What it feels like on top of the world – spiritual travel

Trongsa mist

TrongsaPeople might find this post a bit odd, as it deals with two completely different places in completely different locations however believe me, to me there is a link – the way they make me feel, which is what I like to consider a kind of spiritual travel.

I recently visited a couple of amazing places and decided to add this to my tripadvisor travel map. While doing this I noticed a couple of new features or ones I hadn’t really noticed before, one being the one-click favourite. Without hesitation the first thing I clicked was Koya-san in Japan. Next was Trongsa in Bhutan, followed by a couple of other places that are more my favourite places because of personal reasons and therefore would go under another category. It kind of made me realize that I seriously love the atmosphere of these spiritual places located at high altitudes, high up in the mountains.

How can I describe the atmosphere of these places? Drifty, sleepy, eerie, almost creepy but in a really good way. It’s kind of like being in a dream, or haze and drifting through the surroundings. I don’t know if anyone will understand the feeling I’m trying to describe, perhaps some will think I’m a bit crazy or weird unless you have experienced a place which has made you feel this way yourself.


Bhutan cave artThe trip to Trongsa was a long, road trip from Thimpu over the hills, sleepy mountains, giant trees and what even kind of felt like a jungle? High up in the mountains it’s kind of funny to feel like you’re in a jungle I suppose however the landscape outside the window I think can well be described as this as it included interesting vegetation, rocky walls decorated in hand painted images and scriptures, the odd stupa (all as seen in the Bhutanese movie Travelers and Magicians) or Bhutanese house, water falls on one side of the road, funny animals and their sounds, giant moths or butterflies (whatever they were), dragonflies, wild cats, and wobbly suspension bridges decorated with prayer flags over wild white water rivers…

Koya train viewKoya-san was different in the sense that first of all I made my way up there by train rather than car. That being said, the scenery from the window was just as impressive, even if it didn’t include some of the crazy things I saw heading up to Trongsa in Bhutan. Here the scenery was mostly mountains, rivers, the Bhutanese houses being replaced by Japanese ones, prayer flags being replaced by giant Japanese fish flags (these are actually quite cute and funny, seriously considered Koya Cable Carbringing 1 back home but kind of lack the space to hang something as big as that up outside and just wouldn’t be the same indoors, it’s the wind passing through the flag that makes it fill up with air and take up the form of the fish), the jungle vegetation being replaced by bamboo trees. The higher we got, the more interesting the view became, as we could look down into the valley and observe villages from above, surrounded by the mountains. It kind of reminded me of taking the train to get home  in Austria, but different.

It may well be tough but it levitra online purchase is as simple as that. It this pharmacy on sale now levitra online actually supplies the brain with basic orientations, data and information which it can then process. Twin humped camels in Nubra valley You will find two humped camels in cheap sildenafil 100mg India only in Ladakh. Keeping the time gap is essential to keep your sex life viagra levitra viagra active and healthy.

The funny thing was that the whole experience actually made us feel a lot higher in altitude than we actually were (I have been 3988 metres up on the highest road in Bhutan) and was surprised to find that Koya-san is only 800 metres up (I live 900 metres up in Austria) as it really felt a lot higher than that, especially taking the cable car which sometimes felt like it was climbing at a steep, straight upwards line.

Okoin Koyasan

Trongsa RoadAlthough very different, these two locations, located 4,337 km away from each other have a very similar feel to them. The high altitude brings a dreamy, foggy atmosphere which makes you feel like you’re somewhere in a dream, the tranquility and silence making you feel like you’re under water, even the rain early in the morning of either location didn’t bother me because it somehow felt like it all belonged together.

Trongsa, which formerly was the capital of Bhutan boasts an incredible monastery surrounded by the mountains, cliffs and a lonely road which passes through it, cutting along the green mountainside. Massive trees which are able to even let the California Redwood have a run sit at the entrance of the monastery and the chanting and prayers can be heard echoing through the courtyard and surrounding area.

Koya sanKoya-san on the other hand is an actual monastery village one of Japan’s holiest places. 120 temples, many of which offer lodging to pilgrims are located here as well as Okunoin Cemetary. Here, monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism is buried alongside many of Japan’s most important people, who rest all together in what Okoin Cemetary Japanis now rumored to be the largest cemetery in all of Japan. Koya-san is part of the 88 Temple pilgrimage, which is an eleven-hundred year old 800 mile route which encircles Shikoku island and links the sacred sites of Kobo Diashi himself. I stayed in a Temple here and had the privilege of taking part in the early morning prayer ritual, where at the same time a documentary about the rising popularity of temple stays in Japan was being filmed (if you ever see it, I’m the blonde ;P).

Both experiences offered a kind of feeling I’ve only felt on one other occasion, high up at Chelela – the highest point on the Dantak roads of Bhutan (below) – at an altitude of 3988 metres (the one I previously mentioned) on which even the rare Edelweiss flowers can be found, surrounded by the prayer flags which are meant to bring peace to the world. I can only highly recommend each of these experiences for those looking for more or the addictive feeling these spiritual places offer (to me, anyway).TTC-explore Bhutan

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.