Tour of Bhutan 2024 | Day 8 | Thimpu – Punakha | 71.1 kms

Somehow, I wake up early around 9:30 am and start to pack things immediately. It’s a checkout day and I need to ensure everything is packed properly and nothing is left out. I freshen up myself, pack everything and move everything in the lobby. Then, I have a special requested breakfast of fried rice & spicy chutney followed by butter toast and coffee. I thank the lady for arranging a late breakfast well past the stipulated time.

The bike is loaded after the breakfast and we finally bid adieu to the hotel and head towards the city centre to the postal museum. There, I collect the stamps for my scrapbook which I like. I also get a personalized stamp done of myself for a price of 500 Rs. The stamp has my photo with the Tiger’s Monastery at the backdrop. The total bill for all the stamps comes to around 1540 Rs.

I also post a postcard to my India address through Bhutan postal service. Just opposite the museum, at the electronics store, I buy myself a Power bank as the one which I have brought from India has stopped working. After that, we head out to the former’s local produce market again to buy some rice requested by one of my friend. With everything over, we finally set sail for Punakha which is 75km from Thimphu.

The time is around noon as we set out on the highway towards Dochula which is the highest point enroute at 3100 mtrs. The roads are good and serpentine. The temperature drops as we start to gain height. I suffer as I have not added the warm layer over my riding jacket. Even handlebar muffs are removed. We reach the Dochula pass with a magnificent views of the Himalayas at the distance. We park our bikes and just gaze at the beauties.

The view has more than10+ peaks higher than 7000mtr. I take some photos with my DSLR before taking a much needed coffee break as the temp is really low. The hot coffee with fireplace besides gives me temporary relief. We then go over the other side to witness and listen to the story of 108 stupas being built. They were built to commemorate the fallen soldiers during the war. I take a photo of all the 108 stupas from a nearby viewpoint before descending down to the valley.

I have experienced the most number of hair pin in this stretch of 35 kms. The temperature slightly increases and so does that road wetness. We are lucky that we didn’t encounter any black ice. We reach comfortably in the valley and driving for 10 kms brings us to Punakha. We check-in into the White Dragon hotel around 5pm. Welcome drink of tea is served and my luggage Shifted into the room.

After freshening up, I head out into the town for a casual leisurely walk. I manage to find a nice riverside cafe where I sit and sip my coffee and continue writing my diary. I sit there until 8:30 pm following which I head back to hotel for a well set dinner of Daal, Rice, Papad, Roti, Mutter Paneer. After the Dinner, I write some more in the lobby of the hotel and around 11pm, retire to my bed in the room.