Advertisement
Published: August 13th 2008
Edit Blog Post
September 2007 ARRIVE DHARMSALA AFTER DARK BATTERED BUT STILL KICKIN AND TAKE A SOLO CAB FOR AND ASTOUNDING 100 RUPEES (CONSIDERING THE ENTIRE BUS RIDE FROM AMRITSAR IS 35 RUPEES)THE LAST 10 K UP THE MOUNTAIN IN THE DARK TO MCLEOD GANGH. GET LUCKY GET A ROOM/SHARED BATH AT THE OM GUESTHOUSE THANKS TO A KIND DRIVER. I SHARE THE ROOM WITH A SPIDER BIG AS MY HAND, MY UNINVITED HOUSE GUEST FOR THE DURATION OF MY STAY. ALWAYS A SUPRISE WHERE HE'LL TURN UP IN THE MORNING, SOMETIMES IN MY SHORTS HANGING ON THE BACK OF THE DOOR, SOMETIMES IN THE CORNER ABOVE MY HEAD, ONCE EVEN IN MY DAYPACK. ALWAYS, ALWAYS SHAKE OUT YOUR SHOES BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON!COMPASSION TO ALL SENTIENT BEINGS IS EASIER WHEN YOU'RE ZIPPED INTO YOUR HERMETICALLY SEALED MOSQUITO TENT AT NIGHT. NO FEAR THEN OF 8 HAIRY LEGS CRAWLING SLOWLY ACROSS YOUR FACE. APPARENTLY THIS IS THE ARACHNID INN AS REGULARS SCREAMS PROCEEDED FROM THE ROOMS OF NEW GUESTS UNAWARE OF THEIR HAIRY VISITORS. AFTER ALL THE SPIDERSWERE THERE FIRST. BODIES OF THE FALLEN LITTERED THE WALK TO THE TOILET IN THE MORNING, TERMINATED NO DOUBT WITH GREAT PREJUDICE, THIS TO THE DELIGHT OF
THE LOCAL MONGOOSE WHO MADE HIS DAILY FORAY ALONG THE BALCONY OUTSIDE MY ROOM.
AFTER THE BLOODY HEAT OF THE GANGETIC PLAIN THE AIR UP HERE FEELS LUSCIOUS. MCLEOD GANGH IS PERCHED ON A SERIES OF HILLS WITH MAGNIFICENT VIEWS OF THE PLAIN BELOW AND THE PEAKS ABOVE. HEAVILY FORESTED WITH DEODAR (HIMALAYAN CEDAR). MORNING MIST, AFTERNOON MIST, EVENING MIST RAIN. VEGETATION HANGS HEAVY, GREEN AND DRIPPING,WE'RE RIGHT IN THE CLOUDS, NEVER SURE WHEN YOU'LL GET SOAKED. EVERYTHING FEELS DAMP AND SOGGY ALL THE TIME. TOWELS AND LAUNDRY NEVER REALLY GET DRY.HAPPY TO SEE AND FEEL THE WARM SUNSHINE WHEN IT DECIDES TO SHOW ITSELF.
THIS IS SLUG HEAVEN, HERDS OF THE BIGGEST SLUGS I'VE EVER SEEN MOVING, SLIME OOZING BEHIND THEM AS THEY HEAD TO SOME UNKNOWN DESTINATION, REGULARLY SQUISHED UNDERFOOT ON THE PAVEMENT. A SLIPPERY MESS.
MCLEOD GANGH IS THE HOME TEMPLE OF THE DALAI LAMA AND ALSO HIS RESIDENCE, QUITE MODEST IN SIZE. THE TIBETAN GOVERNMENT IN EXILE IS JUST DOWN THE HILL A PIECE. A RATHER COSMOPOLITAN ATMOSPHERE WITH PILGRIMS FROM ALL OVER THE PLANET COMING TO HANG WITH HIS HOLIENESS. RICHARD GERE AND PIERCE BROSNAN HAVE THEIR FACES HANGING IN THE LOCAL RESTAURANT WITH THE
SMILING OWNERS. THERE'S EVEN A DISCO OF SORTS A BIT OBSCENE WITH SOME PATHETIC SOUNDING MUSIC (THINK KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND) DESIGNED TO LURE THE WESTERNERS IN. SO THE FOOD BESIDES THE UBIQITOUS TIBETAN MOMOS, IS VARIED AND QUITE GOOD, ITALIAN, MEXICAN, JAPANESE, KOREAN A REAL ETHNIC HODGE PODGE AND A WELCOME RELIEF FROM VEG, RICE, DAHL IN THE OTHER INDIA. WHO WOULD THINK YOU COULD FIND SUSHI UP HERE. THIS IS A PLACE THAT ONE COULD EASILY STAY LONG TERM AND MANY DO. VOLUNTEERING TO HELP THE INFLUX OF INCOMING TIBETAN REFUGEES AND STUDY THE DHARMA.
