Dharamsala is nestled into the mountains about a 5 hour drive from Dalhousie (that bus ride was raaather uncomfortable.. but we got the full cramped mountain ride experience..check!), and is divided up into three portions (lower Dharamsala, Dharamsala and upper Dharamsala)- we're in the upper region, which thrives with an awesome dynamic mixd up of wild hippie tourists, buddhist monks, and local artisan crafts everywhere. Shopping has been unaviodable..planning on sending home a box of prezzies. We spent the first day exploring the town and getting a feel for the Tibetan flair that we had yet to see of India. Tons of refugees and people who have been exiled from Tibet have settled here, and have brought along their food, schools and religious along. Mackenzie and I also got an hour long Tibetan full body massage (10 bucks.. whaaat?) with exotic oils and some interesting techniques with pressure points- definitely needed after that bus ride. We tried traditional "MoMo's" that are basically steamed or fried dumplings filled with anything from cabbage to potatoes to mutton...but its more like a bread covering rather than a wonton.. then they add a dollop of chili sauce that helps to satisfy our new spice-conditioned tastebuds. And the best part is that they're super cheap so the boys have a goal of each eating 40 of them.. for a grand total of 2 dollars. The first night we went to a Tibetan restaurant that was feauturing traditional Tibetan music with a live concert- it was held by a man who has focused his life to preserve the Tibetan culture which he said is dying, and to help to embed the traditions of music and culture back into the young generations.
We have treked over the past 2 days in all directions around the city, towards the Kalachakra Temple where the Dali Lama holds his lectures and where Monks go to practice, to the base of a waterfall that looked like a scene from the Great Panda Adventure, and to a cliff about 20 minutes away where Mackenzie and I did some extreme sports. Last night we tried some traditional Tibetan "Chow-Chow" for dinner which is noodles in a asiany gravy with veggies, mutton and chicken- delicious! We have been utilizing our hotel rooftop as a location for breakfast visits with other tourists from Holland and Germany and as a chill evening hangout after dinners. I feel like I'm in an episode of Planet Earth sometimes with the massive hawks, mountain goats and monkeys roaming around. Tracy left for a hike thiis morning with a guy from Holland named Quinton, and their goal is to meet up with a goat shepherder who they came accross yesterday while Mackenzie and I had a relaxing girl day of laying in the sun with our new books about the Buddhist practice. Tonight (our last night waah) we're going to a traditional Tibetan restaraunt and partake in some Dharmsala nightlife- then tomorrow we are going to trek to see the Lama Karmapa at a temple in lower Dharmsala then checking out a massive cricket stadium where the national indian championship will be held next year, and is close to where our bus will be scooping us off for our overnight journey back to Delhi. Last chapter of Indian vaca will be travel-filled but seeing the another world wonder will be the ultimate cherry on top!
PS tried uploading pictures but this computer is not really taking the whole USB connection thing very nicely.. next time!
We have treked over the past 2 days in all directions around the city, towards the Kalachakra Temple where the Dali Lama holds his lectures and where Monks go to practice, to the base of a waterfall that looked like a scene from the Great Panda Adventure, and to a cliff about 20 minutes away where Mackenzie and I did some extreme sports. Last night we tried some traditional Tibetan "Chow-Chow" for dinner which is noodles in a asiany gravy with veggies, mutton and chicken- delicious! We have been utilizing our hotel rooftop as a location for breakfast visits with other tourists from Holland and Germany and as a chill evening hangout after dinners. I feel like I'm in an episode of Planet Earth sometimes with the massive hawks, mountain goats and monkeys roaming around. Tracy left for a hike thiis morning with a guy from Holland named Quinton, and their goal is to meet up with a goat shepherder who they came accross yesterday while Mackenzie and I had a relaxing girl day of laying in the sun with our new books about the Buddhist practice. Tonight (our last night waah) we're going to a traditional Tibetan restaraunt and partake in some Dharmsala nightlife- then tomorrow we are going to trek to see the Lama Karmapa at a temple in lower Dharmsala then checking out a massive cricket stadium where the national indian championship will be held next year, and is close to where our bus will be scooping us off for our overnight journey back to Delhi. Last chapter of Indian vaca will be travel-filled but seeing the another world wonder will be the ultimate cherry on top!
PS tried uploading pictures but this computer is not really taking the whole USB connection thing very nicely.. next time!
remember the words,this is "UNITY IN DIVERSITY"
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