Spent the morning exploring the capital Thimphu, including a visit to the Sunday market, which takes place on a Saturday. The Textile museum has a demonstration of how the Bhutanese men put on their Gho, the traditional outfit the men wear. It's incredibly complicated and involved wrapping the cloth around the body and then hitching it up by creating pleats and holding everything in place with a tight belt. It is said the best part of the day for a Bhutanese man is when he can finally release the belt at the end of the day.

In the afternoon we drove over the Dochu La pass and descended into the Punakha valley. On the way passed the shrine to the mad monk, a 16th century figure who had a rather unorthodox approach to living. Some of the designs on the houses, designed to ward off evil spirits, would not pass uk planning regulations.

Spent the night In a beautiful camp site along side the Mo Chhu river, miles away from any civilisation. The owners had arranged a hot stone bath where river water was warmed by dropping in rocks which has been heated over an open air fire. The bath was full of medicinal herbs. It was wonderfully relaxing soaking under the open sky.

In the evening after the meal the Bhutanese guides produced a chocolate cake from out of nowhere. What a wonderful place to spend your birthday.