Security at Leh airport

Leh is close to the Pakistan border. There is a huge military presence there.

When we flew out of Leh about 10 days ago, we went through the most security checks I've ever experienced. But I felt safe getting on that plane, I assure you.


At the entrance to the airport grounds:

1. Military police check our passports.
2. Taxi driver registers his license plate with the airport guards.

At the outside door of the Leh airport:

• Local military police check your passport and ticket.

At the inside door of the Leh airport:

1. All luggage (checked and carry on) goes through an x-ray machine.
2. Walk through a metal detector.

After getting our boarding passes at the airline ticket counter:

1. A sticker is put across the zipper of checked luggage and put on a cart.
2. Carry-on luggage is tagged.
3. Carry-on luggage is put through an x-ray machine, and tags are stamped in blue ink.
4. Physical pat down. Ladies go into an enclosed cubicle, and are patted down by a female security guard.
5. In an outdoor enclosure, you have to find your checked luggage (with the sticker across a zipper) and claim it as yours. Checked luggage is then put on the plane.

When ready to board the bus that took us to the plane:

1. Boarding pass is checked.
2. Carry-on luggage tags are checked for the blue security stamp, and stamped again with red ink.
3. Another physical pat down.
4. Carry-on luggage tags are checked for both blue and red stamps.

When boarding the plane:

• Boarding pass checked (by, it turns out, the owner of our hotel)

Whew!

<<As I write this, something in the back of my head is warning me that the Leh security may not appreciate me listing their procedure so publicly...I was told by an Indian while flying into Leh that you're not allowed to take pictures of the Leh airport from the airplane. Ok, I get that, but what about satellite imagery? Drones? Anyway, I've decided to leave this post as is because I think it's interesting. We'll see if I get into trouble...>>

Aphorisms for the road (signs)

Driving in India is an experience--there's no other way to describe it.

When I asked Suresh (our Delhi man) about the solid and dashed lines on the road, he said--with a head wobble--they are just suggestions.

Road signs around Ladakh, Dharmsala, Punjab, Rajastan, and Delhi:

We like you, but not your speed

Slow down, I'm curvacious

Drink whiskey, drive risky

No free left

Touch my curves, but don't go over them

Speed thrills, but kills

Drive carefully, someone is waiting for you at home

Wrong side driving

Drive with care, life has no spare

Your hurry is a cause of worry to your family

Overspeed kills, it cuts like a knife

It is better to be Mr Late than Late Mr

I like this one too, painted on a pillar: Knows aids, no aids

From the car window

You see a lot of things driving in India. So many scenarios, stories, vignettes playing out on the side and middle of the road.

As a passenger in a taxi travellling hundreds of kilometers through the Indian countryside, cities, and villages, I've been witnessing these stories over the past few days. The challenge is capturing images of these stories to share with you.

Today, I sort of figured out how to do it: 1) look ahead about a half kilometer down the road; 2) spot something that looks interesting; 3) get the camera ready (turn it ON--not OFF--for starters); 4) frame the subject rushing towards you; 5) click the shutter within a time window of a second or less; 6) rejoice when you get it!

Here are some pictures of the stories we've witnessed over the past few days of road travel. Just know that these represent a tiny fraction of the stories that we've witnessed...India is ever changing, fluid and very hard to pin down. I'll see something interesting and by the time I reach for my camera, it's changed. Or someone walks in front of the camera. Or a passing car blocks our view. Or we're just travelling too darn fast to capture it.

Note the request to BL OW HO RN

Tuk Tuks are used by everyone, for everything. Thank you goat for turning your head.

Road tax collector taking a break on the median. Other officer holds big stick

Early morning happy dogs. Water buffalo in background.

Rajastani women

Is that a dead water buffalo on the roof?

School girls walking home. We figured out they have different colored tunics for each grade.

Can you say "full to bursting"?

Like a wasp's body

School kids travel by tuk tuk. I once counted 12 people plus driver. Love the kid's smile

McLeod Ganj, Dharmsala

Here's some images of McLeod Ganj in Dharmsala (the seat of the Tibbetan government in exile).

There's lots of tourists, and our stay coincided with a month-long Indian holiday. The streets are filled with motorcycle posses, taxis, pedestrians. Everyone who drives honks--all the time. You can't let the honking get to you, or you'd go insane as it just doesn't let up. I have an audio file of the honking while we were eating (which I'll upload when and if I can figure it out).

Driving with centimeters' distance between vehicles

Daily traffic jams of people, tuk tuks, cars, cows, dogs, and motorcycles

Tekla and her friend, in the nun's room

Migma our fabulous guide, his very sweet daughter Rose, and the ever present Hagrid at the Tibetan Children's Village, a boarding school for orphans and Tibetan children

Chilled out dogs

Two of the twelve women police officers in McLeod Ganj

Navnit and Hagrid at Dal lake

Sign at Dal lake: THANK YOU INDIA, Tibetan Community

Sign by the shoe rack at the temple

50th birthday in India (Updated)

I have to admit, it does feel odd to be 50...when I turned 30, I was cool with it; when I turned 40, I was cool with it. But turning 50 seems a tad....big.

But it was the most interesting and auspicious of birthdays. It started with a beautiful gift from my lovely roommate Navnit who called me "birthday girl" all day long. :)

Then we went for our final teaching with Geshe Darkpa, a most wonderful teacher and beautiful person. He ended our sessions by hanging a protection cord around our necks and giving us seeds that were blessed by H.H. the Dalai Lama. (I'm still not sure exactly what to do with the seeds, but will find out.) 

Then we headed off for a public audience with H.H. the 17th Karmapa--the head of the Black Hat Buddhists. (He is the equivalent of H.H. the Dalai Lama who is the head of the Yellow Hat Buddhists.) It was a quick ceremony, where a Geshe placed a kata (scarf) over our necks and the Karmapa handed us a blessed protection chord.

