From British influences to Tibetan culture (Shimla to Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, September 14-16, 2008)

The bus ride from Shimla to Dharamsala (both in Himachal Pradesh state) is 10 hours and a train is not an option. I am on an "ordinary" (as opposed to "deluxe") bus, and I am the only Westerner. We stop three times to fix the back tires. None of this is really a problem for me. The worst part of the ride is that two of the people around me--the girl behind me and the man next to me--are sick and vomiting throughout the ride. Still, I manage to get a few hours of sleep. I arrive in Dharamsala the next morning and wait about an hour for the first bus to McLeod Ganj.

Dharamsala is best known as the home of the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan government in exile is based just uphill in Gangchen Kyishong. Most travelers stay in the traveler town of McLeod Ganj, 10 km from Dharamsala on the main road, which is where I'm headed.

I meet a nice Korean girl, Suyeon, at the bus stand. She has been waiting since 4 am for the McLeod bus, and when it finally arrives at around 9 am, we both board. We realize that we are both on a waiting list for a Vipassana meditation course in Dharamsala. I decide not to take the course until later in my trip, but Suyeon does follow through. We share a room at the Ashoka Tibetan Guest House for one night and part later the next day, as she needs to go the meditation course. It is so nice to swap travel stories with her, have dinner and rest.

McLeod is the type of place where travelers hang around for weeks, sometimes months. Some are taking courses in Tibetan or Buddhism, some are volunteering to teach English or computers to local Tibetan refugees. The staple foods of travelers, including banana pancakes, on of my favorites, are readily available. At first I wish I could do the same, but know I cannot as I am on a tight schedule en route to Bangladesh. After three days in McLeod, however, I realize that I'm ready to move on.

In McLeod, I go to see the monastery where the Dalai Lama is based, called the Tsuglagkhang Complex. The monks are yelling and clapping their hands at each other. I gather that they are having philosophical debates. I walk around the temple, and when I return the monks have settled their debates and are chanting harmoniously.

The next day, I walk to a nearby small town called Baghsu. There is a beautiful waterfall here.
The next day, I walk to another nearby town called Daramkot. I continue walking toward Baghsu and the waterfall. More nice views and pictures of the area's lush green hills.

While in McLeod, I also go to a small but educational Tibet Museum, a museum of history and culture, focusing on the persecution of Tibetans in China and their exodus as refugees into India and neighboring counties. Many, even children, had to walk across the Himalayas to the refugee camps.