Bringing the "pilgrimages for religions I don't really believe in" count to 3

Trek from Gangotri to Gaumukh completed! ("Hike" to Americans; not talking about Klingons here, despite some of these names)

What is it: Gangotri is a town with an important Hindu temple. It's one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. I guess it's kind of holy. Gaumukh is the glacier that feeds the Ganges. I guess it's kind of holy too. The trek between them is pretty easy and very pretty.

Description: so it's 18km each way (11.2mi), and the elevation goes from 3400-4255m (11200-13900ft). The first 9 km is an easy walk. Next 5 km is a harder walk. Most people (incl I) stop overnight at the 14km mark, at Bhojbasa. The 4km from Bhojbasa to Gaumukh is mostly easy, but the last 1km is clambering over rocks.

Some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about:

Evening puja at Gangotri temple the night before starting the walk

There were only a couple of shaky log bridges.

(those couple tents and buildings are Bhojbasa)

That's the glacier. It's actually rather smaller than I'd imagine, or at least, what we could see was rather small. I guess it's receded literally kilometers in the last century. I don't know what this means, but it can't be good.

(this might be a good time to mention I take slightly more photos than I blog. They're all up at my picasa site.)

What's foremost in my mind after this trek:
- This might be the first time I've liked hiking better than camping. Usually the hiking is kind of a necessary evil and camping is fun. But this time, the trail was easy and I was really just enjoying walking. Plus:

- Bhojbasa was so cold! It was The Coldest! From about 2pm on, it was nonstop coldsville! I wore all my clothes, climbed under a heavy blanket at 6pm and hardly emerged until sunrise, and still ended up huddled around the cook's kerosene stove trying to keep my hands warm. I slept about half the night, and spent the rest of the night wishing time would pass more quickly, and wondering if I should check what time it is or not. (on the plus side, though, this frozen night did provide one of the most vivid lucid dreams I've ever had.)

- Don't wear barefoot-style walking shoes on a 22-mile mountain trek. Why would you do that.

- I've kinda gone it alone on this Gangotri trip. I mean, I'm friendly and talking with folks, but I was really enjoying hiking by myself. Of course, some of each is good.

- The type of challenge on this trip has been really energizing. Something about the combined cultural, social, and physical challenges has kept me thinking "wake up, you have great things to do!" Everything is novel; every experience is something I want to write down or photograph. I must figure out some way to get this sort of challenge into my everyday life when I settle down again.

- I wear a beanie now. Beanies are cool.

Indian Bureaucracy, Continued

(post from three days ago; it'll take a day to catch up)

9:50AM: we (me and Ulrieke, an Austrian lady who's in the same boat) show up at permit office to meet the kind young lady. I'll call her Aarti, because I think we later found out that was her name. Nobody there.
10:10: still nobody there. A soldier guy says a bunch of stuff that we think means "go to Gangotri". An Israeli backpacker mentions that he saw a lady on the walk up who said she could get him the permit. I speculate that this is our gal. We set off to find her again.
10:15: stop by... her house? Two other girls come out, and say that the girl we're looking for went to the temple. Stop back in maybe a couple hours. I think her name is Aarti, although, that's the word for some prayer ceremony, right? So maybe we actually asked what she was doing. Regardless, if I have reason to refer to her again, I'll call her Aarti.
10:20: consult with wise guesthouse owner Deependar. He suggests we go on to Gangotri to get the permit there. Seems more reasonable than waiting two, four, twelve hours for Aarti. We momentarily ignore the fact that everyone on the internet says you cannot get the permit in Gangotri. Meanwhile, two other Australian ladies, Barbara and Julianne, have hired a taxi to a town near Gangotri. We hop in to share costs.

