Thimphu is Bhutan's capital and largest city. It has a population of around 100,000 people (total population of Bhutan is just under 700,000) and is at an altitude of 2320m. The country's only airport is in Paro (second largest city) due to Thimphu's mountainous surroundings. Paro's not much better!
These photos were taken on the road to Thimphu from the end of our trek, within Thimphu itself and also on the road from Thimphu to Paro (the country's best road). Highlights include the Tashichodzong (17th century fortress-monastery) and Thimphu's main stupa.
The last day of our trek was incredibly wet and areas around Thimphu had received record October rainfalls. This led to many landslips and rock falls, particularly in road cuttings. There are a couple of photos showing the types of things the road crews have to deal with.
Road crews are normally made up of Indian families who get working visas for 2 or 3 years in Bhutan and live in shacks while they are there. The whole family will work on clearing the roads, often with nothing more than brooms and hoes.When they return to India they may have enough money to start their own business. Bhutan is relatively wealthy, the local people will not work on the roads for the low wages.
Paro is next and then on to the Snowman Trek.
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