In the Mountains

A long, hungover bus journey took me from the dusty, busy city of Amritsar up to the peaceful hills of Dharamshala. The roads got steadily worse as we wound our way uphill, but the air got cleaner and fresher, and the scenery became more and more majestic until night closed in.

After the short connecting hop up to McLeod Ganj, I'm tired and hungry enough to just bag the cheapest room I can find, then head out for a beer and a curry on a rooftop overlooking the village. The night sky has a few clouds, but the nearly-full moon still shines through with enough strength to cast impressive shadows. On the northern horizon we can see snow-capped peaks looming large over the wooded ridges below, and a scattering of individual lights illuminating the isolated farmers' and shepherds' huts cut into the sheer slopes. The twinkling of the lights in the village itself reminds me of a nocturnal Alpine scene, where chalets and villas almost seem ready to topple down on top of one another.

As I'm staring out at this and waiting for food, there is a sudden power cut. I'm sure it's playing havoc in the busy kitchen below, but right now I have the best view in town, and I light a cigarette as I look out over the moonlit valley below. It's such a change from the busy cities I have been in up till now, and a very welcome one. The air is chilly, not humid, and I can see the stars for the first time. The silence is perfect.

The moment lingers, thankfully, until an understandably harried waiter brings up our food by candlelight a few minutes later. The power kicks back in soon after that, and we're left to enjoy our meal. I've decided to try and eat mainly vegetarian food whilst I'm here, as it's probably the easiest country in the world to do so, and the addition of meat to any dish puts the price up by 50% or more.

A few days later and I've moved further up the hillside, to the nearby settlement of Bhagsu, an old hippie hangout which is being slowly redeveloped. It's even quieter up here, and the two- or three-kilometer walk each way is a good way to wake up in the morning, or to clear the head when returning from the pub. My days are lazy and slow, and often I only set myself one small task to accomplish, so I can feel like I've been productive by lunch, then just see what the rest of the day brings. There are some amazing characters here, both resident and transient, including a large number of Tibetan refugees, many of whom have made the epic trans-Himalayan journey across the Chinese border to get here.

It is also the home of the Dalai Lama, and there is a beautiful kora trail around his complex and the main Buddhist temple that I have taken to walking on most days. The sight of thousands of colourful prayer-flags flapping in the breeze is at once both peacefully reassuring and a symbol of defiant hope, one which the Tibetan people carry within them in their struggle for a free homeland. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities here too, so I've been spending weekday afternoons teaching English to refugees, and learning more about the ongoing occupation and its history in the evenings. It's still amazing how little coverage this issue gets in the West.

Anyway, I have plenty more to tell, but no time right now, as I've got to go and meet someone. I will be out of contact for the next 12 days, as I'm entering a monastery for a secluded meditation course. So I should have plenty to write about after I get back, having had many days to think about it!