Thrilling driving, endless roadworks and black necked cranes

 What a few days!  Thimphu was relaxing - I even enjoyed a bubbling bath whilst listening to The Archer's on podcast whilst drinking a g&t.  

We had an easy morning in the capital with a bit of rally shopping, stocking up on currency as ATM's are rare in the east, before Liz and I rushed up to Dochula pass to await the crews.  

Dochula is home to 108 chortens built by the Queen grandmother to commemorate the visitors of a volunteer army, led by her son, the 4th King, to repeal an incursion on the Assamese border.  From the pass it should be possible to see a wide range of snowy mountains but they weren't playing ball today. I've been lucky in the past and so it was disappointing to me that they were covered in cloud as I know how spectacular the view is when clear.

The road down to Punnakha was rough. I had been told that the road widening was finished on that section and the road was good.  In fact, although the road widening may have been finished, nothing else had been done it it was a challenging drive.  A rest day in Punnakha was very welcome. It gave everyone a chance to recharge themselves and their cars.  Some enjoyed a hike to the Temple of Fertility - I was blessed with a phallus and a bow and arrow and so should now be very fertile - a little too late! Others went white water rafting or mountain biking it was a lovely day.

The following morning, the rally split, about half the crews went to Phobjhika Valley and the other half down towards the Indian border to Gelaphu.  We will reunite in Trongsa.  The Gelaphu route was the "long" way and, supposedly, the most challenging. But, in this mountainous country, with heavy monsoons and a massive road widening programme things change rapidly.

In fact, the "short" route proved the most tricky and the "long" route had new hardtop for most of the way.

Those going to Phobjhika battled seemingly endless roadworks, landslide, seas of mud, very narrow ledge roads with drops down to eternity. The climb was ever upwards towards Pele la Pass, which we will cross tomorrow. All cars got through with skilful driving and taking their time.  It was very satisfying, challenging and, with the ultimate reward of dropping down into Phobjhika, a wide valley and home to overwintering black necked cranes. Phobjhika is high (3000m) and very cold.  There is some farming mainly of potatoes and turnips.  The cranes fly down from the Tibetan plateau because it's warmer - it's hard to imagine the cold they are leaving.

Our home is a supremely cosy hotel which overlooks the wide open valley, a rarity in this country of endless narrow valleys. Our rooms have bukari wood burning stoves to ward off the below freezing temperatures.  We visited the crane information centre, where we learned that 106 cranes have made it so far, the first arrived about 10 days ago.  We can see the cranes dancing on the marshy valley floor.  Their main predators here are foxes and, amazingly, leopards which have been filmed here. How thrilling.

No internet here, it's a very novel feeling.