r & r
i can see why so many people spend so long bumming around in mcleod ganj, it's actually a genuinely relaxed place. even the street dogs, who are already onto a winner as far as i'm concerned by being both big and stupid, have a peculiarly soporific air (in that they're almost always asleep), as if they don't have to contend with the worries that strays across the rest of the subontinent have to deal with.i have had a nice relaxing day, sleeping in till ten (although i did get woken by monks chanting at 6am. surprisingly, it actually helped me sleep: less surprisingly, they're still going now. crazy monks). went for an amble up to bhagsu, a dozy little village with a small shiv mandir and quite a nice waterfall, before strolling down to st johns in the wilderness, a remarkably gothic church that seems to loom out of the foliage on the road down to dharamsala. i also met a truly amazing italian girl (ciao valeria!) over lunch, who's doing a phd in tibetan buddhism and has just spent the last ten months living in lhasa. after meeting scores of deluded tourists who think they've somehow become truly indian just by virtue of having stayed in the same place doing nothing for a month (i think i actually dislike this breed of traveller even more than the bangkok boozers: they have this infuriating moral high ground that makes you want to punch them), to meet someone who actually speaks fluent tibetan is a refreshing change.
just killing a bit of time now and staying out of the rain which has just appeared. off to delhi for the weekend so more from there tomorrow.
posted by bicrom @ 11:18 am
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