That week we were hippies in India

Dharamsala / McLeod Ganj is an interesting little town in the Himalayas.  It’s really more Tibet than India.  Makes sense, as this has been the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile since they fled in 1959.

It also attracts a large contingent of dread-locked Western travelers seeking truth and enlightenment or just dabbling in Eastern myths and weed.  There are classes on Ayurvedic massage, Reiki, Buddhist philosophy, meditation, Tarot readings, and Tibetan history.  You can learn to be a yoga instructor, get your chakras balanced, and have a monk prepare your Vedic horoscope, all in one town.

So did these two people from Republican, Protestant, middle-class American families don yak-hair vests, give up meat, and ponder our energy balance all day?

 

Not quite.  We did enjoy going to rather long yoga classes every other day to get twisted into pretzels by a ridiculously thin and flexible old man.  We also continued to eat a nearly 100% vegetarian diet, although this had more to do with what was on offer at the restaurants in town than personal choice.  (We could still really go for some pulled pork or a nice steak, or even better, the Whole Foods salad bar!)  We also popped into a free Buddhist philosophy class taught at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, a repository for the religion’s sacred texts.  (The topic: solitude as beneficial to meditation).

There were two things we did that week that were our hands-down favorites.  Both involved a little pleasure and a little pain — just as in life.  (Ha! Stole this from the people in the coffee shop bemoaning consumerism in the “bourgeois” West over $3 cups of coffee).

 

First, we got to see The Man himself, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.  We got incredibly lucky and happened to be in town while he was hosting a teaching at the big temple.  We showed up on Day 1 and the place was packed!  We read later that 8,000 people attended.  We squeezed in, tuned in our little FM radios to the English translation channel, and settled in with some of the free Tibetan “butter tea” the monks passed out (it was stomach-churning, like warm salty milk).  Doubly lucky, we happened to grab a seat right in front of the door where he entered the temple — we got an in-person sighting!

 

We’re not Buddhist, but it was really special to be in that place, squeezed in with all these disparate people, listening to teachings on love and compassion.  And the Dalai Lama himself has a certain presence about him, like a really good politician, artist, or preacher.  I suppose, in a sense, he’s all three.  He has a very kind, compassionate face and a very gentle way with everyone he met.  He’s a very busy, jet-setting 77-year-old, so this really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

 

Second, I completed the longest hike of my life. (7 hours!  Not much for many people, I know, but I was proud of myself.).  On the way up, I felt like that couple from Green Acres (Jordan: “Fresh air!”  Skyler: “Times Square!”).  I think you’ll agree it was worth it for this view:

 

We were laughing that we were in the minority in Dharamsala:  we weren’t pilgrims seeking enlightenment, instead hoping to soothe more Earthly complaints like avoiding Indian food and the heat for a while.  The sort of place where leaving our jobs to travel for a year is met with a shrug and a “Cool, man.”  Still, we liked it — friendly travelers, great views, and a relaxed Buddhist vibe.  My only regret is not getting that horoscope made — maybe he could have told us what 2014 will hold ….