Part 9
Photo: Mani prayer wheels
15. 09.2005
There was lots of Hebrew speaking travelers in the same bus with me. Of course these people are without doubt, are from Israel. There were also lot of pretty good looking girls were traveling with them, or at least they seems to stick together. While the guys, most of them have an attitude of ignorance hippie, the girls on the other hand, were pretty looking, almost all of the. Wait. Did I say pretty looking already?? Anyway, yeah, that was it.
I was seating alone by the window and my brother was on the other side. So when I saw raining of pretty chicks on my bus, I was rather hoping that one of them were end up seating up beside me. I mean c’mon…there were about 8 of them and I was thinking how low can be the probability of me hitting one of them. Anyway, my luck was way down low. Not only did I end up with one of the pretty looking chick, but a fat Indian guy.
If there is not enough, he was so big and wide that he took most of the space. And his had a mobile phone that is ringing most of the time, and most of the time it was with that annoying and irritating ring tones. God bless. Tell that to a person who not only didn’t get any of that pretty looking Hebrew speaking girl but a fat sweaty Indian guy with annoying ring tones, and he would show you a middle finger and “da’ motherfucker look”
Shanti Shanti… (Hindi word for calm down or cool down)
I couldn’t remember most of the night. I slept peacefully. And when I woke up 5.00 in the morning, we were already in McLeod Ganj. The weather was very chilly and cool. This place is the most anticipated one and the most highlighted one ever since I started my traveling. Lot has been said about this place, that one should not miss this place if one were to travel the North or as a matter of fact, India. So this place was the only one with high expectation and through out my unplanned 7 days stay here, I must confess that it hasn’t let me down even a bit. That’s why McLeod is place top in my all time top 5 places to visit in India.
My all time top 5 places to visit in India.
1. McLeod Ganj
2. Goa
3. Hampi
4. Manali
5. Udaipur
You will know why McLeod is number one as I write on. With little help from a friend, Mr. Lonely Planet, we found a budget guest house at central McLeod- Kelsang guest house. My brother and I met a very friendly old Tibetan couple who probably about to warm up for morning walk. They were kind enough to walk with us until the view to Kelsang was visible enough. McLeod Ganj or upper Dharamshala, is the home to many Tibetan people who live in exile. It is a home to His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.
When People Republic of China (PRC) under Chairman Mao invaded Tibet in 1959, lot of monasteries and temples were destroyed and lot of civilians were killed. This was part of Mao’s Cultural Revolution and one of the reasoning given was Tibet was once part of Mogul empire therefore legitimately belong and part of China.
In order to avoid more casualties and to continue defending hopeless resistance, the 14th Dalai Lama decided to leave Tibet and ever since then, together with some of Tibetans, had live in exile in Dharamshala, India.
There, His Holiness established Tibetan Government in Exile and had been vocal in Free Tibet campaign.
Immediately after checking in, we didn’t waste much time, so we jump to the comfortable bed to catch a nap that seem forever and endless. But we were awaken by the sun that shone happily in McLeod. After a shower (the cold shower was extremely cold that it burn like a nitrogen), we went to Kelsang rooftop restaurant for our first breakfast. The view was majestic, awesome, overwhelmingly beautiful. Probably the most beautiful view from the top I ever seen ever since I started my traveling in India. Geographically we were already high above the sea level. Below us was some mountains, hills and houses was built on the body and shoulder of it. And it was colorful. The colorful houses was being surrounded by the mighty and chilly pine trees, and above them was covering by the fog. The air we breathed was chill, cold and few proud eagles were spreading their wings flying in complete freedom. What else could I say apart from feeling like I was in paradise.
I sat down and allowing myself drown by the beauty of the view lay in front of me. That morning in that rooftop, I ordered my first Tibetan food, fried momo. The waiter that were serving us, whom later became our friend, was Suni, a Nepalese guy. We had all the time in the world and we knew that we had nothing to rush, so we enjoyed there for a longer time, having meaningful and educational conversation with Suni. He was telling us about some important historical sting of events that happen in Nepal, Pakistan, India, China and Tibet. He was indeed the guy who know what he was talking about.
The weather was mellow but thanks God it didn’t rain. It was just cold and the inconsistent fog were gathering, at time it was too thick that we couldn’t see more than 10 meter in front of us. As I wandering the bazaar, looking for shirts and other souvenirs to shop, as usual I ended up in a bookshop and I brought Khaled Hosaini’s “The kite runner”, a book I remember my friend sabi was reading. Prior to that, I had spent quite some money on shirts, belt and some incense.
I don’t know what with McLeod, but since my arrival here, I felt that I am at peace with myself. Something so powerful inside was making me feel like I am at the safest place in the world. The Tibetan people, the monasteries, the temple and greatest view of the mountain, the green are all part of the things that make me feel at peace. It was really nice and blissful.
