reached the View Point Lodge booked via Airbnb however the room allotted '304' had no view at all. Though the room and the furniture provided wasn’t bad but this room didn’t do at all the justice to the name of the homestay; it had a small parking space view.

After a discussion with owner of the property and on request he spoke to his family and friends. He finally fixed me up at a decent hotel in the middle of the Paro city, Hotel Phunsum with a fantastic view of the Paro valley.

While getting dropped to that particular hotel; I saw a sublime ‘Rainbow’ which I actually was telling to myself last day or that day morning before entering Bhutan that it’s been quite sometime I saw a ‘Rainbow’. And finally I did!!

(This video doesn’t have the Rainbow view)

Background Score Credits: Lonesome avenue - the 126ers

Part IV | Time-lapse Video | Drive | Phuntsholing to Paro | Bhutan

This is the ‘Fourth’ of 'Five' series Time-lapse video of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing, Bhutan

Start of Time-lapse: Chuzom Bridge, Paro Gewog, Paro - Thimpu Highway End of Time-lapse: Paro Town, Paro Gewog, Paro - Thimpu Highway Date of Journey - 15.August.2018 Duration of video - 02:19 We started after a short pit stop break from the Chuzom Bridge at around 3:00 in the afternoon. The sun rays were directly falling on the windshield giving a good view of the distant mountains graded out in heavy greyish colour clouds. As we cross the 00:50 sec mark in the video the outskirts of Paro and traditional style houses, SUV foreign vehicles, small & big road side shops and buildings are started to be seen. Airport of Bhutan is also situated at Paro just 5 kms before the city and one of the passenger did get down at north of Paro airport. The rest of the two passengers got down at in the main Paro Town near the taxi stand. Pema; the driver enquired from the locals near the Bharat Petroleum Pump about my location of homestay. After some enquiry he came to know that the homestay / lodge is on the Taktsang Road, which is another 8 kms away from the Paro city. Strangely this homestay (View Point Lodge), which I had booked via Airbnb didn’t had this properly listed on Google Maps. Background Score Credits: Tibet - HOVATOFF

Part III | Time-lapse Video | Drive | Phuntsholing to Paro | Bhutan

This is the ‘Third’ of 'Five' series Time-lapse video of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing, Bhutan

Start of Time-lapse: Sirupa Chu (River) - River Bridge, Bunakha, Chukha District, Phuntsholing - Thimpu Highway End of Time-lapse: Chuzom Bridge, Paro Gewog, Paro - Thimpu Highway Date of Journey - 15.August.2018 Duration of video - 02:13 I kept moving closer to my destination and the sunshine was a good omen to things to come in the next couple of days; with my Taktsang Monastery (Tiger Nest Trek) planned for the next day on 16th August 2018. As the driver continued to drive very skilfully tackling each of the curves as he have taken millions of trips on this road at normal speed of 40-50 km/hr; I started initiate talks with the driver and my fellow co-passengers, till that time they were speaking in their local language ‘Dzongkha’. The drivers name was Puma Wangchuk who was a native of Phuntsholing town who told me he generally stays in Paro overnight and next day he would again take passengers from the taxi stand of Paro and return back by evening to his home. Usually makes 3 - 4 such trips in a week. The general charge for one way trip is 650/- ngultrum per passenger and in a trip he can take 4 total passengers as per the allowed limit. The other three passengers who were sitting in the back seat were also Bhutanese; one of them with whom I had pretty interesting discussions who was working in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan Government. He did ask me if the videos which I am making; will I put them on YouTube? As we continued talking in mix of English, Hindi and Nepalese; we crossed Chukha Dzongkhag (District) and entered into Paro Gewog traveling via - Bunakha, Chapcha and taking the next stop at Chuzom, at which three roads divert. (This part of the video ends) The straight road goes to Thimpu, capital of Bhutan which is 30 kms. Crossing the bridge and taking left would take us to Haa (another beautiful valley of Bhutan) 78 kms from the bridge. Paro was on to the right and driving the vehicle towards Paro; we stopped our vehicle on my request to capture some photographs and rejuvenate my old memories at this mystical place. In the next part of the video we reach Paro Town which is just 25 kms from Chuzom Bridge. It takes 45 minutes generally to cover however in my time-lapse video we will cover that trip in 02:18 mins. Background Score Credits: Vacation Uke - ALBIS