3:30: arrive in Gangotri. The inevitable swarm of touts ensues. I forget that sometimes the swarm of touts can actually help you accomplish things you need to accomplish, things that you couldn't possibly accomplish on your own, like finding a permit. Ulrieke exhibits more trust/naivete/smartness and listens to a tout, who requests us to join him at 5:30pm for the permit. They're available at 5:30, but not now? Curious. And suspect.
4:00: try to get some food and fail. I guess if they don't have chapatis, your request for a thali will get dropped on the floor. This is not relevant to the permit tale, except that I am very hungry.
4:45: randomly run into Ulrike and Tout (I swear, tomorrow I will learn his name), who are going for the permit now. Wait in line for a half hour. Other interesting fact about this permit: you have to write a statement that says "I am going to Gaumukh at my own risk. Forest Service will not be responsible for any mishappening." I pity the poor French girl who was trying to understand the Indian guy telling her to write the word "mishappening."
5:30: get the permit, for tomorrow. No problem.

The morals of the story: as of now, you can get the Gaumukh permit in Gangotri. (maybe because it's a festival in Uttarkashi?) Also, the smaller the city, the more touts are actually helpful, and the more confusion is just confusion, not bamboozlement.

Anyway, current status:
- room is infested only with gnats (those are gnats, right? not mosquitos? they must be. no mosquitos up here at 10000 feet. and they don't look like mosquitos. oh god please be gnats.)
- room also has only a trickle of running water. But it's okay! Gangotri is cool of climate, so I'm not gross.
- apparently Ulrieke's guide/porter will also be guiding me tomorrow. and packing me a lunch! how nice.
- wallet has 1400 rupees: 600 for the permit and 800 to last me for two days and nights, until I can get back to the nearest ATM, five hours away in Uttarkashi. Oops.
- wallet also has US$160; turns out US dollars are accepted everywhere, if at a poor exchange rate. Things always work out.
- not altitude sick!

Indian Bureaucracy At Its Finest

I want to do this short trek from Gangotri town to Gaumukh glacier (where the Ganges starts) on Oct 6-7. But you have to get a permit to do so. I called and they said "sure, just come to our office in Uttarkashi." My guesthouse operator here, Deependar, told me the same thing.

Of course, when I show up here on the 4th at 4:30pm, Deependar realizes I have to get to that office right quick. It closes at 5, and the next two days are a holiday. So I hoof it over there, to be told, by a kind but overworked and frazzled young lady, "Sorry, October 6th and 7th are full." "Really? There's no way?" "No, 6th and 7th are booked. Next day is the 8th." (8th-9th will not do; I must be in Dehradun on the morning of the 10th.)

I fill out the form anyway. I think they requested my passport number, father's name, blood type, bank account PIN, and name of first crush. When I get to the front of the line, I apologize profusely for keeping her past 5pm, explain my story, and then find out that I need a photocopy of my passport and visa. (the nearest photocopy machine is 3km away, and I am not making this up) She says "can you come tomorrow?" I say "oh, it's not a holiday tomorrow?" She says, "just come tomorrow, say, 10am?" I agree, reluctantly, because I'm thinking I'll get this permit for the 8th that'll be kind of useless anyway.

One last time, "So the 6th and the 7th are full?" Pause. She flips through her book, which is full of pages and pages of dates and names, eventually hitting the Oct 6 page, which is clearly full. Pause. "Well, come tomorrow and I think I can arrange."

On the up side, I get +1 Constitution for being tough

On the down side, why do I keep taking these huge stupid bus trips?

Last night/day (McLeod Ganj - Dehradun - Uttarkashi) might have been the second easiest 16+ hour bus trip I've taken so far. But I reached a new high: over 20 hours, from 7:30pm last night until about 4pm today.

