Hi all,
It seems like ages since I last wrote an update, but i've been having real problems accessing this website for some reason. I've been in Dharamsala (in Himachal Pradesh) for the last few days, having spent a couple of days in Shimla before that and making the 10hr bus journey through the Himalayan foothills to reach the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. Shimla was quite a nice place, amazing scenery because it's more than 2000m above sea level and it's one of the hill stations that was a holiday resort for the British and now for wealthy Punjabis too. It's quite touristy in parts though and there are a lot more Western shops - having said that it was nice to go to a proper coffee shop and have a Lavazza coffee and a sandwich for under a quid! Believe me, sometimes you just fancy something other than a curry and chai.
The bus journey to Dharamsala was nowhere near as awful as people had led me to believe and i liked the fact that you had a seat to yourself and could see life in rural India as you drove through the more remote parts. It only got really terrifying in the last 20km because the main mountain road was blocked and the bus driver decided to take a detour that was on a track even more steep than the road and definitely not intended for use by rickety old buses. When you've got the window seat and you can see the sheer drop just next to you with the road crumbling at the edges and no safety barriers you just have to hope the driver is paying attention. Overall, it's like going on a really frightening rollercoaster with the safety mode switched off!
Since i've been here i've really enjoyed spending time with the Tibetans, who are really friendly and have set up some lovely shops and restaurants. The monks and nuns are really welcoming and happy to talk too. A group of us went to an evening of talks given by recently arrived refugees where they told people about their experiences of the riots in Lhasa in March and how they were finding life in India now, it was fascinating stuff.
I went to a 2hr cooking lesson today and learnt how to make Malai Kofta, Dal Fried and some kind of aubergine dish - so watch out for some curry nights when I come home! A group of us have hired a jeep and driver for tomorrow to go to Amritsar and see the Golden Temple and then to the India-Pakistan border to watch the daily spectacle of the border guards marching around in silly hats and sporting huge moustaches, I remember watching it on TV once and finding it hilarious so I can't wait to see it in real life! We've got to leave at 5am though so it's yet another early start - I seem to do them all the time here.
I'm thinking about staying here for a couple more weeks, particularly as the Dalai Lama's birthday is on the 6th July and there are massive celebrations planned. It's just a bit too relaxing here to think about leaving yet!
I hope everyone is well at home, let me know what you've all been up to!
Kat xx
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