Wild Wild East

Asia » India » Himachal Pradesh » Mcleod Ganj
April 10th 2006

Published: April 29th 2006

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El Gringito

Curious Chicken

This chicken decided to join me for lunch. I didn't have the heart to tell her I had ordered eggs...

Strays. They're everywhere here. Stray dogs, stray monkeys, stray hippies, even stray cows.

Stray dogs appear to top the list - India is full of them and this town is no exception. Mangey, flea-ridden, sometimes crippled, often cute, they roam the streets singularly or in packs. They're mostly harmless on their own, but there's strength in numbers and I've been told that when four or more get together they can sometimes be trouble. The streets here are NARROW, with no sidewalks, so when a car or motorcycle comes screaming along one must be fleet of feet to jump out of the way in time. Not the dogs, however. They calmly stay put until the very last instant, and if the car does not go around them then they very casually get up and move to the side of the road. There's something very regal about that.

Much like the beggars who also roam the streets, the dogs appear to live mostly on handouts and trash. A common occurence here is the "rent-a-pet" system, where a dog will follow you around for a couple of hours or a full day as your semi-faithful companion. You get to play with them

Loitering...

"Hey cow, can't you read?"

and feel like you own a pet, they get free food and maybe some shelter.

A few cats can be found here, but they're rare. They also look scared $#@%-less all the time. Considering the number of dogs and fast-moving vehicles on the streets, I don't blame them.

The stray cows really surprised me. I had heard that the people of India revere cows and do not eat them or harm them. Yet letting them roam the streets unclaimed and unchecked is a little wierd. They block traffic, loiter in front of stores and restaurants, and take dumps all over the street. At night they can be seen eating from trashcans, right next to the dogs. Not wanting to take a horn in the gut, I give them a wide bearth.

Every day during the end of March and the beginning of April, I witnessed a truly beautiful phenomenon: clouds of white butterflies drifting in a constant stream from the valleys below Mcleod Ganj up into the mountains above. Their continuous migration looked like cherry blossoms floating on the wind. Little touches like this add to the charm of my new home. Sorry, I have no photos

when animals attack

"Back on up, esse! Don't you know I'm loco?!?"

of this, you'll have to see it with your own eyes one day.

The monkeys are cute. Usually. They live mostly in the wooded hills above town, but brave ones occasionally venture into the urban jungle. These intrepid explorers traverse power lines upside-down, and swing into open windows, looking for free snacks to steal. They're curious of humans (especially when there's food being offered) but if you get too close to the young ones then you must be prepared for monkey-mother-fury!!!

Okay, that's enough about the animals, I'll move on to people. Next episode: Tibetan Opera

- David

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