I am sitting in a cybercafe in McLeod Ganj, some 500km north of New Delhi. This is my 3rd day here having arrived on Monday morning at 8.30 am at Dharamsala. It was long journey by bus from New Delhi on Monday as the bus trip took 15 hrs. It was quite uncomfortable trip due to the humidity and heat in the bus. Thus bus ticket cost RP450 (RM 50) about RP200 (RM 22) cheaper than the air-cond. bus. I should have take the A/C bus as I didn't get much sleep. After I checked in the hotel, I was so sleepy that I slept until 5.00pm.
A common sight here is the Tibetan monks wearing maroon and orange colour robes. There are many Tibetans living at Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj. If a visitor is expecting to experience a "holy" atmosphere, one will solely disappointed. The town consists of three narrow roads surrounded haphazardly by concrete shops. Occasionally I see western backpackers both men and women walking around. These are however your normally dressed backpacker wearing "Taj Mahal" T-shirts, khaki shorts and sandals. Many sport long braided hair hair, embroided jackets and mala beads strung around their necks. The hippy look ow updated to the 21st century. I hear there are good hashish (ganja) available but so far no one has offered me a joint.
For today, I plan to visit some temples and check the shops selling Tibetan handicrafts.
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