New questions answered:
- how can I best ride the Scrambler to minimize stomach pain? (I think it's better to hold on and fight it, not let yourself get tossed around.)
- is "deep fried white bread sandwich" actually the only food choice I'm going to get for the next four hours? (yep.)
- when the girl in front of me has exercised her full reclining powers (as is her right) but the girl in back of me has politely asked me not to recline as it leaves her no room for her knees, do I: a. snap back that of course we are all facing the same problem due to this ridiculous bus design, b. ask the girl in front to avoid reclining herself, or c. apologize and suffer in silence? (c. sigh.)
- why do I get all grimy? (it's just road dust mixed with sweat! which leads to:)
- when do I get to quit riding buses and start riding AC trains? (answer: after this Gangotri trip, when I start going to slightly less mountainous places. as for riding AC3, I guess I am getting old, but feeling and smelling not-awful is nice- after all, I wouldn't ride smoking cars. I'll have to ride a couple in Sleeper (cheapest) class just for the experience, though.)

Last thoughts about McLeod

The Tushita Meditation Center has great summaries after the Dalai Lama's talks! They are much more accessible and modern. I got more out of 1 hour of that than I did of 4 hours of HH. But then, I guess people who are studying here do really enjoy HH.

But then, Tibetan Buddhism seems very very philosophical. Particularly the Gelugpa school. (I think it's the biggest school. The Dalai Lama is from the Gelugpa school.) I guess monks often study Buddhist philosophy for 15-20 years. And then meditate for 15-20 years!

A bit more practical stuff:
My guesthouse, the Sidharth, is great. 500rs, friendly, and a little bit off the main drag.
I like the Moon Peak Thali restaurant too- it feels like something that would be new and trendy in the US. The Ashoka Restaurant is recommended by my friend Earl, who's lived here for years. (but really, if you're spending time trying to find the best restaurant around here, just stop and walk into the first place you find. They're all good.)
To plan travel things, Milap at Summit Travels (in both McLeod and Bhagsu) was friendly and helpful.
This is the only map that seemed even a little bit accurate:

Also, as I've mentioned, in McLeod you can indeed have a fine coffee.

Unrelated to McLeod: I've been gone for a month, which made me reflect a little bit, although the only thing that's worth saying is some stuff about my stuff. Updated my stuff page.

Okay, leaving tonight on epic quest for Gangotri! Looks like this:
Tonight: bus to Rishikesh
Oct 4: bus to Uttarkashi
Oct 5: bus to Gangotri
Oct 6: hike up to Gaumukh glacier, stay in Bhojbasa town guest house
Oct 7: hike back to Gangotri
Oct 8: bus to Rishikesh
Oct 9: hang out in Rishikesh
Oct 10: bus to Dehradun, start meditation class
(of course, this is also on my calendar)

Dan's Guide to McLeod Ganj

- Waterfalls: there is the one I posted about earlier, which is very cool! There is also this other waterfall that is also neat, at Bhagsu, which is much easier to get to.

If you keep walking up, though, way past where it looks like the end of the path, and follow the signs to the Shiva Cafe, well, you will get there. I guess it is rather a stoner hotspot, but it is cool regardless because it's so hidden away. Someone recommended this to me, and I can't for the life of me remember who! Sorry about that, but thanks, whoever it was!

- Speaking of Bhagsu: you will likely meet lots of Israelis here. I guess this is a thing. Israelis, after they finish military service or university, tend to come to India for a few months. Dharamsala is a hotspot, but instead of McLeod Ganj, they head to the nearby towns of Bhagsu or Dharamkot. Nobody's sure why it ends up so segregated- we expect it's something in the guidebooks, or maybe lots of friend recommendations. It's a bit of a bum deal for them; McLeod is nicer.

- Coffee: There is quite a lot of this, compared to the rest of India. Always get espresso drinks, or you might get instant or (at best) crummy drip. Americano quality is about the same across town. Coffee Talk wins for pretty good cappuccinos and very good homemade bread. Moon Peak also has a nice atmosphere. Both have free wifi.

- Tibetan food: there are a bunch of Tibetan places; all good. Gakye on Jogiwara Rd. is exceptionally popular for some reason- maybe it's in the guidebooks? At any rate, it's tasty: vegetable dishes for lunch/dinner, and a huge bowl of muesli, fruit, and yogurt for breakfast.

