Closer to God

Being in the mountains can often give you the feeling that you are closer to God. On one hand, you are literally “closer” (if you believe God is above us) but then on the other, being closer to nature, immersed in the beauty and wonder of sheer cliffs, snow capped mountains and crisp mountain air, can also bring me a sense of calm and peace that I can not find anywhere else. I think it must be in my blood. It also helps when you are living up the road from his Holiness the Dalai Lama I guess. I am now in McLeod Ganj, a small village of 20 000 people on the foot of the Himalayas. It is most famous for the residence of the Dalai Lama and as I learned yesterday, the base for the Tibetan Government in exile. About 50% of the population are Tibetan refugees who have fled their homeland never to return. The town is a blend of multiple religions, cultures and nationalities. All living in peace together in a community that has a deep respect for the Tibetan people and the Buddhist religion.

This small town, perched on the edge of a mountain, will be my home for the next month. Part of my trip this year was to travel to different places and immerse myself in their culture as well as contribute back to local communities. Volunteering was a large driver for me and after some research into various opportunities I decided to spend my first month with an organisation that supports the development of Tibetan people and helping them in learning languages and various skills. I will be primarily tutoring English 5 days a week and potentially teaching yoga (however that is mainly to tourists). On my arrival I was guided around the town and surrounding area by a local guy who fled Tibet 20 years ago. Knowing that as he made the 30 day trek across the Himalayas on foot into Nepal, he would never see his family again. It gives me some perspective when I think I was sad at leaving my family for one year. Rabsel (my guide) has helped me find a room – I have splurged and opted for a spacious room with a heater, tv and stunning view of the mountains – all for 450 INR per night, I think a total of $10 AUD. My entire months board here is not even one week of my rent in Sydney. It is almost embarrassing....and again, a reality check of how lucky I am to be in a situation where I can afford to spend a year travelling.

The town is home to many Buddhist monks so it is not uncommon to see a table of maroon robes and shaved heads chatting over a cup of chai. This morning in a grocery store, I waited while a young monk, perhaps 14 or 15, purchased some chips and lollies and topped up the credit on his mobile phone. It made me smile, I guess they are human and 14 year old boys are the same all over the world. It is really quite surreal, but yet it has a beautiful sense of peace and calm about the place. This area is incredibly popular with tourists so I am not limited for choice of cafes and places to eat or even have a beer....I think there is even a discotheque....look out. There are also daily screenings of movies in a small cinema and a number of yoga places which I am yet to check out. The advantage of this time of year is the place is not yet heaving with tourists and it gives you more of a chance to meet local people. It is quite cold (it may even snow still) and some places are closed until March when the season starts to pick up, but there are not 100's of backpackers crawling everywhere which is quite nice.

Tomorrow I start my volunteer work, so I am excited to see what it will entail and who I will be working with. I am looking forward to learning more about the Tibetan culture and of course Buddhism. I will post something later this week about my first few days of life in McLeod Ganj.