Jan. 16
I am Way behind on my posts. I will try to post many from the Delhi airport tomorrow.
Meanwhile, today we are at the site of the Dalai Lama's Tibetian community in Mc Leod Ganj. First we flew on Spice Jet from Dehli to Daramsala, then came by taxi 800 rupees including tip = $12 for a windy, narrow ride up the mountain. About 40 minutes. Skirting pedestrians, all kinds of animals, hair pins on a single wide road that goes both ways, through pine forests. The mountains closer and closer.
Our Pawan House people greeted us with tea on their rooftop resturaunt and off we went. The room is freezing, but they gave us plenty of blankets. it felt a bit like snow camping, but in a room instead of a tent. I wore my hat all night.
These photos are just from a few hours. Today we will experience much more.
Tea Garden, on our way up. Our taxi driver stopped so we could see. It's all Kanga tea.
Tibetian Martial Arts Institute
A small temple in the middle of the shopping district. We spun the prayer wheels, and had Momos and a beer across the street. Inside was amazing!
The large prayer wheel inside. It rings a bell as it spins
It snowed the day before we arrived. This morning is brilliant, warming sunshine. We are so Blessed!
More photos from our extended time. The day before we arrived it snowed, we got to watch the mountains change shape as clouds moved in and around, then left completely for clear days. Beautiful!
This is the front gate to the Dahli Lama's house. There was extremely tight security, though we got a few smiles from the guards with their AK47s hanging on their shoulders.
When I turn around 180 degrees, I see the giant Buddah inside the temple. No photography allowed inside, but I got a few shots through the open windows.
Inside the temple rooms felt calm and peaceful with colorful paint, icons and offerings, and large statues.
One of the entrances to the temple. Monks live upstairs here and in other buildings. I returned in the ,or ing to hear monks playing some mystical bells and horns. I enjoyed a meditation walk circling the temple with many of the locals who were chanting as they walked with their beads. I felt like I got to participate in an ancient, sacred ritual. I turned the prayer wheels with every rotation while saying Om Mani Padme Hung.
The view from here is pretty spectacular!
We walked around the hills. this part of India was so different. Clear, fresh mountain air, And Buddhist monks walking everywhere. fewer beggars with less desperation in their eyes. We did see goat meat being sold from tiny vendors tucked away underneath a stairway. The old man sat in the dark with his machete, and the half goat hanging there. it was big enough for only him to sit. No photo though.
We had lunch at a spot popular with the monks. Monkeys joined us on the rooftop. We didn't finish our tea or soup because it was lukewarm, andI didn't trust it.
More photos from our walk up the hill.
Locals collecting bags of Sugar cane fiber, from the truck.
Road construction... This man sat there and broke up large rock into smaller pieces with his sledge hammer and chisel. The ones below moved materials across the street in bowls on their heads.This is a two way road.
These horses didn't look too healthy, but trash is left out for all the animals, cows, goat, monkeys, yaks, dogs, ...then in the morning, if it has been left on the street, it gets picked up and put in a bin for further foraging.
On our way out of McLeod Ganj to Dharamsalsa, we encountered a bit of road construction. Again, a two lane road. We barely fit past the machinery.
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