Mcleod Ganj and Dharamsala

On my final days in India I had planned to go stay in Mcleod Ganj, which is about two hours from Bir, near Dharmasala, which is where the Dalai Lama lives. The Dalai Lama Temple and Tibetain Museum are in Mcleod Ganj along with some amazing shopping. I had booked the hotel before I even left for India and I expected to be on my own for this part of my trip. But, I had grown attached to the friends I made and so I sheepishly asked them if they would want to come and stay with me in Mcleod Ganj for the weekend. I told them I could call the hotel and ask for two beds so the four of us could stay comfortably. They said hell yeh and I was super stoked I would have company for part of my last days in India.

So off we went on Saturday for the 2 hour ride. As we approached the town we were all a bit worried. The roads were super narrow and we were climbing what seemed like a 90 degree mountain. We wondered quietly to ourselves where the heck are we going and if this the right way.

I google mapped the hotel for our driver as we closed in on the town. He shook his head, letting me know he had no idea where that was or what hotel I was talking about. We tried to drive the map set by google. It said the hotel was in the trees on the side of the mountain. I pointed to the phone number on the reservation and asked if he could call. He pulled over, but really we were in the middle of the road in the chaos that is the busy streets and markets of India, and called the hotel. After a short conversation he hung up. I knew he must have figured out where to go because I heard the Hindi words for OK. Which is one of the only words besides good, you, tea, welcome, and delicious. Oh and also moonlight, because the word for moonlight was the name of our Hindi teacher.

So we arrived at the hotel and found out that 4 can not stay in a room. When we see the two beds we realized why. They were small single beds. Nothing like what you would find here. They hotel manager

was adamant, we couldn't stay together. He called next door to find a room for two of us and we even had to follow him over there to go look at it. When we got back to the hotel we pleaded with him and said it's our last night together and we would like to stay in the same room. We will even offered to sleep on the floor. Then offered to pay extra, which were the magic words. We got to all stay together and they even brought 2 mattresses and bedding for the extra two girls. The hotel was beautiful, 5 star all the way with free breakfast in the morning. We walked around town and got dinner at the Snow Lion, which is THE place to go. Then we did a bit of shopping and went back to the hotel for some slumber party fun.

The next day we went to the Dalai Lama Temple and the Tibetan Museum.

The Dalai Lama Temple had stunning views and many levels. But the actual prayer space was small and in the same style of all other budhist temples we saw in monasteries. I thought it was nice that it wasn't this excessive lavish place different from the rest.

The shopping there was amazing and most goods are made by Tibetan refugees. All of the jewelry I purchased were straight from the hands of the crafter. Anyone who received jewelry from me, it was from these artisans. After experiencing the story told in the museum, I planned to spend as

much as I could purchasing from refugees. I know I'm supposed to haggle with them for the best price, but I didn't. I paid what ever they wanted and often didn't take the change. They were surviving and I knew the money they earned was for themselves, their family, and the community. I knew that more than any volunteering I could do, my money is what they needed. They were craftspeople selling a craft. The hand painted goods and art was unbelievable and it could take months to complete a large piece. The hand crafted jelwery was a range from super cheap to insane expensive depending on the stone and type of metal. The hand woven and dyed clothing was to good to pass up.

The small amount of time I spent on my own in Mcloed was peaceful and reflective. I am thankful the girls traveled with me and I was thankful for the time alone. It was difficult realizing that my stay was coming to an end and that I would be leaving India. I had become comfortable with the simple chaos there and I wasn't looking forward to going back to the very different chaos of LA.