Rain monks pizza beer and pool
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Himachal Pradesh, Mcleod Ganj,
India
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Quite simply the best place ive been in india so far, by a country mile and its rained here the entire time ive been here! im in a small town called mcleod ganj which is where the tibet government are currently in exile due to the chinese oppression they have endured.
And yet the tibetian people i have met during my stay here rank among the most charming, warm and friendly people i have had the honour of meeting. Where you would expect bitterness resentment and hatred, you find only pity and and tolerance, there are even collection buckets for the victims of the recent chinese earthquake.
Mcleod is a small tightly packed town consisting primarily of two main small roads seperated by a long strip of shops interjected with little alleyways that allow you to dodge from one to the other at ease. Monks tourists locals mix together easily in the street in conversation, at bars and cafes and in shops and roadside juice bars. It was at a pool hall above the main mall id meet my first buddhist friends. These guys can play pool, and im not sure its strictly within their religious protocol.....but hey they cant half drink either! a great night was had by all, and its one for the memory books definately.
As well as that ive taken a trip down to the numerous monastaries that they have here, with hundreds of monks debating in a highly dramatic fashion with one another, one sits and listens to what is said to the other whilst he stands and jumps and claps his hands sometimes pointing to the sky or imaginary things as if to somehow enforce his viewpoint.
Other than that its just been a lovely relaxed experience, with lots of new friends made that il be meeting later along the track again as well as some that i unfortunately wont be able to (Sorry Tak!!), i planned to go to Sringnar in western kashmir but unfortunately it is pilgrim season there and the locals have decided to start rioting about an issue infused with religious and social/cultural elements regarding a strip of land, there are lots of riot police et al so il be making my way to Manali another mountain town first and then high into the himalayas, into another buddhist mountain town called LEH, some 3000+ft above sea level.
Love xx