See also: momo stands across the town are always good.

- Indian food: actually tougher to find, particularly an Indian restaurant that is not dead empty. Taste of India on Jogiwara Rd. is particularly great. Also take their cooking class; it is 2 days, 3 hrs each, you learn to make a lot of things, and the teacher is quite helpful at answering questions. Not hands-on, but I think I like it better this way, as you're not going to master stuff anyway. Some recipes if you'd like.

- Beer: at bars or beer stores, you have your choice of various Generic Asian Lagers, often in "regular" or "strong" forms, and always in 650ml (22oz) bottles. I personally recommend the "regular" (up to 5%), although some friends argue that the "strong" has more taste. It doesn't really matter; you'll probably only want one.

- Huge piles of rocks in the road: look out for this.

- Mist and rain: every day it starts out sunny and nice. By about noon, it decides to either get misty for the rest of the day or downpour super hard for an hour and then get nice again. Both ways are nice.

- Finally: You will likely see this guy handing out fliers about a show he's doing. He's called "Lion Man." He does an hour-long show in which he tells the story of his escape from Tibet, sings songs, and dances. I can say no more about it than: you must go to this show.

Okay, I will offer a bit of explanation: he is part traditional calm Tibet, part whirling dervish, and part Gil Mantera's Party Dream. Repeat, you must go to this show.

OMGHHDL

First day of teachings today! I got to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama for about four seconds as he walked into and out of the temple. It's not really made for big talks- there's this inner temple, and then most people are sitting outside, watching the simulcast on TVs or (in our case) nothing. But I'm getting ahead of myself- let me explain a few things that will be handy if you too are going to see the Dalai Lama's teachings.

- you have to register a day or three in advance, at the Dalai Lama's office on Bhagsu road. Done!
- stake out your seat the night before, and put a sign with your name on it. I didn't do this; luckily, some friends did, and they had space for me. We had a bench! That was rare.
- if you want a good seat, go early! The talks started at 9:30; I was planning to roll up at 9. Instead, I arrived at 7, and luckily so; there was a long line for security.
- I'm not sure if it's worth trying to get a good seat, as you probably won't be able to see HHDL anyway, as I mentioned.
- bring: FM radio for translations (available around town for ~170rs), headphones, a cup, a cushion, a bottle of water, and your pass (from the registration).
- don't bring your cell phone or camera; they won't be allowed in.
- also don't bring: food, especially fruit or crinkly wrapped things. Monkeys descend upon you like a SWAT team. Two friends literally got punched by a monkey (did not win a free ipod) before a bunch of us scared them away. Because a bite means many hospital visits and rabies shots, they're scary little buggers! Ram and Julie: you know this, of course.
- when the monks come around with butter tea and Tibetan bread, enjoy! You brought a cup, right?
- when the monks come around with stacks of 100-rupee bills, those are not for you. They are for other monks. Haven't figured this one out yet.

As for the content of the talks themselves, YMMV. The first session was kind of an intro to Buddhism, comparison to other religions, etc, and as such I thought it was a pretty good talk, though I didn't get much out of it. The other sessions are about "In Praise of the Dhammadhatu" by Nagarjuna, and like most ancient Buddhist texts, I don't get it. I can never tell whether it's all super simple, or whether it's insanely over my head. Like this:

While it's blended with the milk,
Butter's essence appears not.
Likewise, in the affliction's mix,
Dharmadhatu is not seen.

So Dharmadhatu is some clear-mind state within us. And so this verse is saying, we all have enlightenment within us, but we don't realize it, because we have all this other stuff clouding it. Okay, fine. But then the next 5 verses say the same thing. Why all the flowery language? This is simple! Right?

Or else it's so incredibly complex that I am totally lost.

Either way, funny moment: HHDL asked the Taiwanese group who requested these teachings, "is Taoism a theistic religion or not?" Nobody knew. That pretty much sums up what I know about Taoism too.