We rode a few kilometers out of the main valley of Thimpu and turned up the mountain road leading to Dochula pass.  From there it was a steady climb all the way to the top!  We reached the pass at 3050m to take in the views of the Himalayas.  We could just see Gangkhar Puensum, the tallest unclimbed mountain in the world, at 7570m.

From there it was an epic 40km descent from mountain top to an almost tropical 1300m town of Punakha (they grow bananas here!).  We had a great buffet lunch then rode to the temple of the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kunley. He was a Buddhist monk with some unique teachings, and responsible for the phallus as a religious symbol in many of the towns around here (it’s impossible to get around town without seeing a representation of a penis!). 

The monk at the divine madman temple blessed us by being tapping our heads with a wooden penis. People come here seeking help and blessings to help with their fertility, so there were some anxious members of our group who were done having children!