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Published: December 25th 2008
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Hello and Merry Christmas from India.
We have made it back to Delhi and are leaving for Thailand tonight. Xmas is a bit surreal in India. It's kind of a joke holiday here like Halloween in NZ. THe santa we saw at the last bar would have been more appropriate in some Halloween horror rather than christmas.
Anyway, since we last blogged, we have spent 4 days in McLeod Ganj, 10km above Dharamshala and residence of the Delai Lama. McLeod Ganj was a cool little town. In the 60's the then Indian PM gave the town to the Tebitans and it was like being in a different country. firstly, it had beer and meat and the beer wazs up to 8%. Nice work!!
The town was set in pine laden hillside with a stunning backdrop of the Himalaya's. So every morning we woke up with a beautiful view of the himalaya's and and Eagles flying through the valleys stalking prey.
Everyday we had nice walks to do. A little Hindu temple, a little british church, big buddhist monestries with countless prayer flags were among the many sites. Xmas shopping was also very fun in McLeod ganj with
numerous Tibetan handicrafts amongst the goodies we bought.
I also jumped on the free tibet bandwagon because it should happen. How can such peace loving people be allowed to be dominated by the Chinese and the rest of the world turn a blind eye?? On a walk up to the Tibetan childrens village, the wall in the playground had painted on it: "Peace, Love, Happiness - Individuals can make a difference." Seeing numerous positve signs around the palce and the fact that the Tibetans are such lovely people means that if you have any heart you can't but help suppport the cause.
A final arduous bus journey and we are now back in Delhi, which seems a world away from the mountains. BUt we have had a fun Xmas day and filled each others stockings with goodies asnd have spent the day in the nice part of Delhi - Connaught Place. Now the hassle from people is more laughable then annoying. A man came up and asked me to buy sunglasses despite the fact that I was wearing a pair when he asked. I guess you can't fault them for asking.
Well now onto Thailand....
Until
next time Ben
LEITH
Dharamsala
We finally got a train ride....this was kind of good too because we met a lovely (American) lady on the train who had been in a bus accident on her way to Rishikesh. It sounded like it must have been pretty scary - they were driving behind a truck and it just stopped dead and the bus ploughed into it. Amazingly no-one was seriously hurt but the bus driver took off. In India if a driver causes an accident and people are seriously hurt, the driver will end up being mobbed and attacked by bystanders. I am not kidding about this.
Meanwhile all the bus goers were shipped to Rishikesh in other buses so you can understand that Susan (the US lady) was not keen to get another bus.
We have one final bus ride tomorrow night to Delhi on which I will have my fingers crossed the whole way.
Interestingly, you do not actually stay in Dharamsala (and neither does the Dalai Lama). Dharamsala is the lower of 2 towns and travellers make the extremely windy and narrow climb up to McLeod Ganj. This is where there are temples, and the Dalai
Lama's residence not to mention the ubiquitous foreigner's restaurants and .....BEER and MEAT!!!
The first day we arived this prospect was quite exciting to me. But I must telll you:Kingfisher strong has a note on it....alcohol limit exceeding 5.35% but not exceeding 8.25%. They are also big bottles, you know, crate bottle sized.
That means that after one beer I thought my head was removed from my body which is an interesting prospect when your room is halfway down the side of a cliff. Not to worry, I made it home but I haven't really fancied drinking that much since. I'm told the monks or some of them are partial to a toddy or 2 as well. Bless.
I'm very glad we came here. The Himalayas soar in the background and the flags flutter. Tibetan people are beautiful - they almost make me feel a bit of self loathing because I don't think I could ever be so kind and peaceful given the suffering they've been through. All these people are refugees and most of them have family still in Tibet liable to torture by the Chinese.
Ah I could go on and on, but I won't. It's totally worth
coming up this way - I would absolutely come back to do some proper hikes around here as the scenery is magnificent and Macleod Ganj is really like another country - a little Tibet, it shouldn't have to be here but it is.
Delhi x 2
Last night we boarded a bus to Delhi again - our final bus ride in India. I can't say I'll NEVER do one again but it won't be for a long time I assure you.
And thank Santa Claus that it was the last ride....we hurtled down a hill with a road only wide enought for a car let alone a bus, meeting opposing traffic at every hairpin corner. Ben was squeezing my hand very hard and I was the one in the window seat.
I have to say (not trying to put people off or anything) but for some time I sat in my seat looking down at a precipice - a sheer drop. We were driving past the tops of tall trees growing from some steep incline far below. I forgot that I was tired, needed to go to the toilet, and was a bit peckish. I actually prayed to
kharma that we not fall off the cliff because the bus (oh, about 40 years old) would have been like and aluminium beercan in a schoolboys hands - crushed.
And then just as we reached the bottom of the hill and I thought we would be on the flat...we started to go UP again.
But we made it to Delhi and into a guesthouse where we've put our bags for the day. This time we've stayed near Connaught Place which is a far more pleasant place to be - you still get hassled but also I'm way ruder than I used to be so they get the hint pretty quickly.
Plus I've found a unique method of dealing with people and it seems to work in all cultures....if you just start getting louder and louder and almost to the point of yelling but not quite but also add a smattering of hostility in your voice - you will almost always get what you want. You'll still have to pay but you'll get what you want. 😊
Christmas has been great as I hope it has been for all reading this. I got sunburnt today - Delhi. That is what happens
when you wear sunblock every day and then presume that smog will block out the suns rays...
I am also really looking forward to the beach and a bit of thai food. As you do.....
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