As I was walking I saw someone walking towards me and in that split seconds, while every cells in my brain trying hard to ring a bell, I somehow knew that I had seen and to the extent knew the person walking towards me. It took me less than 3 seconds to recognize them. It was Martin and Ina. Wow, again, India prove to me that it is indeed a very small country or may be the world is really our playground. The last time I seen them was when I was hallucinated, intoxicated and completely in the state of delirium during my supposed last day in Udaipur. Then, it was not a proper farewell. For a while, we both seems to be lost in conservation despite the facts that we were close during all those month in Pune. It seems like I just met a stranger. Our conversation were jerky, sporadic and at time, lost.
Anyway, after the usual generic question of “What’s up?”, “How’s traveling?”, “Where you been?” etc, our conversation kind of blended well to the good old times. It was already their second day in McLeod and they will be leaving for Goa in two days time. So we went to Peace café, for a couple of drink. We brought some fresh friend/steam momo from the street, back to their rooftop to catch up some lost moment in between our traveling. Their view was as majestic as ours. And just before we could plan our plan, the rains come down on us like cat and dog. We were stuck in the room for about three hours and the rain was still on. So martin decided to run down soaking wet to get a bottle of Old Monk Rum, soft drinks, momo (again) and junk foods.
And there it goes, we were stuck for another 2 hours before the clock point to 8.00 pm.
So I went back to my guest house to check out what’s up with my brother. He was stuck too, but in our room. Our neighbor was a 20 year old girl, lone traveler, from Montreal, Canada. She was a nice and social able girl. In my opinion she looks like the 16 years old Diana DeGarmo. Anyway, we were caught in a conversations concerning many topics.
Day 2, McLeod Ganj.
At around 8.30 am, I woke up to the second sunshine in McLeod. I don’t know why but whenever I was traveling, I always wake up too early, sometime even before the sun came out from the hiding. I guess in all my unconsciousness, I wanted to see as much as possible by prolonging the time hence I wanted to breath the morning air as well as to feel it on my flesh. I had a vegetable noodle and milk coffee for a breakfast. There was a bunch of Korean travelers, sat opposite my table. The rooftop restaurant of Kalsang guest house had a very natural and beautiful setting. The one we hung out the day before was under the sky, open air area. Second day, I had my breakfast on the inside. I exchanged books with the guest house, two to two, my Gregory Roberts’s Shantaram to Leo Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God & Peace essays and Neale Walsch’s Tomorrow God to Douglas Adam’s Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy.
Song: Ruby Tuesday by Rolling Stone
I met up with Martin and Ina and together we took a walk by cruising down the slightly wet road to visit the one and only St. John church. It was a approximately 1 km walk. We passed many beauty scenaric views, like the misty mountains, foggy hills, pine trees on the shoulder of the almighty hills, authentic Tibetans monasteries, temple and houses. We also befriended with a dog. This dog, we name him Momo, after the Tibetan dumpling, were following us as in he was our guide.
The inside of the church was unbelievable. The church was already shut down, left only the memory of yesterday. The front yard was completely green, green grass and the green, green trees. There was some cemeteries in the surrounding of the church. So, after we took a few photos, we walk back to the centre McLeod.
Then I met up with my brother to the Tibetan music. The museum was very near to the Dalai Lama temple. The museum chronicle the history of Tibet and how they fled from the cruel invasion of People Republic of China. It also chronicle the life of great Mahatma Gandhi.
While we were in the bookstore, we bum into Kee and his new found French friend, Elisabeth. Soon after, we also bum into Jorgen & Hannah, the German couple we met in Jaisalmer desert during our Camel safari trip.
The road that lead down to the Dalai Lama temple was wonderful. It was filled with sidewalk cafes, confectioner and bakery shops, bookstores, souvenir shops and most of all, the 3 km walk to the Dalai Lama temple was blessed with what I would like to call the walk of life- because it was with the most beautiful mountainous view I ever seen. The objects at bottom of the foothill is like a tiny dust I look through the lens of microscope. The wind was slow, nice, easy and steady. The fog were gathering and moving in lump and the weather was chill. The walk of life is like taking a seemingly endless lazy walk on the garden of paradise, if there is ever a paradise.
Travelers were chilling in their own and respective coffee shops and engaged in their interesting conversation.
In the evening, my brother, Martin, Ina & I went to one of the most interesting place in McLeod. Not widely aware of such place by many people, we learn it through Veronica, the girl from Montreal.
It was like an institution that provide educational opportunity to the young Tibetans refugees. This institution providing some kind of political asylum and protection. The young bunch here are the young bunch that has escaping from Tibet. These people are not allowed to go back to Tibet for to do so, mean they might be facing some cruel punishment or sort of harassment from the government of China. In order to create an awareness of the state of affair of Tibetans to the world, and also to develop their English speaking skill, they organize a daily hourly session for their students to meet with us foreigners who would like to know more about the struggle, pass and present state of Tibetans.
