FROM far below, the monastery is a dab of colour on the misty black mountains. As we get closer, it morphs into a miniature pagoda perched on a high cliff.
Most visitors to Paro, the gateway to Bhutan, aspire to make a pilgrimage to Taktshang, or Tiger's Nest, but from
the road the trek seems formidable. For one, the rarefied atmosphere at the elevation of 10,430ft (3,180m) would surely take my breath away. Secondly, a sedentary lifestyle did not condition me to climb a mountain.
Having made the decision to go with the flow, and stop when the going gets tough, I relax and tag along with our group.
Takthshang is one of the most sacred places in the Himalayas. Legend has it that the founder of Bhutanese Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, flew across the mountains on the back of a tigress, reaching a cave in which he meditated for three months before converting the people of Paro Valley.
The Tiger's Nest in Paro is worth the intimidating trek.
Pilgrims come here from all over Bhutan hiking to the monastery which sits 900m above the valley floor, along a path that winds, dips, rises and hugs the contours of the mountain.
Having given ourselves two days to get acclimatised, we set out for the mountain on a sunny but cold morning when the temperature hovers between 7 and 10 deg C.
The fragrant blue pines and oak trees wear a light coat of snow and the red-mud pathway is soft on the soles. Soon, an option is presented: There are horses to take us part of the way, up to a teahouse.
Not having ridden for years, it takes time to adjust to the bumpy stance, hard saddle and heart-stopping movements. In silence, we pass three shrines housing prayer wheels near a rippling stream. The horse's preference to tread on firmer ground along the sheer edge of the path is at times unnerving.
When local devotees stride past with a baby in arms, I wonder if walking would have been a better idea. But the path gets steeper, so I hang on with freezing knuckles, trying in vain to capture the beautiful scene with a camera in one hand.
It takes us an hour to reach the teahouse which stands on a highpoint (2,940m) amidst fluttering prayer flags. Great views, hot tea and a clean toilet await us.
Then we continue the ascent, this time on foot. The 45-minute walk through the snow-dusted forest brings us to an open viewpoint. If only we could be spirited to the monastery across the deep chasm!
Most stunning photographs of the Tiger's Nest are taken from this spot. The monastery, rebuilt in 2004 after a
devastating fire, has a bright, fresh look. Many visitors head back from here after meditating on the gem, doing the downhill trek in about 45 minutes.
Not being aware of a choice, I follow the group, stopping frequently to admire the view and catch my breath. It gets harder when we take the steep steps down to a waterfall of tumbling snow, cross a bridge bedecked with prayer flags and climb the strenuous, final stairway to the Tiger's Nest.
I had made it up the holy mountain thanks to divine support. We were told that a visitor had run to the top and back within an hour!
A determined handicapped lady made the return trip, step by step, with a guide in about 12 hours. Within the heavenly abode, we pay homage to a galaxy of deities and begin the downhill journey. The initial steps are the hardest, requiring me to rest frequently.
A picnic-lunch a few steps ahead and a massage booked at Uma Paro keep me going.
Our solicitous guides from Uma Paro, Yankee and Dorji, have set out a feast of salads, sandwiches, fruit and cake. Refreshed and propelled by a second wind, we trudge down the mountain - aching at the calves, weak in the knees, sun-baked and saddle-sore but happy at heart for having made it to the top.
Into a hot stone bath
The peaceful setting is ideal for a yoga retreat.
Bhutan is a spiritual kingdom where the art of healing is considered a prerogative of the gods.
One of the popular practices is the stone-heated bath introduced by COMO Shambhala Retreat at the fivestar Uma Paro, a resort that promotes a holistic way of life.
Guests are accommodated in butler-serviced villas and elegant suites within the country's cultural heart of mountains and monasteries that take one back to a timeless, spiritual world.
Back from the Tiger's Nest, we don robes and head for the spa to soothe our aching muscles.
Spa manager and yoga teacher Isabel Sebastian prescribes the Uma Bath, a powerful and pampering stress and pain reliever that incorporates a hot stone bath and relates its interesting history: "The hot stone bath is a traditional
Bhutanese practice done for centuries. The concept is to heat the mineral-rich river stones which come down from the high Himalayas. The stones are 'cooked' all day on a wood fire until they are red-hot. When the stones hit the cold water, they expand and crack and the minerals released are very good for muscles and joints."
Prosperous Bhutanese often consult an astrologer before seeking treatment or fixing a day for a hot stone bath. Uma Paro's COMO Shambhala Retreat is a surprisingly elaborate setup.
There is a beautiful blue indoor pool, a spacious yoga studio facing the mountains, a large steam room, gym, four treatment rooms and bathhouses manned by five qualified therapists. We head down the steps through the garden to the hot stones bathhouse for a couples' Uma Bath.
Movie celebrities Tony Leung and Carina Lau may well have enjoyed a soak at the hot stone bath house of the Uma Paro, where they got married earlier this month.
My therapist is petite, soft-spoken Dorji, while Tandin works on my spouse. They start with a soothing, gentle scrub that warms and exfoliates the skin. The aromatics salt scrub made in London is a dry blend of macadamia oil, oat bran with four signature Shambala (Invigorate) oils - eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and peppermint.
Then we soak in the large, square timber bath sprinkled with camphor leaves and oils and sip tea set on a tray. Searing hot stones clatter and slide into the water along a chute on the other side of a protective latticed partition
within the bath.
We soon adapt to the heat and ring the singing bowl to request for more hot stones which slide into the water, discreetly fed from outside by prongs through an aperture.
Treatment concludes with a relaxing oil massage, a nurturing treatment of long, soothing strokes that induce deep relaxation.
Hot stones in the bath water.
The Uma Paro experience is aimed at wellness. The mind is refreshed in the clean, invigorating air of the mountains just as the body relaxes and heals in the spa. For two hours, we immersed ourselves in the history and healing vibes of Bhutan.
All photos courtesy of Rusi and Suna Kanga.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 31, 2008.
