The Mountain and the Monks

8/31/16

     What a magical day, courtesy of the Himalaya mountains.   When we woke it was sunny and we decided to take advantage of it by making our way up to the Rohtang La (pass).  The pass got its name from the Bhoti language and means “pile of corpses”!  This was coined because of all the people who die trying to navigate the pass in bad weather.  If one wants to go to Ladakh from Manali this is the route that must be taken.  All 13,058 ft of it!  It also serves as the natural divide between the Hindu and Buddhist cultures. 

Rohtang La (pass)  
Himachal Pradesh, India

     The road itself is narrow, hardly a lane in some places.  Switchback after switchback slowly take one up, up and up some more.  The scenery is stunning, as only mountains can be.  Sheer cliffs with ultra green grasslands nestled beside.  That is until one reaches about 10,500 ft.  Then it starts to take on a nature stark with minimalism, with the exception of the endless sky, and the mountains still towering above.  One is not alone on this road.  Since it is the only passageway to Ladakh, trucks ply it as well.  Not semi’s, but trucks larger than one could imagine being on this road.   It is not a traffic jam by any means, but more traffic than one would expect at 12,000 ft!

     As one reaches the summit, that is of the road certainly not the mountains, there is a bit of a scene.  Manali is the destination of a number of Indian tourists and they were in abundance.  Perhaps 15 cars lined the side of the road as the occupants were on the mountain side gawking at the perhaps once-in-a-life-time views.  Cameras were everywhere, taking as many shots of themselves as the expansive view. 

Summit of Rohtang La
Himachal Pradesh, India

   As we have discovered on other India ventures the people love to have their picture taken with foreigners.  Especially blond women.  This phenomenon had not repeated itself on this trip, until today.  Cynthia found herself virtually surrounded by Indian tourists wanting their picture taken with her.  On occasion they would reluctantly ask me to be included.  As the photo session was heating up an elderly tribal lady approached and wanted to sell something, we were not sure what, though we thought it was a photo of her.  Wrong, she wanted to dress Cynthia up in tribal garb and THEN pose for a picture with her.  Actually it was a hoot.

Tribal Business Woman with Cynthia
Rohtang La, Himachal Pradesh, India

     
     Making our way back UP to the car was a small taste of what 13,000 ft feels like.  By the time I reached the vehicle my heart was pounding and my body was saying STOP.  Not totally spaced really, but close to it.  Good thing, as the city of Leh, one of our main destinations, perches at 11,500 ft.  From this experience I think I am going to be able to handle it.  As we made our way back down from the pass we realized that what we had assumed were rocks were actually herds of sheep and goats.  Several times we shared the highway with hundreds of them, the herders and the dogs keeping some semblance of order.  

Goat Herder
Rohtang La, Himachal Pradesh, India

Our driver was excellent, spoke very little English, and the cost was $40 for the entire day.  India is not dirt cheap as it was on my first trips, but it is still one hell of a bargain.   

9/3/16

     Tonight finds us in McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people in exile.  We got here via private taxi on a voyage that took about 7 hours over a one to two lane road.  Sheep, goats and cows far outnumbered the cars on the road.  That didn’t stop our driver from honking his damn horn at the slightest provocation.  I see a bird near the road, HONK.  It got on our nerves, but that is the Indian style.  We arrived in McLeod Ganj in the pouring rain.  Obviously we had no idea where our hotel was, so as usual, confusion rained, literally.  As we were in the throws of trying to figure out plan “A” a man came up to us, grabbed our bags, and said this way please.   Cynthia and I simultaneously thought WTF?  Turned out he was from our hotel.  We have no idea how he knew who we were.  He just said, “I was expecting you”.  Well, right on!  The hotel turned out to be the opposite first impression of the Manali one, but I won’t bore you with those details.  Just know we are well ensconced.  

