Dharamsala’s Himalayas:
On Sunday, we climbed the hills above Dharamsala to the plateau of Triund from where the view of the first peaks of the Himalayas is just breathtaking. Moreover, towards the valley, one has a panoramic view of the plains as far as the eye can see…
It takes about 4 hours of a brisk walking to get to the plateau, 3000 meters high, where sheep graze peacefully on the scarce green grass. And there, in front of you stands the majestic Dhauladhar range, with its highest peak at 4,460 meters.
We started at dawn to get there before noon as there is always the risk of weather changes and the warm and sunny afternoons can quickly change into unwelcome snowstorms.

A historic day, reviving hope for the Tibetan people:

There was much joy and excitement here in Dharamsala this week as President George Bush presented the Dalai Lama the US Congressional Gold Medal. Several festivities were organised around town that included discourses, traditional dances, music, and sporting events. The presentation itself was shown live on a big screen and viewed by thousands of supporters. Everybody here senses the tremendous symbolic significance of the event. After decades of patiently promoting human rights and working for the preservation of Tibetan culture the Dalai Lama is finally being recognised on the world stage. For Tibetans and supporters here there is an expectation that at long last there may be a change in China’s attitude to the exiled Government that could lead to a new wave of dialogue with the Tibetan spiritual leader. Most certainly a new dimension has been added to the plight of all Tibetan refugees here in Dharamsala.

The Namgyal Cafe: the best “Pizza Popeye” in town!
This little cafe is one of our favorites. It has a great atmosphere especially in the evenings, with mesmerizing sunsets as the setting sun slowly loses its glow as it creeps over the distance hills and enveloping the café with an aura of peace and tranquility.
The café is situated on the basement level of the Tsuglagkhang Complex, the monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which makes it even more special. The pizzas here are simply excellent, and once you discover your favorite, you don’t want to try anything else! If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss the chocolate-vanilla-rum macaroons!
Behind the counter, stuck on the wall, an amazing patchwork of banknotes from all over the world proudly displayed by the café manager as evidence of his very cosmopolitan clientèle. And near the door, photographs of the Dalai Lama as well of the Buddha. And on prominent display a photo of the well known celebrity, American actor Richard Gere, posing with the smiling Tibetan café manager. Richard Gere is a familiar and regular visitor to McLeod Ganj and has a very close relationship with His Holiness.
We are very fortunate indeed. McLeod Ganj is a great place for eating, and visitors have their choice of simple but very good restaurants to chose from: Indian, Tibetan, Italian, French, Thai, Japanese and even Korean! It is unlikely that one will be able to find such diversity so closely located anywhere else in India, not even in Delhi.

The Earth’s calm abiding
This week, we were again blessed-to be here attending a week-long teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Buddhist philosophy and practice*. Hundreds of Tibetans and foreigners gathered in the upper hall of the main temple to listen to His Holiness…and a very strange thing happened - just when His Holiness was giving advice on how to practice… calm abiding (a part of the practice of meditation)…believe it or not, the earth shook for about 2 seconds !!! It seems that our planet is not keen to practice calm abiding!
We all know that Dharamsala is situated in a region prone to earthquakes. We often wonder when the big one will strike. Yet we all have somehow learned to accept this uncertainty.

*Nagarjuna’s “Commentary on The Awakening Mind” and Kamalashila’s “Middling Stages of Meditation”.