Tibetans, Hiking in Dharamsala

The hiking, such as up the trail to Triund, are easy hikes while offering awe-inspiring views. The town of McLeod Ganj, home of the Tibetan government-in-exile, has fascinating classes in anything from acupuncture to Tibetan to learning Hindi to Tibetan traditional cooking. The town has quite a few bookstores and shops brimming with Tibetan art.

Quick Tips:

A 45 minute walk to TCV (Tibetan Children's Village) is well worth the walk, and enables you to interact with the children and see some of the artists' workshops. You can also walk up to the Shiva temple on the banks of Dal Lake (not the same as Kashmir) and if you're lucky, catch a day-long Hindu puja, as we were lucky enough to do! Many of the longer-term visitors choose to stay in the neighboring villages of Dharamkot, tucked in a beautiful valley, or Bhagsu, to enjoy its waterfall and relative quiet.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is definitely walking, although you can also take an autorickshaw to neighboring Bhagsu, a small village that has a waterfall.

We ate at Amdo Cha Chung Cafe, a rooftop cafe overlooking the Himalayas. There, we were especially taken with the Tibetan thick noodle soup known as thukpa. A number of the noodle dishes were quite tasty.

We were able to also eat breakfast there, ordering fruit salad, Tibetan brown bread, and cereal, all delicious.

The trail is usually quite wide and easy to walk, and there is no climbing involved. It's also really easy to follow. We hiked in foggy weather, and got drenched by the monsoon rains as we neared Triund. We sought shelter in the pouring rains, hanging out under the eaves of one of the closed guesthouses, when a boy materialized seemingly out of nowhere and asked, "Do you want hot chai?" Trudging up the spine of the mountain in a downpour that greatly reduced visibility, we followed him to a ramshackle structure of tarp and logs tied together. We had arrived at the Hard Rock Cafe Triund!

The hot chai was quite tasty. Within about 45 minutes, the weather cleared. We were rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys below for another 45 minutes, until white clouds floated in, obscuring our panoramic views. We started back down with no more than a few little drizzles to accompany us on the way down. It was approximately an 18 mile walk there and back.

One of the best memories of the trip to Dharamsala was teaching English to Tibetans.

There are a number of places where you can volunteer to teach. At around 6:00, we gathered at a Tibetan kindergarten school, out in the playground area. Tibetans and Westerners milled around. Eventually, Tibetans came up, or people were paired up -- usually in a cattywompus but charming manner -- and the English lessons began, without benefit of books.

Usually, the Tibetan English students had their own pads and pens. Most of the Tibetans here were recent refugees, escaping over the icy, treacherous Himalayas from Tibet to the freedom of India. We taught anything from numbers to using various adjectives appropriately to names of family members (cousin, uncle, etc.). We were constantly taken aback by the warmth and gratitude of our new English students, who had a great deal of enthusiasm for learning this new language.

The two students that we taught English to showed up on our last day, as we were catching the bus to leave McLeod Ganj. It was an especially sad day for us, as we really liked them, and liked being in Dharamsala. We were choked up and quite surprised when they showed up at our bus, presenting us with katas (ceremonial white silk scarves), a Tibetan custom of showing thanks and respect. They also gave us pictures of the Dalai Lama and sticks of incense.

I would recommend teaching English to the Tibetans. In addition to helping out a worthy cause, it also is an incredible experience of sharing that brings you closer to the Tibetans. It's impossible not to like Tibetans, and this sort of experience one never forgets!! Although I cannot remember the exact location of the kindergarten where this is taught, it's not difficult to find. There are posters all over McLeod Ganj for volunteer teaching opportunities, and this is only one of them. One can also volunteer to teach at Tibetan Children's Village, or volunteer to teach Tibetan refugees who have only recently escaped the clutches of the Chinese army through the Himalayan passes. Although I am Chinese by ethnicity, I never got negative attitudes from the Tibetans.