We woke up bright and early to check into our domestic flight from Paro to Yonphula, bidding a fond farewell to DD and Dorji outside the airport.

The usual routine passport and security checks was made unusually pleasant by the beauty of the airport and the unfailing politeness of the Bhutanese, and we were excited to see Bhutan from the air…

…little did we know that Cyclone Montha had hit north India, and chased heavy rain and fog into our path.

Yonphula airport is famously difficult to land at in bad weather, and as delays after delays were announced, the team waiting for us in Yonphula sent us videos of thick fog, and we started to plan for alternatives.

Karma, the manager at Bhutan Acorn with whom fee had organised our entire trip, had a team heading east by car to pick up arriving guests, and offered us the option of joining them.

By the time our flight was officially cancelled, our new guide Tashi was waiting for us with a taxi, which we would take to Thimpu to meet our driver mister Leki, with whom we would commence the 15-hour race eastwards in an attempt to lose as little of our planned itinerary as possible…

Only after a short stop for a cup of Nadja (Bhutanese milk tea) in a brief patch of lighter rain, of course.

Nadja tzi shuge — ‘One milk tea please’ in Dzongkha, the principal bhutanese language

Darkness falls around 5pm in Bhutan at this time of the year, and the rain had caused a number of rockfalls to obstruct our path on roads that were sometimes-tarmac, sometimes-mud, but always always winding — alternating hairpin turns up or down mountain sides, as we crossed valley after valley.

We reached Bumthang well after midnight, tired, cold and really quite car sick. We overnighted at the Valley Resort, a beautiful hotel overlooking the Jakar Valley to which we will return later in our trip.

Early the next morning, we enjoyed breakfast where the owner proudly offered us swiss-style cheese, yak-butter, and home made jams and honey. Mister Leki had to replace a tyre, and we were off again, under heavy rain and through even heavier fog.

While the trip itself was hardly comfortable, we have to say that Tashi and Leki made it incredibly entertaining and kind, and we finally reached Rangjung, exhausted but in good spirits, where we stayed in the monastery guest house run by the local monks.

We slept surprisingly well (in separate beds), falling asleep to the sound of Dungchen trumpets calling the evening prayer.

Finally, we had arrived in the east.