BUMTHANG Valley, Jakar and other bits in the middle.
Bhutan was our first time to see a country by tour. We found the experience a bit too passive, and disconnecting.
The culture, history, religion and practises of Bhutan are fascinating.
And with a car and a guide, you do get to go places and get insights that you wouldn't otherwise.
My interest in Buddhism is not particularly deep, and many, if not most of the explanations of the temples and monasteries were far more than I needed.
Taking a break from temples, the Ogyen Choling Palace Museum is one of Bhutan's best stores of history.
Its history dates back to the 14th century, and is a privately run NPO. It belongs to the wealthy trading family the built it long ago.
As well as a guesthouse and good restaurant, the museum houses ancient buddhist texts, a big collection of masks, farming and trading implements and more.
Our time in central Bhutan also provided some rare, unplanned and chance encounters with locals, something we were missing.
The Tang Rimochen temple was actually quite interesting, with plenty of old folks circling the outer wall of prayer wheels.
But it was a pair of ladies making merit by lugging firewood up to the monks that I remember most. Up and down the slope with loads I could not carry they went.
This character was already 9 sheets to the wind, but our presence was just the ticket she needed to break out the moonshine and get a few more drinks in.
Our accommodation in Tang was a small farm-stay, where we were able to observe village life, and eat good home-cooked food.
Situated at 3350m ASL, Kunzangdrak Monastery took a bit of huffing and puffing to get to.
While the current temple was established in 1488 by Pema Lingpa, the site was visited by Guru Rinpoche and his disciple Namkhai Nyingpo who meditated here, in the 8th century.
Kunzangdra is one of the Dra Zhi (Four cliffs) of Guru Rimpoche. The complex contains his footprints, a golden footprint of Pema Lingpa, meditation caves, and a holy spring (Drupchhu) said to cure epilepsy and strokes.
It is an important pilgrimage site, in a spectacular location. The monastery consists of 3 temples, the oldest and main temple being Wangkhang Lhakhang, and has a copper-gilded "self-speaking statue" of Pema Lingpa called a ‘Nga Drama‘.
Also in the Tang Valley was the huge Choling Nunnery, where we stopped to lunch with the sisters. The design reminded me of the great squares and madrasah of Central Asia.
Walking to a temple in the Bumthang Valley, not far from Tang.
Kurjey Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's most holy and sacred sites, is nestled on the side of a hill, surrounded by 108 chorten. the complex houses three revered temples, the oldest built in 1652.
Jampa Lhakhang, located in Bumthang, is said to be one of the 108 temples built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 659 CE on a single day, to pin down an ogress to earth forever.
One of the oldest and most sacred temples in Bhutan, it was supposedly built to pin down the demon's left knee. Four temples were built on each of her shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, hands and feet.
Not particularly large, it is a popular pilrgimage spot not just for Bhutanese, but also for Taiwanese, Chinese, Singaporean and others.
The inner courtyards, windows and doors are all richly decorated.
The 5-day Jambay Lhakhang Drup (festival) is held in October every year to commemorate the construction, and honor of Guru Rinpoche who consecrated the Lhakhang.
Trongsa Dzong (or Fort), the largest fort in Bhutan, is one of the architectural highlights of central Bhutan, showcasing traditional craftsmanship and design.
Trongsa Dzong was the traditional seat of power for the Wangchuck Dynasty. The adjacent 1652 Ta Dzong (watchtower) now functions as the Royal Heritage Museum.
Set on many different levels, it is a maze of courtyards, passageways and corridors, containing as many as 25 temples.
Which, as you can see by the shoes, means lots of monks, doing lots of chanting and reciting scripture.
We also watched the novices and lay people making temple offerings from butter. Some of them, which I failed to photograph well, are large and elaborate pieces taking weeks to construct.
One of the larger and more outstanding monasteries is Gantey, in the Phobjikha Valley. The original structure dates from 1613.
An 8-year restoration began in 2000, and the detailed, intricate paintings and decorations are some of the best in Bhutan.
The important pilgrimage site is located in a picturesque and traditional village.
The Gangtey Nature Walk begins nearby and takes a few hours through forests and hills. Plains and wetlands at the end of the trail are popular Instagram spots with local tourists.
The Phobjika Valley, like much of Bhutan, is ideal for hikes through villages and forests, surrounded by Himalayan mountains.
Our guesthouse there was one of the nicest we stayed at. Another bonus there was sighting a large flock of Himalayan vultures in the fields nearby.
Chumey was another stop which stood out from the usual run of monasteries. We stayed with our guides family, after visiting the nearby village of Ura, with its stone houses.
Nearby we visited a small incense factory, seeing the production from harvest, curing, drying, and rolling.
In the morning, we heard some carry on at the nearby fields, and asked to look. Bhutanese darts, called khuru.
The weighted darts are thrown the length of a cricket pitch, at a target the size of a saucer.
Hits are rare. Near misses are greeted by the opposing team doing a "Can't Touch This" dis & dance.
The standard temple, trail, chilli & cheese route does start to blend into one, so refreshing chance encounters like our darts players really helped break things up.