Arrival in Paro, Bhutan

Our flight on Bhutan Airlines departed Delhi at 5:30am. It was a glorious morning for air travel! We were on the correct side of the plane to enjoy the majestic view of the Himalayan mountain range. See the two peaks with snow blowing over the top? The one on the left is Mt. Everest. Wow!

Landing at Paro International Airport is quite the experience. The airfield is subject to Visual Flight Rules and is considered to be one of the most challenging places to land a plane. Only a limited number of pilots are certified to land there. It's easy to understand why as the pilot must continuously adjust the heading while flying through valleys on the way to the runway. Whee!

I think the airport at Paro is one of the most beautiful airports I've ever seen.

Paro Valley

Hotel Olathang - A beautiful property built in traditional Bhutanese style for guests invited to the coronation of Bhutan's 4th king in 1974. Twenty three acres, set in a pine forest, overlooking the scenic Paro Valley. This little cabin was comprised of two hotel rooms with a common entrance area in between. Our room was on the right in this photo. We quickly settled into a much needed nap before heading out for a little late afternoon sightseeing.

Built in 1646, the Rinpung Dzong houses the monastic body of Paro, the office of the Dzongda (district administrative head), and Thrimpon (judge) of Paro district. No separation of church and state here!

Prayer wheels spin out their blessings

Young monks in the Dzong courtyard

Situated high up on the hill, Ta Dzong was built to defend Rinpung Dzong during inter-valley wars of the 17th century. It is now Bhutan's National Museum. Notice the Bhutan-style prayer flags on the hillside.