Mountains and friends

Dharamsala, India. In the himalayas mountains. We arrived around 8 am looking for a cheap hotel. We had a forgettable breakfast and rested for a couple of hours. Then we 'hired' a tourist car (is like a taxi) and for ten dollars they tour you to the highlight places of the little town.

We ended in Mcleodgaj, a very small village at the top of the mountains, home of the Dalai Lama and exiled tibetans. This is really a nice place, I loved it so I stayed one more day. Sid and Joyti had to fo back to Delhi. I bought some confortable clothes and had a delicious chai up in the mountaind looking back to the valley. I visited the Dalai Lama temple and then I found a cozy restaurant, where I had dinner looking at the snowy tops of the himalayas.

Mcleodgaj has also a christian church, from the Church of North India. Its a really old, small but beautiful church. Its architecture is well suited in time and place, its simple, dark stones and tall ceilling gives you a sense of worshipness and peace. There are a lot of shops, tourists, hindus, tibetans and guest houses. It is definitely a must see place in India.

I decided to take the overnight deluxe bus to Shimla. This time a more comfortable bus but still wih no A/C. But you really dont need it at night, specially in this region. It was an 8 hour ride and I was sitting next to Monu, a 21 year old hindu studying its bachelor degree in Shimla. Shimla was the summer capital for the british when they were occupying indian lands. It is also located in the mountains and it had good weather.

Monu invited me to his flat, actually just a room wih a small kitchen and bath. It was a flst he shared wih other three guys, and it was in a really cheap condition. His friends were cool and they were all studying for a final exam. I rested for about an hour then I went with them to their school where I met more students and the teachers. They were all really nice, even the guy from the cafeteria (canteen) who didnt charge me for the tea chai.

So they finish the exam and then Monu and two other guys took me to visit historic places in Shimla, such as the little british castle at the top of the mountain and is now a center for advanced studies. This castle was visited by Gandhi in one of his trips to this city. Then we walked to the main plaza and market, that is also in the top of the hills. From there I was on my own because I had to take a train to Chandigarh. Before that i pay a little visit to the only catholic church in there. Shimla was an OK city, but dont necesarilly to visit it twice.


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