Delhi

City Bus Tour

Delhi, India

-Rikhi Ram Music Shop - met Ajay Dass and talked about the Beatles and the visit by Jeremy Pivens.
-Jama Masjid Mosque
-Mohatma Ghandi Museum
-I drove a cycle rickshaw to give the driver a break

Tushita Meditation Center - Mantras, Monks, Meditation, and Monkeys!

Spent May 20th to 29th at a 10-day Intro to Buddhism Course. Possibly the best thing I have ever done in my life!
http://tushita.info/
It was a great experience to learn about and practice meditation and yoga. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, India

Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, India

Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, India

Agra to Dharamsala

Agra and Taj Mahal and Fatehpuri Sikri

Varanasi to Agra

NJP to Varanasi

Gangtok to NJP

Yuksom to Gangtok

-Kathog Choling Monastery - huge Guru Rimboche statue, with many smaller statues connected by a string.
-Walked down to Kathog Lake w/Ran.
-Norbugang Throne...birthplace of Sikkim
-Roof of Choling/monastery
-Yak Restaurant - Zak (UK dude w/braids) and Simone (Swiss).
-Jeep Taxi to Tashiding, Rangit River, Rabangla, Tarku (met the locals while enjoying masala chai). Met a guy named Budha.
-Gangtok - called the Peace Corps to accept IT position in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
-Metro Veg for dosa and chel puri.

Khecheopari to Yuksom

-Met Pala's brother at restaurant near the lake.
-Hiked with Rani from Korea, past Kangchenjunga Falls, then up to Yuksom. Found hotel with great view. Checked email and got an invite to join the Peace Corps!
-At Yak Restaurant, a group of traveler's from Pala's place showed up. We all drank tomba out of big bamboo cups.

Khecheoperi Lake

-Watched the kids riding down the hill on a wooden cart with wheels, near the old Monastery.
-Hiked down to lake and back. Yakov and Janet from Malta showed up. Met Sophia from Portugal.
-Got a tour of the old Gompa, which was amazing, but falling apart.
-We all played Monopoly after dinner.

Pelling to Khecheopalri Lake

-Hiked down steep path to Rimbi River.
-After about 20 km of hiking, and a rainstorm, I arrived at Pala's Place at the top of the hill, above the lake. Stayed in Pala's son's guesthouse (Sonam). During dinner, had some rackshe with Sonam.

Pelling

-Woke up at sunrise with view of Khangchendzonga (8586m, 3rd highest mountain in world).
-Went to Shangka-Choling monastery, with great views of the mountain range. One young monk-in-training showed me around the prayer hall. Spoke to owner of the guesthouse up there over some masala chai. Went upstairs to see the Puja (prayer) w/an old monk hitting a drum, playing cymbals, chanting, and turning the pages of his Tibetan book.
-Hiked to Pemayangtse Monastery and then the ruins of Rabdentshe.
-Back at hotel, saw amazing sunset.

Gangtok to Pelling

-Veg Roll for breakfast, then took Jeep to Pelling. Met Yakov and Janet from Malta. Checked into the Kabur Hotel. The staff drew maps of how to hike to local areas.
-Dinner w/Noa (Israel) and Evelyn(Germany).

Gangtok + Rumtek

-During jeep ride, met Jake from UK. He gave me lots of good info on West Sikkim. After metal detector at entrance, we walked into the beautiful prayer hall of the Rumtek Monastery, with paintings and covered statues (Guru Rinboche?). Saw the golden stupa, with photos of the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa, who is not being allowed to go to Rumtek Monastery by the Indian Government.
-Finally got a jeep back to Gangtok. Randomly saw Warren in an internet cafe. Went to Masala's for dinner with Warren, Paul, Allison.

Gangtok

-Baker's Cafe for breakfast - Ran into Megan and Emily and 2 American guys. The American guys had an Indian friend who pointed me towards a dentist. The dentist put my acrylic tooth back on for 300 Rupees (about $7.50).
-Walked to Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. Saw 1,000 year-old texts on Buddha's wisdom teachings. Also saw many Thangka paintings. Saw Allison and Paul there. We walked together to the Deorali Chorten Monastery, with a big stupa w/gold top, and monks chanting. The monks-in-training were not paying attention.

Darjeeling to Gangtok

-Bought some BBQ corn on the cob, and my plastic tooth/veneer from Thailand fell out while eating.
-Took Jeep taxi to Gangtok. Amazing views of the Teesta River along the way.
-After arriving in MG Marg, I ran into Warren, who I met in Darjeeling. Met his friends Allison and Paul from the Dragamon tour. Had dinner at the Golden Pagoda.

Darjeeling

-Bhutia Basty Monastery
-Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center - great photo exhibit on history of Tibet and of the refugees. Also very graphic images of the monks killed during the March protests in Tibet.
-Happy Valley Tea Plantation
-Ran into Lina and John along the Mall - we went for tea with a guy from Turkey at a small restaurant.

Darjeeling, India

-Joyride on the Himalayan Toy Train, after failing to exchange my Nepali Rupees for Indian Rupees. The toy train stopped at Batasia Loop/War Memorial/Eco Garden; then at Ghoom. The conductor said I didn't have enough time to walk to the Yiga-Choling Monastery and back, but I made it easily! But it was closed!
-On the ride back, the train de-railed near a gas station, next to some potentially unauthorized road construction. The workers used 2 old railroad ties and a rusted piece of old train track to slowly pry the train car back on to the tracks!
-Went to the Post Office, which was closed for parcels, but open for other business I guess. Ended up at a clothes shop to have them box up my stuff, cover it in cloth, sew it shut, and seal it in wax. The shop also had a full Mate set from Argentina. They exchanged my Nepali Rupees for me. I went back to the India Post Office, but they wouldn't send my package till the next day.
-Watched beautiful sunset at Glenary's while sipping Tea Darjeeling.
-Met up with Iftekhar and his Bangledesh friends. Shopped around the Mall Streets.
-Called Peace Corps to discuss vegetarianism and an IT opportunity instead of the Water Sanitization opportunity. The call cost me over 600 Rupees!

Lumbini to Indian Border (and Darjeeling)

-Bus arrived in Kakarvitta around 9 AM. Went thru border back into India.
-Bus to Siliguri (1 hr). Got permit for Sikkim state entry.
-Food for the 1st time in 26 hrs...dosa and dal curry.
-Jeep bus/taxi up to Darjeeling for 80 rupees. Along winding road, stopped halfway, and an Indian man bought us a round of chai tea.
-Arrived in Darjeeling, and hiked up to Andy's Guesthouse...33 hours after leaving Lumbini!
-Tried to exchange Nepali Rupees for Indian Rupees, but no one would do it for a reasonable rate.
-Met a couple of Americans (Megan and Emily) at the Guesthouse.
-Later, stopped at Glenary's to check the selection of sweets, and ran into the Americans. Then I went to Hasty Tasty for dinner. Then I ran into Iftekhar (Bangledesh), who I had met in the morning in Siliguri. Later on, the power went out while I was at an internet cafe during a thunder and lightning storm.