The clouds are clearing over Dharamsala and we have a better view of the misty mountain range atop which we are staying. They are blanketed with bright green trees, happily saturated with monsoon rain. We are in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the town that the Dalai Lama calls his home. It is also, not surprisingly, home for many Tibetan refugees and the narrow streets are lined with women selling handmade Tibetan wares. We have come all this way for the cool air of this old British hillstation (they couldn't take the heat either). To give you an idea of location, we are about 30 km east of the Pakistan border and 60 km south of Jammu & Kashmir. But not to worry, this is a place where border disputes with Pakistan are not an issue.
We three arrived here early this morning after a very twisty and sweaty 12 hour bus ride from Delhi. The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity. We woke up Saturday in Varanasi (Hinduism's Holiest city) and took a short day trip to a town called Sarnath which is the birthplace of Buddhism. We visited the spot where Buddha gave his first sermon. There is a lovely temple there now and a large park where you can enjoy the greenery (at long last!) and sit under the trees. As we were sitting there enjoying a moment of rest, a group of young men dressed in bright orange clothes (not monks) walked over and wanted to have one photo taken with us. Well, about 8 photos later they thanked us for our time and left us alone. Then a local man with his infant child asked me to take his photo and after I did he requested that I send him a copy and he wrote his address in the front of our guide book. He was very nice and seemed very proud of his child so we are happy to oblige. We went out to eat at a small restaurant nearby and had the most delicious thali (a combination plate of curries, roti, rice, and dal) for 55 rupees total. Three delicious and large meals with second helpings (courtesy of the waiter) for $1.10. The prices here completely astound us! Even with all the travelling we do, things we see (the Taj Mahal cost $15 for foreigners), meals we eat, and pretty nice places we stay, we are managing on $20US a day with no problem.
That night we took a very sleepless overnight train to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. It was really a remarkable experience to see this massive white tomb that was built over 300 years ago maintain such a powerful presence over its beholders (including us! insert gasps and ooohs). We walked around it, took photos, went inside, and then sat outside on the cool white marble until our bellys rumbled and it was time for breakfast. We grabbed a bite and then headed back again to Delhi. We spent the day sipping cool drinks and cleaning ourselves up in a coffeeshop bathroom because again we were planning for another overnight ride, which brought us here to Dharamsala.
Because of all the activity and the sleepless nights on various modes of transportation, we're going to take it easy today. We are staying the whole week in this cool respite from the otherwise very humid and hot India. It's wonderful to be amidst all these smiling Tibetan people. Despite all the hardships they have endured at the hands of the Chinese government, it is incredible to see them be so cheerful and at peace.
Aaron is going to be in Thailand today and more than once has he been on our mind. We hope you are faring well in your new, if temporary, home!
For all you still not converted, you may find it interesting to log onto Trish's website for a complementary perspective of our time here in India together. And if you have any questions about what we are writing and seeing and doing, just jot it down in our guestbook and we'll answer them in the next post.
tothesea,
love k&m