Monday from India
March 16, 2009
It’s our fourth day in India, yet we are only just beginning to get used to the way of life here. Our schedule has taught us that time is overrated; minutes left to wait for cars and people turn into hours and still, we don’t seem to miss a beat. This “elastic time” has fortunately given us the opportunity to grow closer together as a group. After a relaxing, yet sleepless, night in Delhi at the World Buddhist Center, we visited Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India where we gracefully rejected buying the cobra toys and whips being sold at the gates. Soon after we headed to the airport only to find out that our flight to Dharmasala was cancelled. We then made the decision to embark on what will most likely be the longest car ride any of us will ever take; so long in fact that the cars became our own little families during the 12 hours spent together, telling stories, sharing snacks, debating, and begging, pleading with the driver to please, if possible, refrain from speaking on the cell phone while switching gears and changing lines at 90 kph – all this while avoiding cows, pedestrians, carts hitched to oxen, cyclists, bread – eating monkeys, and even a wedding ceremony! (Yehe India hai! Tr. This is India!)
After an early start that followed a much needed night of sleep on the road, we finally arrived in Dharamsala, home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and an estimated 5,000 other Tibetan refugees. Our experience so far in McLeod Ganj has been filled with excitement and learning. The vibrant colors and unique culture of this city have awakened our minds to the beauty of a place that seems worlds away from the life we are used to.
Blog by Ana Iglesias ‘09