I know it's been a while ...

Hello again ... at last!!

I hope that it is some consolation that the reason I haven’t been writing this blog is that I have been having much too much fun to want to spend time in internet cafes.

Since I wrote last I have left Rishikesh and gone to McLeod Ganj / Dharamsala (home of the Tibetan Government in Exile, and therefore His Holiness the Dali Lama), up to Ledakh and then back to McLeod Ganj / Dharamsala. I have been moving much slower!!!

 

Mostly I came to McLeod to drop off my stuff. By the time I’d left Rishikesh

my pack weighed over 30kg – I couldn’t really lift it or walk very far with it!! Luckily I had met someone in Nepal who lives here and offered to let me dump my stuff at her place. It was SUCH a relief to have a pack I could easily lift again – a real weight off in more than one way!! I really do get so much joy out of such little things...

The weather in McLeod was pretty wet and miserable so I was advised to go to Ledakh where it is very dry and has sun approximately 300 days a year – a welcome change from the monsoon. The road up the mountains to Ledakh is usually closed by the middle of September because of snow so my timing was perfect.

 

I absolutely fell in love with Ledakh. The geography is very similar to Tibet and the people are also very similar – culturally and ethnically. It is a physically beautiful, peaceful region that has only been open to the rest of the world since 1974. The impact of tourism has been a mixed blessing for the local people but I have to say how grateful I was to be able to be there. To get there is a very very long trip!!! To get there from McLeod Ganj required a 10 hour drive to Manali and then an additional 18 or more hour trip on narrow, occasionally paved road through the Himalayas. A very difficult and uncomfortable journey but well worth it. If nothing else it is by far the cleanest part of India!!!

 

 

While I was there, I attended a 3 day silent meditation course just outside of Leh (the major city in the area). It was a bit of a refresher course for the 10-day Vispassina meditation course I attended in January. I really got a lot out of it and also, once again, got lucky and met some wonderful people.

The best part of the meditation retreat was its location – right across from where the Dali Lama was speaking. Once the retreat was over, most of us stayed on at the centre and went to watch the Dali Lama each day. To be honest I found the teachings to be a bit … well … dull. It is hard to be entranced even by someone as wonderful (and adorable – truly THE cutest national/religious leader in the world) as the Dali Lama when you are listening to a translation and are unable to see their face. He was a bit too far away for me to be able to watch his face and spoke exclusively in Tibetan. His topic was also not a very universal – very detailed and of interest to Buddhist scholars. I enjoyed going to see the teachings anyway as just watching all of the Ladakhi people was a wonderful experience. And, of course, while the majority was a bit hard to follow there were wonderful moments.

 

 

While in Ledakh I also did some trekking. Well … kinda … I did a 5 day homestay trek. It was a very easy trek that involved walking only about 4 to 5 hours a day, climbing only medium-high passes, and spending the night with local families. The best part was that I could do it myself without needing a guide or carrying any equipment. I absolutely loved it!! The scenery was unbelievable – high Himalayan peaks, high desert, and beautiful villages tucked into small green valleys. Staying with local families was occasional awkward but mostly wonderful and fascinating. They were lovely, friendly, warm people and I really enjoyed getting to know the culture more directly. I would one day like to return to this region and spend more time with the people and learning more about their culture.

 

I stayed longer than I had intended and may have stayed longer but wanted to come back to McLeod in time to see the Dali Lama teach here and also I needed to leave before the road was closed. Most of all – I just wanted to stop! I felt exhausted and most of the time I am not interested in seeing much more of the country. I feel like I have done an enormous amount of travel. Sometimes I feel driven to see more – there are only about 5 or 6 places that I would like to see but I don’t think I will go many more places. I am very comfortable here and am really starting to wind down and enjoy just hanging out.

I found the Dali Lama’s teachings here much more inspiring as he spoke some of the time in English but best of all because I was able to see his face while he spoke. I admit I had to learn forward and a little to the left but was rewarded by a perfect view of His Holiness.

Once the teachings were over I started my yoga classes. I had checked out this yoga studio when I was here before going to Ledakh and was impressed by the style and facilities. Right now I am in my 3^rd week of classes there and am getting a lot out of it. The style is Iyengar and it appeals to me as it is a slow and detailed form of yoga. I find it a good meditative and mindfulness activity. Class starts at about 6am and goes until 9:30-10. It is amazing how quickly the time goes!!!

I am not sure how much longer I will stay here in McLeod. There are a few more places in India I’d really like to go before I leave at the end of October. I am busy re-evaluating their importance however, as I am really enjoying my time here doing not much of anything. I am considering another week of yoga and I had intended to take massage classes … there is just so much to do here and I am just so lazy.

I hope you are all doing well.  Lots of love,

K