El Gringito

Here are the pics from my trip to the top of Triund with Colin and Brent. A narrative of the epic journey and the ordeals endured shall follow... - David ... read more

One of my volunteer assignments has involved working with an organization called Tong-Len. It's a non-profit organization which provides education and medical support for the families that live in a slum camp here in Dharamsala. The slum camp is named "Charan," and is home to immigrants from Rajistan and Maharashtra, two distinct states in India (the state I am in is called "Himachal Pradesh.") Tong-Len has set up two children's schools in Charan, which we affectionately call "The Big School" and "The Nursery School." Essentially they are two large tents smack in the middle of all the other make-shift tents in the slum camp. The Nursery School holds classes for the youngest children (I think between ages 3 and 5) while The Big School accomodates everyone else (kids between ages 6 and 12 - all in ... read more

I've been getting a taste of both Indian and Tibetan arts and culture here while fulfilling my volunteer obligations, and during my free time as well. Some aspects interest me more than others, but it's all new and exciting. For example, art and music really catch my attention. On the other hand, I'm not really concerned with the religious aspects of the cultures (but there is PLENTY to find here for those who are interested - a lion's share of the tourists, I believe.) One thing that has really surprised me is how similar certain aspects of traditional Tibetan culture seem to the cultures of Native American peoples, especially those found in the south-west United States. The traditional music and dance sound and look very much like what I've observed from performances by the Hopi Indians ... read more

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 ... read more