On the hike up to Paro Taktsang, along with the usual assortment of tourists, I came across this monk struggling a bit with his mules. Hey mule, I don't blame you - it's a fairly steep hike at times, and you have to bear the burden of being a pack animal. It certainly takes a lot of commitment and dedication to live and study in a monastery that is a 3hr hike up from the base. Seems like that would be a bit inconvenient, but then again, being free of distractions in order to pray and meditate is probably worth it for the monks. Plus, they get to enjoy the immense splendor of nature.

Monks wrangling his mule on the way to Paro Taktsang.