Kujua Monastery and The Beer Factory

Previous page - We travel to Bumthang

 

Kujua Monastery

At Kujua Monastery car park we walked past some ladies selling trinkets on blankets outside the monastery gates. We had a look around the monastery and headed back out. At this stage monasteries are all starting to look a bit the same. We stopped by the ladies and ended up buying a fancy candle holder that opens and closes much like a flower's petals opening and closing.  It cost us 700 NU (about $15 AUD) but little did we know at the time that we could buy them for half that price elsewhere. Just as well we only bought one at that stage.

 

Red Panda Beer Factory

Ian and I don’t drink alcohol and Jeremy doesn’t really drink beer as he says it makes him feel sick. However we are going to a beer factory. Apparently the factory is owned by an elderly Swiss gentleman who has done a lot for tourism in this area over the years. It cost us 135 NU to go on the tour. It wasn’t a lot of money but then there wasn’t a lot to see. We were encouraged to sit down at the outdoor tables and sample the brew. One mouthful was more than enough for Ian and me. It had no fizz in it at all. In fact it had only been made that morning. Jeremy tried it and thought he rather liked it. Consequently he drank two glasses. BAD DECISION!

 

The Cheese Factory

Right next door to the Red Panda Beer Factory is the Cheese Factory. We were disappointed we couldn’t look around the factory. We don't know the reason why. There were some cheeses on display in their little shop but nothing you could sample so sadly we didn’t buy any cheese.  We purchased some cracker biscuits instead. We popped in to a craft shop too but didn’t buy.

Drive back to Puenzhi Hotel

The journey back to Puenzhi Hotel was tedious to say the least. There were so many bends to drive around. We even drove through some clouds and it was quite cold.  Jeremy had a headache (wonder why ????) so he reclined his seat and tried to sleep. Sadly he just seemed to make himself feel worse so by the time we arrived back at the hotel he felt quite unwell. He felt very cold so back at the hotel he hopped into bed.

 

 

Internet at last

We were desperate to contact our family. They hadn’t heard from us for a few days and we didn’t want to cause them unnecessary worry. Ian and I went to the hotel office and the owner’s son managed to get wi-fi up and running on our little lap top. I don’t know what I was doing wrong with it! The two of us sat in the lounge area and sent messages and photos to family and friends. A while later dinner was served.

The owner’s son was concerned that Jeremy was unwell. We tried to assure him it was really just the effects of the beer.  A little meal was packed up for Jeremy and we gave it to him when we returned to our rooms.

 

Next page - Punakha and the dzong

 

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