     In our first full day in McLeod Ganj we did two things that left a definite impression.  First we went to the Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex.  It is the mirror of the main Tibetan complex in Lhasa, Tibet, and many of the treasured items rescued from Lhasa are housed here.  It is also where the Dalai Lama lives, though for good reason those quarters are not open to the public.  There is no question where the emphasis lies with the Buddhist monks and refugees who reside in Dharmsala (the main town).  It is the pain and suffering endured by the Tibetans as China invaded and occupied Tibet.  Briefly, the history is that Tibet was an independent nation until 1950.  The fact that the British were the dominant force in India until 1947 insured their independence from China, as the British aligned with Tibet in order to protect Indian borders.  When India won its independence all changed for Tibet.  China almost immediately began to lay claim and eventually forcibly took military control.  They basically outlawed the Buddhist religion and did everything they could to destroy the culture.  An uprising by the Tibetan people in 1959 was brutally crushed by the Chinese and the Dalai Lama fled to India.  

     Within the Tsuglagkhang complex is a very moving Tibetan museum.  The main theme of the museum is displayed outside where there is a dominant bronze sculpture of a Tibetan monk immolating himself.  That is setting himself on fire.  It has become the main recourse of protest by the Tibetans, and each individual who chose this method is honored within the museum.  

Tibetan National Martyrs' Memorial

Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex

McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

   
    Grim for sure, but not as dark as what the Chinese have done.   The brutal and inhumane methods of China to incorporate and control Tibet are in full display in the museum.  Many years after the Dalai Lama fled, it became clear to the Chinese that Tibetans still revered him and were unwilling to turn their backs on Buddhism.  As a new tactic of control they began a resettlement program by bringing in thousands of Chinese to live in Lhasa and greater Tibet.  Today the Chinese far outnumber the Tibetans in, arguably, their own country.  Should readers be interested there is an excellent video on the Tibetan history beginning in about 1938.  Of interest to me was that the first videos ever taken in Tibet date to 1938 and were taken by representatives from Hitler’s Third Reich.  Who would have thought?  

On YouTube.     Tibet: History of a Tragedy in 4 parts    https://youtu.be/RlZX9LO0TRc

Image of Tibetan Flag
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

Temple Candles
Tsuglagkhang Temple Complex
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

     
     On a decidedly different note, tonight we witnessed one of the most bizarre one-man performances I could have imagined.  The performance took place in the Seed Cafe, which almost went out of its way to disguise itself.  Even after finally discovering its location, Cynthia and I spent several minutes trying to find a path that gave access!  Once the performance began our perseverance was rewarded.  After the performance I said to Cynthia, "how does one describe what we just saw? "

One Man Show, Snow Lion
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India

   
     I’ll give it a brief try, but believe me it had to be seen to get the slightest idea of its impact.  The “actor” was a Tibetan refugee who came to India in very difficult circumstances (walking through the Himalayas with a group of about 50 with next to no provisions.  Need I say more?) when he was 15 years old.  He is now 31.  He goes by the name Snow Lion.  The show began with a couple of traditional dances and the playing of a lute-type instrument.  Interesting, but certainly not mind blowing.  Then the dances got stranger.  His incredible strength and dexterity started to become apparent.  Did he just do that????   Then he followed with a “whirling dervish” type of movement.  Round and round he went.  And round and round some more.  He would whip his cape on the floor, but not stop his rotation.  He would ring his bell, but not stop his rotation.  He would do intricate hand movements, but not stop his rotation.  After perhaps 8 to 10 minutes he stopped.  Suddenly.  He walked without a wobble back to the stage.  I could hardly sit up straight and I didn’t do shit! 

      Next he began this interactive body dance with members of the audience.  Got them in intertwining positions and he would then hoist them up on his back.  Twirl them about, some of them laughing, some of them freaked.  But believe me it made an impression on them and the audience.  His final dance was totally wild, where he literally tore his clothes off, except for some speedo type underwear, slapping and tossing the rags about, doing dives on to the floor that would have broken a normal person’s back, then flipping upright in a move that would be envied by an accomplished gymnast, blindfolding himself with his torn clothes and accomplishing more incredible moves.   When the performance was over he invited everyone up on stage, got in body stretching positions with the audience, and had anyone interested take photos.  I mean, it was just plain bizarre.

Such Moves, Snow Lion
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Predesh, India

     
     So the next blog will be more of our McLeod Ganj experience.  By the way, we are getting more “don’t goes” to Kashmir from those who have their ear to the ground.  Met an Indian man tonight who is from Kashmir.  He is returning tomorrow and we will communicate with him in a few days.  He said his brother-in-law is a policeman and he is the only person he would trust to pick him up at the airport.  Not sounding good on that front.