Lobeysa Village

Balancing on raised grassy compact walkways, we make our way through the rice fields of Lobeysa. This village is located in a serene valley after crossing Dochu La Pass at 10,000 feet. Here we meet farmers who are hard at work in the rice fields and tending their vegetable gardens. One farmer lets us admire her kira, which is the traditional dress for women and girls. It requires being wrapped in a very long bolt of fabric that gets fastened at the shoulders with two ornate silver clasps and a wide waist belt.

A short walk from Lobeysa is the famed Chime Lhakhang temple where women who are having difficulty conceiving children come to pray and often return to seek names for their babies. The large altar is thick with offerings from pilgrims. Two very young monk disciples swish rags around the shiny floor with their bare feet and shyly smile at us.