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Published: September 7th 2005
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Got a night bus to McLeodganj, Nr. Dharmasala. This place was the highlight of our trip so far (only just, Leh was very close). We arrived in Mcloed at 5-30 am and couldn't find anywhere to stay. We later found out the reason - the Dali Lama (who we already knew was in residence there - why we went) was giving teaching to the monks in person. This was an added bonus to the already very good reason to be there - it was soon to be his 70th birthday. Also (it just gets better and better) we had been told he wasn't going to be around for his birthday BUT HE WAS!!
The first week we looked around the area, ate Tibetan food (exiled Tibetans are one of the main inhabitants of the area), and generally took in the 'ambience' of the locale. It is a beautiful place. With a mountainous backdrop and a panoramic view forward down the mountain to Dharmasala it offers a spectacular vista. The clouds roll up the mountain in the evening, eventually surrounding you and often displaying the flashes of distant and not so distant electrical storms. With monkeys sitting on your balcony watching
the world go by - it is no wonder why the Dali Lama and the Tibetans chose this spot.
After registering and clearing the security checks we made it to one of the teachings the Dali Lama gave. With the language being Tibetan there was a translation provided - through FM radio - which was listenable. Unfortunately with the level at which the teachings were set (primarily for the monks who had travelled from all over the world to listen) our comprehension of the teaching was rudimentary at best (something about the true and ephemeral nature of our physical world and the nature of reality - I think). On occasion we'd ignore the translation and just listen to the rise and fall of the Dali Lamas voice, which in itself created an atmosphere of serenity. We left with the sense that neither of us would forget the short time listening, sat cross legged with monks and Tibetans in the courtyard outside the temple.
The other main highlight of our time here was of course THE birthday!
The Dali Lama's birthday started out raining - and it rained hard. We went to the temple which is outside the
More weather
There was sun - honest gates of the Residence itself. Not being early birds we weren't the first there - in fact nearly the last - so we went where we could. As it happened that was in the temple itself. Funnily we queued for quite a while and right at the point of getting in we saw the sign 'no cameras'. Now having 3 with us we thought we might as well plead ignorance and go the next 10 feet. The security guards searched my large daysack and missed one digital camera, one compact film camera, and a large SLR camera with additional telephoto lens! Sometimes being a relaxed people doesn't lend itself to all professions.
After getting through the security checks we went upstairs and were met with the sight of thousands of orange robed monks happily watching big screen TV's of the celebrations. There were so many people downstairs in the courtyard (the one in which we heard the teachings), where the main celebrations were taking place that only a small fraction of the monks were down there - but they seemed happy enough just to be there. We had a small view of the dancing, offering and speakers that we
Bluuuury
Considering cameras weren't allowed in it's not bad (Oh - monks watching the Dali's birthday dance) were happy enough, but more enjoyment came simply from the atmosphere of the occasion and the happiness and joy rippling around the monks. On one occasion our attention was grabbed by a burst of amusement coming from all around. When we looked on the screens it was because of a particular dance the Tibetan men were doing: It was still raining very heavily and there was about two inches of rain water on the courtyard. There is a traditional dance the Tibetans have which can best be described (and will always be known to us) as the 'stampy dance'. In this dance the men, while playing their long guitar like Tibetan instruments, move to the music and stamp their feet. Watching these guys trying to keep a straight face while creating splashes the likes of which school boys in the yard could only dream of, was particularly memorable. As was the looks on the faces of the very amused monks. It was a good day - and didn't stop raining for 24 hours, which we were told was very auspicious!!
A short mentionable before we leave McLeod is Titi. Titi was a 24 year old Chinese girl - a writer - who we first met on the evening after she met the Dali lama in person. We never got to meet the Dali Lama ourselves, but hearing the excitement and exhilaration of this young girl - who only a few days earlier had first found out that there was a Dali Lama and that Tibet used to be a separate country - was infectious. It was beautiful to see how she'd been affected by the meeting with this charismatic man, but also how confused and disappointed she was that her government had lied to her - and her parents - about such an important and emotive issue as the displacement and genocide of such a peaceful people. And that's probably enough about that - this isn't a political rant!
We reluctantly left this lovely place 2 weeks on from arriving. We decided it was time to start experiencing the 'local bus' phenomenon.
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