Day 1

Friday 28 Sept 218

We checked out of our hotel in Paro and were taken by bus to Shana (2860m) to begin our trek. We had a cooked lunch, were presented with a Kata (white scarf) and set off following a path beside the Paro Chu river. A short climb brought us to our first night's camp at Thongbu Samba (3104m).
All houses in Bhutan have to have some element of Buddhist design. Built from bottom to top, no add-on floors like in other Asian countries so to protect against earthquakes. There is also an under-roof space for drying crops and, in the lower valleys, Chillis are spread across the corrugated rooftops to dry.

The 3 lobed Windows are a feature of all Bhutanese houses, it is designed to be like a lotus so when you look out, you will be be blessed with a view!

The advent of the chainsaw has had a positive environmental impact as a house used to require 80 trees to build with the use of an axe but only 18 trees are needed with a chainsaw!

Distance 6km 3hrs

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