Today was our last day in the wonderful Bumthang Valley and the beautiful Mountain Lodge. Thank you Mr. Karma and Mrs. Wangmo formaking us feel at home here!

The day started with a great lecture by Judy on the Wheel of Life before we set out to watch Mr. Karma compete in a local archery tornament. In the end it was a draw with both teams winning one game. Our next stop was Kurje Monastery, which houses a body imprint of Guru Rinpoche. From there we walked through the fields and across the river to Tamshing Monastery, built by Pema Lingpa in the 15th century. The wall painting are amongst the oldest in the country.

The most fun part of the day began around 6 p.m. Mr. Karma and his sons had built a large bonfire and had invited local people to come and perform some traditional dances around the fire, including one of Bhutan’s famous mask dances. We were served ara (local rice wine), rum punch and whiskey! Before the sun had set, the whole group joined in the dancing and singing which lasted a few hours until the fire died down and the first evening rain drops began to fall.