The view of Punakha Dzong from Dhumra Farm Resort.
A longish pit-stop at Do-Chula Pass (3,300m) and its stupendous views of the Himalayan ranges ensured it was almost evening when we reached Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. Punakha Dzong (fort), the administrative and religious HQ ensconced between two glacier-fed rivers, Mo (female) Chhu (river) and Po (male) Chhu and the second biggest fort in Bhutan is the main attraction followed closely by the Punakha suspension bridge. Punakha is also the base for many treks in the nearby mountains. We made ourselves comfortable at the thoughtfully designed sit-out at Dhumra Farm Resort and drank in the stillness that can be felt only in the mountains. And yes, soaked in a breeze that could only be described using a travel cliche - invigorating. I called it an early night, because I knew it’d be an early morning. I had read enough of the sight of clouds slowly dispersing to reveal the valley in all its glory, so I definitely didn’t want to miss that. As they say, the early bird gets the worm. And in my case, I got the shot. Well, sort of. It was an unusually thick cloud cover. But as the saying goes, something is better than nothing.
