We left Delhi Wednesday night & took an overnight trip to the Dharamsala area on a 'deluxe' bus w/o air-conditioning (fine at night), no washroom & a crazed driver. The bus broke down 2/3 of the way through the trip. Luckily they put us on another bus, part of our entourage of four heading for Dharamsala. McLeod Ganj, 10 km north of Dharamsala, is the home of the Dalai Llama & the Tibetan government in exile; it's in the foothills of the Himalayas. It's a very gentle, mellow-feeling place. The air is very clean, although 'thin' as they say; you have to be careful walking too far at first.
Although there are still beggars, they're a bit less intrusive than Delhi & the only touts were the ones who met us at the bus stop (difficult as we'd had no sleep on the bouncing buses & the air made me dizzy after I climbed just 1 flight of stairs). Re the beggars, it's hard to know what 'policy' to adopt. I'm now giving small amounts of change to women with small children & some people with disabilities (e.g. a woman who appeared to have leprosy in both legs & likely couldn't walk).
Ala
Today we searched out the Astro Tibetan Medical Clinic to see a monk for herbal treatment, but instead were guided to another TMC where we both saw a lovely doctor with incredibly soft, healing energy. She & her husband, also a Doctor of Tibetan medicine both work & live at the clinic, along with their 3 young children. We felt she was the one we were meant to see. We can continue treatment after our initial 3 months of herbs by e-mailing her.
After going to the clinic, we went to the Dalai Llama's complex, an amazing place on the edge of town...a huge yellow temple with courtyard where dozen of monk-trainees were practicing a marial-art based discipline (we thought).
The public is allowed in the temple & it is beautiful, many statues & much colour. Beside the temple is a white building where the monks live. The whole thing is indescribable really! The Dahai Lama is away in N. Am. When he's here he gives public talks every 2-3 wks for several hundred people. But his doctors & others have advised him to cut back on everything (there was a notice on a bulletin board re this). He's 72 now, I spoke to one of the budhist students.
Two months later I can still feel the energy of McLeod Ganj when I look at pictures of it, or even when I think about it. It is a very spiritual place.
Copyright 2008 Ellen Besso
Dharamsala India Ala
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