From the climb to the Duchala Pass, a chance encounter with the king and phalluses

Climb to almost 3600 meters via the Lungchutse path to the Lungchutse Goemba (monastery)

On this 7 km long hike, which starts at Dochula Pass, we encounter untouched nature. The wild and pristine vegetation with huge hemlock firs, rhododendrons and junipers accompanies us on the winding path up. Only the fluttering of thousands of colorful prayer flags and the various sounds of birds interrupt the mystical, magical silence. The scent of extremely fragrant flowers of the daphne plant (Daphne) breaks through the light wafts of mist that surround us and envelops our noses in a wonderful way.

This hike invites you to take a deep dive and it almost seems as if you have landed in another world.

When we arrive at the top of the monastery, we drink the holy water that the lama gives us and then, surrounded by the scent of Sengay incense sticks, we let our guide explain the religious background of this place. We are also impressed by the many gifts - mainly sweets - that believers bring with them to the temple. The gifts are intended to connect the soul with the teachers and enlightened ones.

The descent from the monastery takes place on the same route and much faster; now we meet other travelers for the first time that day.

Meeting the King of Bhutan

On our journey from the Duchala Pass to Chimi Lhakang near the small town of Punakha, we had a special encounter with oncoming traffic. Suddenly our driver pulls over to the left (in Bhutan there is left-hand traffic) and lets a convoy of 3 police vehicles and 5 limousines pass on the opposite lane. “Look, look, the King is coming,” our guide calls to us. At this moment we can just catch a glimpse of the king sitting in the back seat through the darkened windows of the third limousine.

The Fertility Temple

After this unexpected and really short encounter with the king (who is very revered in Bhutan) and another with four majestic yaks standing on the side of the road, we soon arrive at the fertility temple near Punakha. This temple is an important destination for all childless couples in the country.

In order to speed up the fulfillment of her wish to have children, the woman has to walk around the temple several times with a wooden phallus strapped to her back. Unfortunately, no Bhutanese woman seems to have a strong desire to have children on this day.