Here’s some fact I acquired from the Lamu, a 25 years old student during our one to one meeting session. Most Tibetans people that are present still there in Tibet are not being allowed to speak and write in their own Tibetan language. The official language is Mandarin and they had the condone them as a official language. In school, they were made to learn and study in mandarin. Most historical and cultural study about Tibet were being banned. This lead to the consequences of the children of Tibetans and young generation being ignorance of their belief, cultural and historical study. They don’t even speak Tibetan.
Those who attempt to escape from Tibet for political reason or trying to seek political asylum in India or any neighboring countries, face harsh punishment.
As of today, they were 85000 Tibetans in India, 14000 in Nepal, 1600 in Bhutan, 7000 in USA/Canada, 750 in Europe/Scandinavian, 1000 in Taiwan, 220 in Australia/NZ.
After the conversational session with the Tibetan students, we went to Jimmy’s Italian kitchen. There was a kind of get-together with group of Irish travelers and a British couple for Martin & Ina. They met in Amritsar. We were invited to join them in the most trendy pub in central McLeod, McLo. This is a pub personally endorsed by Hollywood actor/James Bond Pierce Brosnan.
The pub were playing some of Queen’s greatest hits. We met up with 3 Irish travelers; Ross, Jimmy & Kurt. With lot of beers, good music, great atmosphere, we chatted away the night. I couldn’t remember how long we were chatting until I realized that behind our table there was group of travelers as well. I accidentally turn around and saw an Asian girl whom wearing sweater with AIESEC logo on it. Beside her was another Asian guy. They turn our to be trainees from Delhi, specifically a place name Gurgaon, where I was partying last year.
And yes the world was indeed our playground. These two Asians (Taiwanese), through AIESEC network, knew my friends back home. And I also know some of their trainee friends in Delhi. The Taiwanese girl name was Hermosa, strange name but what the hell. She stayed with Amelia, my friend from back home when she were in Malaysia last year. And there it goes, strangers met and strangers talk away the night like a buddy.
At this time around, I was already drowned quite some amount of beers and I went up to the rooftop. There I bum into Hannes again, for second time. First was in Jaisalmer. He was with group of Israelis travelers and they were planning to smoke some pot. I joint them much later in their room.
3rd day, McLeod Ganj. Goodbye & Hello.
Time moves on so was life. That was it, without even realize it, we were already in the third day. Tomorrow I am planning to leave McLeod even though it was the most beautiful place I ever seen in India. My morning had broken by the shiny morning sun, blazingly shining down its burning light, signaling to the eagles to fly higher and freer. After breakfast, I sent Martin & Ina to bus station for they are leaving for their last traveling stop- Goa.
Then it is my brother’s turn to leave. Third day in McLeod was his last day of his three weeks in India. There he left. Suddenly I felt a pang of loneliness is surrounding me and for the first time since I started traveling- I was actually alone, as in alone- without anyone I really know to meet or travel with. It might sound as a bad thing but I view it and take it as a good thing. I mean I always admire lone traveling and now I have the opportunity to do so. I have all the time of the time in the world to do whatever hell that is appropriate (or inappropriate), who the hell care anyway…
The pang of loneliness was a while only for I couldn’t remember how it felt because soon after my brother left, I took my first afternoon nap ever since I started traveling. And when I open my eyes again, I knew one thing, that I was alone and I didn’t have any idea what to do next. Gradually, I also come to term that I don’t have to leave the beautiful McLeod day after, that I can leave the place whenever I damn please. And I also realize one of the most important in life, that I was really starving and my stomach were drumming. So I need food.
I brought myself to the central McLeod, about less than 5 minutes walk from my guest house. There I met Jorgen & Hannah, having their dinner at Hot Spot restaurant. I joined them for dinner and they invited me to their romantic rooftop for a round of joint.
I pursued my lonely night by treating myself a movie at movie den, opposite Hot Spot. It was like a small room, fully equipped with sound system and giant flat screen. They were showing 7 years in Tibet starring Brad Pitt. Strange though, when I watched it for the first time sometime ago, I fall asleep and I think it was kind of boring. But the second time was real. I was watching the movie surrounded by the real people, real monasteries, real atmosphere and for that the movie almost made me wept. It is like the closest you to the place, the more pain you will experience, and the more related you will felt.
The majestic view at Looseling guest house (where Jorgen & Hannah stayed) that night was more beautiful than beautiful, sexier than sexiness and more romantic that Romeo hiding under Juliet’s balcony.
We smoke two joint, with some acid jazz played on CD player. We bade farewell to the night at around 2 am. I walked back in complete stone to my guest house.
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