I felt bad for not putting a finnishing touch on my blog about India. I decided the best way to summarize this would be to tell a few series of stories from my adventure. I was inspired by a friend of mine who asked me to tell four stories from my previous summer: a happy story, a sad story, a funny story, and a scary story. I'll switch up the order simply for better "programming", and end my plans moving forward. I'm aiming for one post per day for the next 5 days to finnish things off. If i fall off of that send me nasty-grams or something.
Story #1- funny:
During my final two weeks in India I traveled north and spent 4 days in Mcloedganj, the home of the tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama. I decided to travel here the Indian way, with no plans what-so-ever. I simply woke up, packed my things, and walked to the nearest bus statioion.
India has these things called tourist police. There job is to patrol major bus stations, trainstations, etc. and look for confused looking white people (because what else could they be except tourists). The tourist police at the Chandigar bus station connected me up with a british guy about my age namedd peter.
As a small aside, I want to point out that this tourist policeman was a real creeper. He had this guset book that he was so proud of. He considered each and everyone of them his firneds, and kepe talking about how he had somany different girlfriends from so many diffrerent countries. At one point he leaned over and asked if I had enough friends. Yah... weird guy.
Anyway with both peter and I being english speaking ex-pats, we took the final leg of the journey together. We finally arrived at Mcleodganj at aroudn 1 am. Neither one of us wanted to pay for a room that night so we ended up standing around the main ganj with about 6 other like minded people, waiting for the sun to rise. It was actually a really amazing experience, being temporarily homeless up in the mountians with with a small group of ex-pats surrounded by tibetan monks.
The next day Peter, Myself, and danish couple decided to go register to see the Dalai Lama. He was in the middle of teaching about meditation. As we were walking around close to the temple peter stopped and asked us to read a sign with a list of donors who helped build the temple. The thirf name on the list was "Mr. Richard Gere, U.S.A". Maybe some of you knew this, but i had no idea Richard Gere was involved with the Tibetan cause.
We register and the next go to see the Dalai Lama speak. It was ana amazing experienece. Sitting cross legged in a room surrounded by Tibetan monks and crazy western tourists trying to find themselves, all the while listening to the deep throaty voice of one of the most powerful spiritual/religious leaders in the world. Its an experience I will no soon forget. At one point everyone put red strips of cloth over their foreheads and red string around there wrists. I didn't want to be presumptuous, so I sat there respectfully with the red cloth in my hands. Suddenly an elderly female monk taps me on the knee and, without using english, motions for me to put it on my forehead. I did so, and remained in complete awe for the rest of the cermony.
At the end of the ceremony the Dalai Lama walked out of the temple about 10 feet away from where Peter and I were sitting. People were bunching up trying to get closer to him, trying to touch him or give him things for him to bless. As he passed, surrounded by his enterage, I felt this incredible sense of awe. I was withing touching distance of this incredibly powerful man, a man whom many believe is a god. After that experience I can understand why they would believe this. He has an aura about him that is undeniable.
He walked down the stairs and the excitement of the crowd around us subsided. Suddenly peter taps me on the elbow and says "is that Richard Gere?" Sure enough Richard Gere was leaving the temple just behind the Dalai Lama; presumable off to hob-nob with the leader of the Tibetan people for the rest of the day.
I still can't decide which is more impressive, seeing the Dalai Lama, or seeing Richard Gere?
I'm limiting myself to one story, so if you want another one you'll have to ask for it.
More tomorrow
Story #1- funny:
During my final two weeks in India I traveled north and spent 4 days in Mcloedganj, the home of the tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama. I decided to travel here the Indian way, with no plans what-so-ever. I simply woke up, packed my things, and walked to the nearest bus statioion.
India has these things called tourist police. There job is to patrol major bus stations, trainstations, etc. and look for confused looking white people (because what else could they be except tourists). The tourist police at the Chandigar bus station connected me up with a british guy about my age namedd peter.
As a small aside, I want to point out that this tourist policeman was a real creeper. He had this guset book that he was so proud of. He considered each and everyone of them his firneds, and kepe talking about how he had somany different girlfriends from so many diffrerent countries. At one point he leaned over and asked if I had enough friends. Yah... weird guy.
Anyway with both peter and I being english speaking ex-pats, we took the final leg of the journey together. We finally arrived at Mcleodganj at aroudn 1 am. Neither one of us wanted to pay for a room that night so we ended up standing around the main ganj with about 6 other like minded people, waiting for the sun to rise. It was actually a really amazing experience, being temporarily homeless up in the mountians with with a small group of ex-pats surrounded by tibetan monks.
The next day Peter, Myself, and danish couple decided to go register to see the Dalai Lama. He was in the middle of teaching about meditation. As we were walking around close to the temple peter stopped and asked us to read a sign with a list of donors who helped build the temple. The thirf name on the list was "Mr. Richard Gere, U.S.A". Maybe some of you knew this, but i had no idea Richard Gere was involved with the Tibetan cause.
We register and the next go to see the Dalai Lama speak. It was ana amazing experienece. Sitting cross legged in a room surrounded by Tibetan monks and crazy western tourists trying to find themselves, all the while listening to the deep throaty voice of one of the most powerful spiritual/religious leaders in the world. Its an experience I will no soon forget. At one point everyone put red strips of cloth over their foreheads and red string around there wrists. I didn't want to be presumptuous, so I sat there respectfully with the red cloth in my hands. Suddenly an elderly female monk taps me on the knee and, without using english, motions for me to put it on my forehead. I did so, and remained in complete awe for the rest of the cermony.
At the end of the ceremony the Dalai Lama walked out of the temple about 10 feet away from where Peter and I were sitting. People were bunching up trying to get closer to him, trying to touch him or give him things for him to bless. As he passed, surrounded by his enterage, I felt this incredible sense of awe. I was withing touching distance of this incredibly powerful man, a man whom many believe is a god. After that experience I can understand why they would believe this. He has an aura about him that is undeniable.
He walked down the stairs and the excitement of the crowd around us subsided. Suddenly peter taps me on the elbow and says "is that Richard Gere?" Sure enough Richard Gere was leaving the temple just behind the Dalai Lama; presumable off to hob-nob with the leader of the Tibetan people for the rest of the day.
I still can't decide which is more impressive, seeing the Dalai Lama, or seeing Richard Gere?
I'm limiting myself to one story, so if you want another one you'll have to ask for it.
More tomorrow
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