Back to Tibet... (Dec 11)

Happy Birthday Dad!

The train, as predicted, arrived in Chakki Bank station at 3:40 am - one hour late. At that hour there isn't much going on in a train station but we needed to find someone official to get a theft report for our insurance. We went to the Chief Clerk's office (mainly since it was the only office that seemed to have someone in it). We had to wait until he finished what he was doing, then a bit of discussion and they took us down to the train police office... more discussion (I guess it's not their department)... then we were taken to the GRP office, but it wasn't open. We were walking back towards the Clerk's office, trying to figure out what to do or how long we'd have to wait when someone else appeared to help out. He spoke more English than any of the others - he knocked on the door of the GRP office (I had forgotten that people here tend to sleep/live where they work). Someone answered the door and were were ushered into an office and requested to sit. There wasn't much English in the group but we managed to convey that we were robbed and needed a report for insurance. The man who had knocked said - "be happy you are well, take care of yourself, you are not at home, you are in India". That pretty much summed the whole thing up! We were well and we were definitely in India!

The GRP was very helpful. He didn't have the official form but he found some paper and some carbon and we wrote out the details of what happened and what was stolen and he signed and stamped it. He offered us some tea which was very welcome after our long trip. He told us about his cousins in Surrey, B.C and England. We had the translation book out and were trying to thank him in Hindi but I guess our pronunciation needs work - we showed him in the book what we were trying to say. He found the book quite interesting and showed it to some of the other men in the room.

With that done, we loaded into a rickshaw to take us to the bus station... our journey was not yet complete. There are several local buses that travel each day from Pathenkot to McLeod Ganj and, we have to admit, we're really looking forward to going back.

The driver dropped us on a dark corner and pointed to a large building indicating that it was the bus station. We walked around the building to a counter that seemed to be selling bus tickets. We asked for the McLeod Ganj bus and they pointed to the other side of the lot. Wrong bus group I guess. We walked in the direction they pointed but it was looking like just a row of shops when Brad noticed a desk with what looked like a board of schedules in front of it. The bus stand! Imagine!

We requested tickets for McLeod Ganj but the ticket seller told us we wanted tickets to Dharamsala since the bus sat for an hour in Dharamsala before going up to McLeod Ganj. OK... if he says so. We were pretty early - it was only around 4:30 am now and the GRP guy told us the bus left at 5:30 am. I sat down with the bags while Brad started perusing the nearby stands for snacks. Our bus pulled up a few minutes later and we loaded up. The bus left the station at 5 am... I guess we were either leaving really early or the train guy was a bit off on the time.

The trip to Dharamsala is around 3 1/2 hours and it was fairly uneventful, a reverse of our trip a few weeks ago when we had left (excluding the excruciating back pain of course). We pulled into the, now familiar, bus station (where we almost missed our bus a few weeks ago) at 8:30 am.

The driver pointed to a small bus indicating that it was going to McLeod Ganj. We grabbed our stuff and transferred buses. There were several people on the bus already, mostly Tibetan. We waited, Brad made a pit stop and bought a newspaper... suddenly everyone was getting off the bus. Someone indicated that we were changing buses. We loaded back onto the original bus that we had arrived on in the first place. All this loading and unloading was starting to get crazy (and these packs just aren't all that conducive to swift grace). We were climbing back on the bus... again... and I was pulling myself up through the narrow doorway when a hand reached down and pulled me up. It was the most ancient, beautiful little Tibetan man I had ever seen. He was so adorable that I could have just grabbed him and given him a giant bear hug. He didn't speak any English but he had this presence and a happiness that just radiated from his face. It was infectious!

After everyone was loaded, we started our climb to McLeod Ganj. The road that the bus takes in long and winding. The rickshaws and cabs take a shorter route but it is difficult for the buses to navigate due to the narrow roads. The longer route does many switchbacks and climbs up through some lovely forested areas. We turned a corner, about half way up, and were treated with a gorgeous view of the sun rising up over the city, nestled snug into the side of the mountains. It was so uplifting... we were so happy to be back! We didn't realize how much we had, not only enjoyed the energy of the place, but how much we had missed it.

We reached the bus stand and stepped off into old familiar territory. It was a short walk to Hotel Tibet (where we stayed the last time we were here). We walked in and the staff remembered us... we were back! We didn't get the same room as last time, it was booked. We did get the room two doors down however. We think the hotels were unaware of the impending rush of people and seem to be filling up with pilgrims... we were very happy to get a room.

After we checked in, we grabbed our documents and headed out to get some food and start calling to cancel credit cards. I've discovered that 24 hour customer help lines aren't entirely helpful. For VISA, I couldn't get a toll free number to call but they said you could call collect - which no one here seems to know how to do. Some claim that you can't do it (although I'm sure there must be a way). I ended up on some poor connection trying to report my VISA card. I asked where the guy was (since he didn't know where Mississauga was) and he said he was in Panama. Crazy! He was friendly enough and I know he was doing his job and following his script but I was in a bit of a hurry since I was paying for the call! They should have "in a hurry" scripts for times like that.

Then there was BMO Mastercard... which, while linked to your online banking, is not their department. You have to call them as well, oh, ya, and you can call collect. Then there's AMEX traveler's cheques where none of the phone numbers provided when you buy the cheques actually seem to work. We went to the AMEX website to try and get a current phone number but the links on the site for the phone numbers in India were broken. Let's just say that I was really practicing my patience today. Luckily, none of the losses were all that urgent and we had other funds and cards available to us.

After we'd had enough of that, we picked up a new notebook... have to get those thoughts down from the past few days before they evaporate. As we were passing the security office, we noticed that there was already a line to obtain passes for the teachings. Brad stayed in line while I ran back to the room to get our ID photos. The line took about an hour to get through but, no pass, no entry! While in line we were talking to a couple from Jerusalem. They were very proud of their country and said that it wasn't as bad or dangerous as was portrayed in the media. They were quite well spoken and well traveled (she had lived in New York for awhile). He talked about his annual service in the military a bit and that yes, he did worry about being shot but that the military is in more of a position for that to occur. They told us that the men have to serve one month per year in the military until the age of 45 (55 for officers). There are enough men in the country that the women don't have to serve after they are married.

We discussed politics for a bit as well. They felt that Benjamin Netanyahu was a schmuck... yes, she said schmuck. When we got up to the front of the line and were getting our cards, the man preparing the cards was surprised by Brad's last name. He made a comment that it was Chinese. It didn't occur to us until later that, of course, he'd be surprised by someone Chinese coming to see the Dalai Lama... since China is seemingly still unwilling to free Tibet.

After we got our passes, we were so tired that we went and took a nap. Baraka is playing at our favourite movie spot around the corner so we managed to drag ourselves out of bed to catch it. While Brad was grabbing movie snacks, I was talking to the guy who runs the place. We were discussing his movie collection and what he might play in the next few days... he told me that Israelis tend to like the really violent action films - the more, the better.

Baraka was overwhelming, as usual (I could see it again and again). This time I could actually recognize some of the places as being in India (since I'd been there). We were pretty exhausted still so, after the movie, we grabbed dinner and went to bed.