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Wednesday, September 4, 2019 - A short trip to the Punakha Dzong.

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Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in 1638, it is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan.
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Punakha Dzong (fortress or place) sits on the confluence of two rivers. The Dzong is located between the Pho Chhu (Male river) and Mo Chhu (Female river) rivers in the Punakha valley. The source of the Mo Chhu (river) is in the northern hills in Tibet. The Po Chhu (river) is fed by glaciers in the Lunana region of the Punakha valley
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Punakha Dzong is a six-storied structure with a central tower at an elevation of 3,900 feet and a scenic mountainous background.
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The main entrance to the Punakha Dzong - you are allowed to climb the stairs on either side of the center section. The center section is reserved for royalty.
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An out building next to the Punakha Dzong.
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A hallway in the first courtyard which contains the administrative offices.
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A painting of the four harmonious animals.
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Ends of the beams for a room.
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Several administrative types were moving around while we visited. This was a head of the Bhutan government until 1955 when the capital moved to Timphu.
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Beautiful wooden windows in the Punakha Dzong.
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A painting framed in the arches of a hallway.
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A sacred temple in which non-Buddhists are not allowed - our guide said it was hard to gain entrance.
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Pretty dragon on a wall.
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A gold Buddha set in the complex wooden wall.
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Another odd looking tiger.
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Fierce entrance to a building.
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Not sure what this is - a golden adornment.
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An interesting geometric wall.
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Punakha Dzong in its setting along the female, Mo Chhu (river).
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We began our journey back to Thimphu.

Farm land along the river.
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A typical Bhutanese home in the country.
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In places the road cut through a stream there were shrines. This one was pretty cool as the water was channeled to turn the prayer wheel inside the shrine.
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Flags honoring the dead on a hill.
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Just outside Thimphu we stopped at another fortress - Semtokha Dzong.

It was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified Bhutan. It is the first of its kind built in Bhutan. An important historical monument and former Buddhist monastery, today it houses one of the premier Dzongkha language learning institutes.
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A monk coming out of the Semtokha Dzong entrance.
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We were not allowed to take pictures in the assembly hall - these are the decoration just outside the entrance.
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We saw these statues before - always high in the rafters of the buildings.
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A tiger representation just outside the temple.
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A door on the monastery in the Dzong complex.
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The Four Harmonious Animals represented as a statue on the road into Thimphu.
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We continued our journey past Thimphu and on to Paro. This is a bird seen just outside our room.
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Cal and Virginia Ann enjoying a late afternoon tea on the hotel patio.
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