Day 2 in Bhutan: Sunday Market in Paro and Namsiling Valley

19. July 2013 Bhutan, Travel Planning: What to Do 0

We spent our first full morning at the Paro Sunday Market where we joined the locals selling and buying different kinds of produce. We just had breakfast in our hotel, but as soon as I saw one of the sellers eating momos with chile sauce, I asked Dorji where we could buy them. He eventually found the lady selling the Bhutanese dumplings in a plastic bucket and we bought 5 pieces stuffed with cabbage and beef. My numb lips finally understood what kind of spice Bhutanese cuisine uses: Sichuan peppers!

Throughout our walk in the market, we also bought fried dumplings, vegetable fritters, and a papadum-like chip–everything dipped in the same chile sauce. I think Dorji immediately realized what kind of tourists he was dealing with.

We started our drive towards the east and made a stop at Namsiling Valley and hiked along a rice field to visit an old temple. Unfortunately, the caretaker was not there but it was still a beautiful morning to walk off all the food we ate under the sun, sweat a little and cross a bridge with prayer flags.