Dharamsala......Shhhhhhhhh

Dharamasala is spectacular. Thy sky is closer than I've ever felt it. The air and the snow capped mountains create a weather system all their own here. In the afternoons, a thunderous show of horizontal lightning and spring hail pushes everyone into the tea houses and bookstores to wait out what the gods have in store. Just around the corner from His Holiness the Dalai Lama's house and temple, these streets are teeming with gentle faced monks in maroon and packed full of any and every Tibetan artifact you can imagine. From Yak butter tea, to wool sweaters, it's all here to keep the travelers and locals warm and comfortable. I can say this is the first place in India that I absolutely LOVE, instantly.
Yesterday I hiked 9 miles to the stunning snow line ridge where the vantage point to the white covered Himalayas was breathtaking. Today, I pretty much spent sleeping the fatigue and altitude out of my muscles. Photos to come shortly.
Tomorrow I will be entering a 10 day silent meditation retreat in an Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism course. The center is surrounded by pine forrest, and sits a top a hill that over-looks the terraced villages that fill this magical land. With as much of an open heart and empty mind as possible I will lend myself to what gifts that silence can bring.
Be back in 10 days!