Wow – one week!  As you know from my last post – everyday I have had a different emotion or experience…some days I was “crying my eyes out”  and the next I was marveling at what a great adventure I was on….so what is wrong with me?! ha!  I guess you never realize how comfortable and spoiled you are until you come to a REAL 3rd world country (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico are not like this, at least not EVERYWHERE…ha).  I also know that since we are practicing so much yoga, I’m releasing many toxins; and coupled with the “Delhi Belly” that seems a given in India – it can be quite tough!

I arrived in Dharamashala on Sunday from Delhi and thought I’d share a little about traveling through the airport, as I found it interesting.

The airport is secured by the military (Federal Gov), and it is highly guarded (maybe due to the recent bombing attacks). At the entrance from the main road there are guards with machine guns stationed behind sand bag barricades. I mean seriously, is this really necessary? I never felt THAT threatened…There are quite a few extra security measures, but inside personsl were quite helpful.  Although the airport is run down and dirty (I will never complain about South America again…), it wasn’t bad. I’m not sure if I mentioned before how segregated this country is…ALL men/women activities are separated (can’t do things together); so of course, there are two security lines. One for females and one for males…of course, I just automatically go to the short line and it’s the wrong one….(oh, the horror..haha)…so I have to gather everything and start again…so a FEMALE can frisk me in a little burlap covered area and check my belongings. Anyway, I thought this was hilarious, so I had to mention it…it’s like this at all the museums, monuments, etc….2 lines; men and women…

Somehow, I expected Dharmashala to be different than Delhi/Agra…and it is, but it’s not. The drive up the mountain (Himalayans) was such the adventure – it’s not as crowded here – but the road is tiny and you’ve got cars, buses, hikers, monks, cows, dogs, monkeys, etc… all sharing the winding road. And yes, there is a huge cliff of the side with really no barrier….luckily, I was still in shock so I was fine with it all! haha (I met my Canadian friend, Theresea at the airport, so it was nice to have a companion on that ride!) I do have to admit, the scenery is very beautiful – once you look past the garbage collected in the ditches/etc., it’s quite nice.

Arrival at the hotel was another little culture shock for me….not quite the 5-star hotel in Delhi or any hotel I’ve been in rather…well the one in Alaska came close and I cried when I saw that one…haha. The first thing I noticed was the sign that said “Hot Water from 6-10 am/pm only”…so “OH BOY”…After being here awhile, I realize this is worth every penny of that $52 USD a night (that’s expensive for here and yes, it’s worth that….)…there are missing window panes…bugs, bugs, roaches…BUT, not that awful.. It could be way worse and the weather is nice (no a/c, but not needed), and I’ve slept like a baby every night, so I’m overlooking the roach I saw on my bed the first night….ha! It’s tolerable!

The great thing about this hotel is that it is literally built on the side of a mountain and from our class room (our TTC is in the building as well), we can see the tops of the trees around us….there is a magnificient hawk that flys around daily and perches right outside the classroom. Quite amazing to watch. And the views of the sun setting and rising can’t be beat! We get a great view of both as we are starting class before sunrise and end after sunset. I don’t think I’ve ever really enjoyed watching the sun so much! Also, on a clear day you can see far down into the valley below and it is really a wonderful sight.

This has certainly been a struggle for me, the sheer difference in the surrondings and culture is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or experienced. It’s hard to avoid fruits and veggies (lots of bacteria here and you should only eat things you can peel – but that didn’t stop me from getting sick…so I don’t know)…the roads (you wouldn’t call them roads at home) are so crazy – jam packed full of everything you can imagine…so much litter and wow, I smell “pot” all the time – I think some people here use it daily! ha! There is really no space left unused – it’s surreal sometimes….

But, I’m getting used to it. Every day I want to come home but at the same time, I’m so glad that I get to experience something so different! It is truly a learning experience!

ps….please forgive my spelling mistakes here on out – these computers are way too slow to spell check!

pss. I do have a new favorite drink that I LOVE from here – it’s Sweet/Salty Lime Soda – YUM!