Part II | Time-lapse Video | Drive | Phuntsholing to Paro | Bhutan

This is the 'Second' of 'Five' series Time-lapse video of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing, Bhutan

Start of Time-lapse: Doejung Paksam Hotel, Gedu, Chukha District End of Time-lapse: Sirupa Chu (River) - River Bridge, Bunakha, Chukha District, Phuntsholing - Thimpu Highway Date of Journey - 15.August.2018 Duration of video - 05:11 At around 02.00pm we start from our first pit-stop which was at the Doejun Paksam Hotel where the driver and we, the co-passengers had our lunch. The video starts with the majestic view of the small Gedu town and then the expansive view of the college of the Royal University of Bhutan i.e., Gaedu College of Business Studies comes at 00:11 second of the broadcast. This is the most longest video of the five series Time-lapse of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing but also the most interesting part of the five - six hour long drive from Phuntsholing to Paro. As we drive through some intense rain and cross quite a few foggy patches in the hill; we had to take our next short pit-shop at Chukha Thegchen Zam (Bridge) where the immigration papers are checked again. The drive gets more interesting and pleasant after crossing the Chukha Thegchen Zam (Bridge) inagurated on 22nd October 1982 with clear sky and good road conditions to cross the most highest point of the Phuntsholing - Thimpu Highway (between Chukha and Bunakha). The last bit of the recording is between Chukha and Bunakha where the soil is loose & rocky and this zone is also frequent landslide prone area. What’s more a few road side waterfalls visible gives an incredible end to the video. In the next part of the series we complete the travel in Chukha Dzongkhag (District) and cross over into Paro Gewog (Block or group of villages as called in Bhutan) traveling via - Bunakha, Chapcha and ending the video at Chuzom (Confluence of Paro Chu and Thimpu Chu to form Wang Chu). Background Score Credits: Let's go Home - Jeremy Blake

Part I | Time-lapse Video | Drive | Phuntsholing to Paro | Bhutan

This is a 'First' of 'Five' series Time-lapse video of drive to Paro from Phuntsholing, Bhutan

Start of Time-lapse: Just after crossing the check-post at the outskirts of Phuntsholing town on Phuntsholing - Thimpu Highway End of Time-lapse: Doejung Paksam Hotel, Gedu, Chukha District (In thumbnail) Date of Journey - 15.August.2018 Duration of video - 03:56 Phuntsholing is the border town in southern Bhutan of Chukha district sharing the border of India with Jaigaon, Alipurduar district. The drive to Gedu town which also falls under Chukha district is around 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes depending the road conditions. Timelapsed the drive after crossing the check-post of Phuntsholing (where immigration papers are checked) till Doejung Paksam Hotel, Gedu; in just less than 4 minutes. Gedu's economy is growing very quickly largely due to the to the Tala Hydroelectric Project Authority (THPA) program which started in 1998 and which has drawn substantial migration to Gedu, with thousands of workers looking for jobs. Also it is the location of one of the college of the Royal University of Bhutan i.e., Gaedu College of Business Studies (which will be visible in the next part of the video). Background Score Credits: Marrionette - Letter Box

Munnar Diaries from July 2018

The light spring rain rode on the wind, into the trees, down the mountain, lake, and this adventure park; it brought an exhilarating freshness in the air, a smell of earth, a scent of flowers; it brought a smile to my eyes and others present over there at that moment.

DTPC kids adventure park

Hanging Bridge at the adventure park

These are some of the eye-catching photographs which I had taken just before the rains have poured down on this dreamy hill station of Munnar about a little more than three years ago.

Activities for Children at the adventure park

Mesmerizing Weather

Captured at the DTPC kids adventure park which was just near to the resort where we were staying. The colours of green, yellow, red, pink along with others and the clouds bought a majestic feeling to be at this place.

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