UNBEKNOWNST TO ME I AM AGAIN BLESSED TO SEE THE DAHLI LAMA FOR THE SECOND TIME IN AS MANY MONTHS ALTHOUGH IN A VERY INTIMATE VENUE COMPARED TO LAST TIME IN LADAKH. HE GIVES THREE DAYS OF TEACHING THIS TIME WE STUDY NAGARJUNA'S COMMENTARY ON BODHICHITTA. HEAVY DUTY ! I MANAGE TO GET A SECURITY PASS TO THE TEACHING AFTER WAITING INTERMINABLY IN THE 2 MAN OFFICE HIDDEN DOWN AND BEHIND THE MOMO JOINT. ALSO FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SCOPE OUT A SPOT ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE TEMPLE BACK AGAINST THE RAILING WITH A DIRECT VIEW INTO HIS HOLIENESS ENSCONSCED UPON
HIS DIAS ABOUT 30 METERS AWAY.
SURROUNDED BY TIBETAN MONKS AND A SMATTERING OF WESTERNERS THE CROWD MOSTLY MADE UP OF SINGAPOREANS, JAPANESE, KOREANS, CHINESE ALL FROM BUDDHIST TRADITIONS. IT WAS AMAZING THE WAY HE WELCOMED THE CHINESE DELEGATION AFTER ALL TIBET HAS SUFFERED AT THEIR HANDS. HIS READY SMILE AND GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR PUT EVERYONE AT EASE. HE SPOKE IN TIBETAN BUT WAS TRANSLATED INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND SIMULCAST ON FM RADIO FOR THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE BROUGHT ONE WITH EARPHONES LIKE ME.
AGAIN THE DALAI LAMA IS ONE KOOL DUDE, GURU TO THE WORLD AT THIS POINT IF WE ONLY HAVE THE COURAGE TO LISTEN AND GIVE UP PERSONAL GREED AND GRASPING TO FOLLOW HIS TEACHING. WHAT A BLESSING TO EXPERIENCE THIS.
ANOTHER MOVING EXPERIENCE HAPPENED AT ST. JOHNS IN THE WILDERNESS CHRISTIAN CHURCH HERE. OLDEST CHURCH IN NORTHERN INDIA. A BIT SPOOKY LOOKING AS THE MISTS ROLL IN OVER THE MOSS COVERED TOMBSTONES, NO ONE LEFT TO SEE THAT THEIR GRAVES ARE KEPT CLEAN. DEAD SILENCE. “THEY SUFFER NO MORE IN THIS REALM, ARE AT LAST AT PEACE” SO OTHERWORLDLY HERE. THE SUNDAY SERVICE IS MEMORABLE WITH THE SMALL INDIAN PASTOR RECITING FAMILIAR VERSES AS
THE SILENT PLACQES TO LONG DEAD PARISHIONERS LOOK FORLORNLEY DOWN FROM THE WALLS. “IN MEMORY OF ...... KILLED BY A BEAR IN 1852” KILLED ON THE EVE OF HIS WEDDING 1871” “3RD GURKHA RIFLES, IN MEMORY OF A COMRADE TRUE” ALL PATHS LEAD TO THE GRAVE.
I AGAIN MEET ANKE MY DEAR GERMAN FRIEND AND ALL THE BIBLE GROUP KIDS FROM MANALI COME TO SAVE THE ISRAELIS BACKPACKERS FROM DOOM AND DRUGS. HER TESTIMONY HERE IS THE MOST MOVING THING I CAN EVER REMEMBER HEARING. OH TO HAVE THAT DEPTH OF FAITH.
I ALSO MEET FREDERICA FROM BOLOGNA ITALY HERE MAKING A DOCUMENTARY FILM ON THE TIBETANS IN EXILE. A GREAT CONNECTION, WE HIT IT OFF INSTANTLY AND END UP PLANNING TO HEAD TO RISHIKESH TOGETHER AFTER WE LEAVE MCLEOD GANGH. I ALSO SPEND TIME DOING VOLUNTEER WORK IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND MEET AND HAVE A MARVELOUS TIME WITH SOME OF THE OLDEST AND FIRST REFUGEES TO HAVE COME HERE FROM TIBET. WHAT TALES THEY HAD TO TELL !! I AGAIN AM BLESSED TO MAKE SUCH WONDERFUL HUMAN CONNECTIONS.
THIS PLACE WAS HARD TO LEAVE BUT THE CLOCK IS RUNNING ON MY VISA AND MUST AGAIN DUST OFF MY
TRAVELIN SHOES.
ON TO RISHIKESH, LEAVE THE BUDDHISTS BEHIND FOR VEDANTA, SHIVA, VISHNU, KRISHNA, ARATI AND PUJA IN THE GANGA.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.096s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 53; dbt: 0.0641s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb