Day 19 (McLeod Ganj)

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Arrived in Dharamsala after a bumpy but uneventful 10 hour journey through the night. I sat next to an Indian man who was about to finish his Phd in education and we spoke for about half an hour before i made my jumper into a pillow and tried to get some sleep. I woke up every now and then and at one point the driver stopped and revved the engine for about 10 minutes (i know nothing about cars so i don't have the slightest idea why he did this).

I arrived in Dharamsala at about 6.30am and jumped into a taxi for the ride up to Mcleod Ganj, the main tourist area and the place where the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government reside. I found the hotel i was looking at in the guide, it was a bit more expensive than i would have liked, even after the price had been knocked down by 100 rupees so i said i'll have a look around town first. It was poring with rain but a tout offering a room for 300 rupees quickly found me, the room he showed me was nice but it was far off the main area down a steep and rough track, i couldn't face doing the walk every day so i said thank you but decided to look elsewhere again. Now it was really pouring it down, i took shelter for about 20 minutes under the cover of a small shop and when the rain eased off a little i decided to carry on, finding an umbrella on the way. All the rooms in town were pretty expensive, just 20 or so rupees less than my 1st choice and none had a decent looking restaurant and internet on-site so i decided to just go with my first choice.

The room was very nice, the shower/toilet room was spotless and the food from the restaurant smelt lovely. I got into my room, dropped all my stuff and then went to find breakfast. The hotel (Green Hotel) is popular with tourists and the place is pretty full. Most of the people here seem to be French, i've only heard a few people speaking english so far. I got my breakfast and sat around just watching all that was going on, i found a book i wanted to read on the bookshelf and went onto the covered restaurant balcony to read, it was still poring with rain. After a short time a toothless old Baba (Hindu religious man who leaves his family to travel around the country visiting temples and devoting all his life to worship) came and sat on my table, he said hello and then asked me for a cup of Chai, i decided to get one for him (aware that he would probably be asking for more things pretty soon). He drank his tea and started talking about himself, answered some of my questions and then started telling me about his diabetes and all the pills he had to take, it wasn't long after this that he was asking for money for insulin injections. I said sorry but no and shortly after he got up to leave, giving me a postcard with Ganesh on it, mumbling what may have been a blessing and then wandering off out of the hotel.

I stayed outside for a while and then decided it was about lunchtime. I got myself a lovely vegetable cheese burger and then decided to use the internet. Which is what i'm doing now. After this i'm planning to have a wander around town. I'm pretty sure the Dalai Lama isn't here, the town doesn't seem to have enough monks and other Buddhists here, i'd assume the town would be much busier if he was around but i'm still planning to visit the area where his house is and a few Buddhist temples, if not all today then tomorrow as well. (just had a look online, the Dalai lama was in America a few days ago, so he's probably still there)

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I went out, intending to go and visit the Dalai Lama's temple but on the way i got talking to a young Indian man. He asked all the usual questions and it turned out he was on holiday too, he suggested we go to Cafe Coffee Day (a large Indian coffee chain). When we were there we got chatting about where he has been and where he is from, after a while he called his cousin to join us. His cousin was 30-something and he works in the jewel business. I was a little suspicious (i have read in the guide about jewel scams where people are asked to transport jewels when they leave India, often having paid a 'deposit' which a representative will return along with about $2000-$3000 payment. The jewels are usually worthless and the representative doesn't exist). They didn't mention anything however and before we left they asked if i wanted to have dinner with them. I was still pretty suspicious but they seemed pretty nice (though the best scammers always are) and i decided to go for it. A few hours later i met up with them and we took a rickshaw out of town (cant say i wasn't a little nervous) to their uncles hotel. When we arrived we went into the main room which was covered in floor cushions and low tables with fabric covering the walls. I decided to stay and we spent a few hours talking (English was their first language so it was easy to talk to them), they had a shisha pipe and after a while the conversation moved to the older cousins gem business (here we go), he told me he had just met an Italian man who was going to transport some jewels for them and earn himself a few thousand dollars. Then he asked me when i was leaving and whether i would be interested. I polity but firmly told him i wasn't interested. He didn't mention it again. A little while later the hotel manager come in and after a while he suggested that if i hear about any gem deals i should go for it. I mentioned that it had already been discussed and that i wasn't interested. He asked why but after i explained he didn't mention it again (although he had a slightly heated chat with the older cousin after). The hotel cooks brought out some food and i sat with them for a meal, Indian style. The meal was good and by the time we finished it was almost 10 and getting pretty dark, so i said thank you and headed back towards town. I got a little lost at one point but found a rickshaw to take me to the hotel.

I don't really know whether they were scammers or a genuine jewel company but i had a nice night. The ability to say no seems to be of particular importance in India I'm glad i was cautious but i also wished i had relaxed a little, for most of my time i was checking what i was saying and making sure i wasn't being tricked or scammed in some way.

The plan for tomorrow is to get up early and go to the Buddhist temples just outside of town.

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