Beautiful People

Indians, Hippies and Monks, Oh MY! Traveled to Dharamsala and Mcleod Gang, seat of his holiness the Dalai Lama in exile this past weekend. Our arrival after a bumpy two hour bus ride was promising--early in the morning, with rain pouring down, we set out to find a cheap hotel in which to stay. The streets were empty, and the clouds obscured the valley and mountains in a most romantic way. We ate some breakfast at a place called the OM hotel, but alas, they had no room. We went on a search, and found another place, tucked away above the street, for Rs 325. Split between 3 people. Which equals 2 dollars per person, roughly. Well done ladies.

However, as the rain began to clear and the world around us began to waken, we found that the mystical Mcleod Gang wasn't the India we had been used to. Previously, seeing another whitie, or Westerner, was an occurance that happened maybe once a week, even in Delhi, even at the Taj. Here, it seemed hippies of all ages and backgrounds poured from the heavens. Dreaklocks, patuli, and sultan pants rained down. At first it was a welcome break, not to stick out like a sore thumb. Then, we stopped feeling like we were in India. Each tourist was trying to be less touristy and more alternative than the last, and I was reminded of the gnar bra's at any ski area or beach. Hippies of the modern era seem to be a bit more intimidating than the free loving beautiful people my parents tell me about. Either way, it was an interesting contrast to the town we had come from.

We saw the Buddhist temple, bought some great books, and went on a few amazing hikes. One to a waterfall, and another to the infamous Dal Lake, which upon arrival we discovered to be completely dry. Quite comical.

We also found a great secluded cafe run by local Tibeten guys, very cute ones I might add, The Cafe Rose. We went there a few times, it was set out on a roof with a great view of the town below and the mountains above. In the evening they would bring out a guitar and play Tibetan songs. It was surreal, and a much needed break from the crazy traffic and continuous flow of people back in the real world.

On the bus ride home, we were all happy to find ourselves back in the midst of the India we were used to. Whoever knew that coming home to a home only ours for a week would feel so good.