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Published: April 29th 2007
The trip up to the mountains from Delhi is not smooth. The "Deluxe" bus is anything but, and it winds its way up slowly throughout the night. I don't sleep at all.
But as light comes, and we reach the mountains my mood lifts. I get off the bus early morning and take a share jeep up to McLeod Ganj. Once there, I get a nice room with a great mountain view and fall into a deep sleep.
This place is more Tibet than India. It is the home in exile of the 14th Dalai Lama himself - the flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. There's a large population of Tibetans and Tibetan monks here too that followed him here over the years. It is also a place full of travelers, and I find it an easy place to stay after the hectic week in Rajasthan. The climate is also much cooler. Only about 25 degrees with a light breeze. The perfect place to slow down. I think I'll stay here a few days...
A couple of days turns into a week. I wake early each day to the sound of Tibetan monks chanting in
the monastery opposite my guest house. Then I look out of my window at the snow capped mountain tops above the hills.
I catch up on a few normal things, like laundry and a haircut. And I visit the Dalai Lama's home but I don't see him. I meet some cool people here too. A British guy called John, who is traveling before Uni and has a big beard. An Israeli guy called Shay who is staying in the next village in a sort of Israeli colony. 2 Canadian girls, Satomi and Christina, who are fun to hang out with. And several Tibetan guys who are always keen to share stories.
On Wednesday I go to a
">concert for the Panchen Lama's birthday. No-one has seen him for 12 years since the Chinese took him. In Buddhist religion, the Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama recognise the reincarnation of each other after the previous Lama dies. This has gone on for centuries. But after the last Panchen Lama died in 1994, the Dalai Lama recognised the reincarnation in a 6 year old boy and the Chinese immediately took him and chose their own Chinese Panchen Lama. If the
real Panchen Lama isn't released, then after the Dalai Lama dies, the Chinese Panchen Lama will choose a Chinese Dalai Lama and the Tibetans lose their cultural leadership forever. Despite this serious subject, the concert is fun, the performers make jokes and the Monks laugh a lot.
On Thursday I slow down even more and go for a Tibetan massage and acupuncture session. Then I spend the afternoon sat by a waterfall in the hills.
On Friday a do a little shopping, have lunch, go for a walk and go to bed early.
At weekend I go for Osho Meditation, which involves some dancing, imagining I am breathing through my 7 chakras and a lot of lying down with my eyes closed. I've slowed down now to the point that I've completely stopped.
Time for a change again. Time to move on and see something more of India...
ru
non-member comment
mr. asten, are you alive?
too much fun or too slow a connection? c'mon, post smt so we know how you're doing...