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A beautifully illustrated map of the vast kingdom of Tibet.As my 12-hour bumpy bus ride from Delhi to Mcleod Ganj came to its gradual end, winding its way up the steep mountain road that was about half as wide as the bus was (you figure it out...), I couldn't help but hear the theme music from "Jurassic Park" playing in my head. Watching the surrounding countryside pass by in the early morning light gave me that familiar feeling of unfamiliarity which I've come to enjoy from traveling. Mountains, canyons, lush greenery, waterfalls, soaring falcons... yup, I was in a very different place from Boston. The glow cast by the rising sun helped to amplify this sense of awe and wonderment, and I half expected a herd of
brachiasaurus to appear around the next corner, craning their long necks to reach the overhanging foliage.
Mcleod Ganj is a small yet bustling town, which is part of the larger city of Dharamsala in northern India. It's nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, not too far from the Tibetan border. Everything here is uphill. Even when walking downhill, you somehow end up walking uphill. I will be calling this place home for the next few months, volunteering my time in the
Mcleod01
Mcleod Ganj hopes of helping Tibetan refugees who have fled here to escape the oppression of the Chinese occupation in their home country.
I've heard many people here calling this town the least Indian place in all of India, and I believe it. Mixed in with the Indians (both locals and immigrants/tourists from Kashmere, Punjab, Rajistan, etc.) is a thriving Tibetan population which began in the late 1950's and is still growing every day. On top of that you have the "Westerners": Brits, Israelis, Canadians, French, Germans, Irish, Spanish, Italians, and yeah, quite a large number of Americans. Many people here speak at least a bit of English if not alot, and all the signs are in English too. That feeling of unfamiliarity I had in the beginning quickly faded away and I found myself adjusting to life here remarkably fast. No cobras, no beds of nails, no chilled monkey brains - not the India I was expecting.
Brent, an old friend of mine from work, got here almost a month before I did. He showed me the ropes my first few days here: where to sleep, where to hike, where to meet friends, where to get the best momos
Adopted
This Indian kid adopted me. He got more trouble than he bargained for... (delicious Tibetan dumplings stuffed with vegetables, potatos, or meat.) We're staying in a guest house near the center of town with an awesome view. Every morning when I wake up I see the sun shining on distant Himalayan peaks. Near our guest house is a Tibetan kindergarten called the "Yongling School" and we can watch the little jedi padawans play in the schoolyard from our room. Flocks of crows and falcons fly past our windows regularly, chasing each other or scanning the ground for food. It's unreal to have a falcon fly within 8 feet of me and look me right in the eye...
That's it for now, enjoy the photos! Next episode: animal planet
- David
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Just Me
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Looks like you are having a great time. I am happy for you.