After a gratuitous sigh and a serious swig of water, I planted one dusty sneaker forward and continued up the rocky, dirt trail trying my hardest to acclimate to the altitude. My husband and I, and our cheery local guide, were trekking to the mystical Tiger's Nest, also known as Taktsang, tucked in the Himalayan Mountains overlooking Paro, Bhutan.
Today the monastery clings to a cliff side at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet above sea level towering over the Upper Paro Valley and is comprised of four main temples interconnected through rock stairways and 13 taktsang or "tiger lair" caves used for meditation.
The southern pass trek used by religious devotees led us for four hours through blue pine forests, by colorful prayer flags, and up almost vertical rock slopes to reach the summit. While it took more than a few moments to catch our breath, standing atop one of the most sacred mountains in the world was a magical experience ... and the hour and a half run downhill was a pretty exhilarating reward as well.
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