In Dharamsala with the Dalai Lama

As my time in Varanasi ended two awful things happened. One, I got Delhi Belly and the first of seven days of being sick began. Two, Emily flew off to Thailand and my best bud was gone.

I planned on going to Dharamsala for a few days to kick it with Dalai Lama. After fleeing Tibet, he's lived in McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamsala since 1959. He was never actually in the city while I was there, but that didn't stop me from spending 12 days there.



Most of McLeod Ganj is Tibetan rather than Indian. The first stop after fleeing Tibet is McLeod Ganj to meet with the Dalai. Then a lot of the younger Tibetans head to boarding schools in the area while older people settle with family and friends in the city.



This the view from my hotel. It looks nice and sunny and all that, but really it was about 4 degrees Celsius and there's no central heating. I needed a lot of blankets and yak wool to keep warm.



The road to the Secretariat of the Tibetan Government in Exile.



Hanging out at the Secretariat of the Tibetan Government in Exile.



Outside the library at the Secretariat of the Tibetan Government in Exile.



As I mentioned before, if you don't find the most practical, "non-progressive" way of doing things, you're not Indian.



Need I say it again?




A Pony!!!



McLeod Ganj, wasn't really India at all. It was the most peaceful, clean, quiet town I visited while on the subcontintent. I'm guessing it's more Tibetan than Indian.