Monkeys and the Dalhi Lama!

The past couple of days I've done a lot of walking. I've walked to a few nearby towns. I walked to Bhagsu and then continued up a steep hill to a beautiful waterfall. I found a quiet place by a clear pool to read my book, and climbed around on the rocks a little bit. Yesterday, I went to the little town, Dharamkot, I had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view overlooking the valley. On the walk back the road was lined with tons of monkeys. Some of them were eating garbage out of a dumpster! They weren't afraid of me at all. I was able to get really close to them and I got some great pictures! Monkeys are everywhere here!

I went to the temple the other day and there were hundreds of Tibetan people lining the road. After about 10 minutes security vehicles drove by followed by a car with the Dalhi Lama inside! He was only about 6 feet away, smiling and waving to all of the people! It was so exciting to be able to see him, even if it was just briefly throught the window of a car. Again, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time!

I've spent some more time at the temple. The ceremony has been going on all week. Today is the last day. It's the first week of April in the Tibetan calender, and it's an auspicious time for the Tibetan's bc it is the month that the Buddha was born. They chant Om mani pad me hung with their mala beads. They count the number of rounds they do, and then the monks come around and take down the numbers. That's about the extent of what I know about the ceremony, but it has been a beautiful thing to witness. Yesterday, a group of old Tibetan women gave me a cushion to sit on and a blanket to wrap around my shoulders. They were so sweet. They insisted that I take the cushion and sit with them!

I received an Ayurvedic massage the other day. It was definitely a unique experience. A little Indian woman lathered me down with oil (including in my hair), rubbed me down, and karate chopped my entire body! It was unlike any other massage I've ever received. It was only $10 for an hour!

I've just been enjoying the beautiful views, eagles soaring over the valley. I've never drank so much tea in my life! I've had it 2 or 3 times a day. My room is very cute and cozy. It's down a narrow alley off of one of the main roads in town. It's clean and quiet, and has a western toilet! I'm going to the Tibet museum today, and I'm leaving tomorrow or Sunday to go to Kashmir with Jhon's dad, Majit. He just got a new car and is excited about driving me in it!