Our guide Migma had arranged for a photo opp with the Karmapa but didn't tell us about it.So after the ceremony, we had security guards corralling us with waving arms and hand gestures: no, don't sit down...stand here...not there...face this direction... When we saw the camera, it clicked and we all smiled (photo to come later).

Entry to see H.H. the 17th Karmapa

Aleeta loves birthdays and was so excited that mine turned out so well. She radiated all day long. Here is us together against the flowering bush after the Karmapa visit. 

Aleeta and I after the Karmapa visit

We planned dinner at a most beautiful restaurant that has excellent food--and beer! Due to the high altitude and because most restaurants don't serve alcohol, this was to be my first beer in India. Sweet!

My first beer in 14 days

At the end of the dinner, Geshe Yampela let us know that he would write a letter to the private secretary of H.H. the Dalai Lama requesting that we have an audience with him. This made me so happy I started to cry! At the same time, I've learned that, in India, what's on the menu is not always what's available. So while I cried with happiness, I also know that it may not happen. But that's okay too; just being offered the opportunity to meet H.H. is gift enough.

A lively and festive dinner

Unfortunately, David and Katie were not able to make it for dinner. Katie has taken ill and is resting up before our trip to Amritsar. We missed them both at the dinner!

Udpate from Aleeta

Today is Allyson’s 50th birthday. We are honoured that she would chose to spend this milestone with us and hope it is a memorable day. We have learned in India that we do not plan but India plans us. Tekla has booked us for dinner at Chonor House, a place where celebrities stay when they are here in Dharamsala so we hope this will be a worthy celebration of dear Allyson.

We arrived in the morning at the Dalai Lama temple for our final teaching with Geshe Darkpa. A dog that had befriended Tekla nestled in between her and Allyson as we sat outside the shrine room in preparation. She is beaming and we are glad.

Geshe Darkpa tells us that he had found a special Canadian translator for us today as he wants us to receive the teachings as deeply as possible. Indeed his teachings cut through us, exposing deeper layers of reality. Monkeys play on the rooftop outside our window reminding us to keep things light-hearted.

Migma announces that we would receive our audience with the Karmapa that afternoon. I looked to Allyson and think to myself "India is giving us her best and I am in awe."  Forces around us were cooperating to break us open. For me, meeting the Karmapa was short but mighty. I found a sense of open space in myself that went beyond many of my issues and perceptions.

It occurred to me that Allyson is more than just a ”beginning meditator” as she calls herself; there is a depth to her that is surfacing for all to see. Or perhaps it was always there and I am finally allowing myself to see her.

I  realize how much my sense of her was my own perception, and how much we operate from what we know, and how that really is an illusion. We think we know someone but when we are willing to release that, we discover an ocean beneath. As my teacher Reggie says “Don’t come to any conclusions about anything" and "Stay open to reality and let it unfold itself to you.”

At our evening celebration dinner at Chonor House, the Tibetan translator and three of the Lamas came to honour this precious human birth. It was an incredibly loving, laughter-filled evening and Allyson humbly received herself. I hope she shows you the video I took of her receiving her blessings.

Buddhist teachings (Updated)

In Leh, Geshe Tsultrim gave some teachings about Buddhism and meditation. He is the principal of the Jamyang school and he such a good teacher. He knows how to get to the basics without losing any of us. Some of us (me) are real newbies, while others have studied for years. But Geshe manages to teach to all of us equally.

He has the most beautific smile I've ever seen. He emanates goodness, compassion, kindness all wrapped up with a sense of humour. If anyone could give me faith, it's this man. We all feel that we learned a lot from him in a short time.

Geshe Tsultrim

In McLoadGanj (Dharmsala), we are being taught by Geshe Lobsang Darkpa, a sweet, kind and compassionate leader. He teaches on average of 5 hours a day to both lay people and monks. It is so incredible to be able to have these teachings--my knowledge of Buddism has risen exponentially. But just being close to these leaders affects my emotional state. It feels so good to just be near them.

Geshe Darkpa

I am so grateful to Tekla for organizing these teachings--it has made the trip so much richer than if I was simply a tourist in India shopping, gawking, being gawked at... :)

Updated
<<Old post: Tomorrow or the next day we will be receiving teachings from the Karmapa--the highest spiritual leader of the Kagyu lineage (the Dalai Lama is a different lineage). We are slated for a private audience with the Karmapa. I'll update this post with a picture as soon as possible.>>

New post: We did not have teachings with H.H. the Karmapa in McLeod Ganj. We did, however, attend two days of teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Leh, Ladakh. We joined about 50,000 Ladakians in the rain and hot sun to listen to HH the Dalai Lama speak. I was in people-watching heaven!

The first day, it was a bit hard to hear the translator and my hips were so cramped. I got up and walked around the fields, people watching. I didn't consciously absorb much of his teachings, but apparently that doesn't matter. Just being in his presence has an impact.

The second day, I left my camera at home and was in silence all day, and so was a bit more focused. I managed to sit in one location for the 4 hours. Having done yoga in the morning, so my hips were in much better condition. The Dalai Lama said many things, but what I remember most is that he encourages everyone to be skeptical, inquiring, and to not follow Buddhism blindly. This resonated with me as the whole month I've been asking questions and trying to figure out for myself what this all means to me.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeting the crowd of 50,000 before giving teachings in Leh, Ladakh

First train ride in India

This post won't have any pictures because I was too terrified to pull out my camera.

It started with Tekla telling us at dinner time that the Delhi train station was the place to be really careful with our luggage. She suggested hiring porters not only to be in charge of our luggage (to reduce the chance of someone slashing our bags), but to help us find the correct train, carriage and berth.

Under a streetlight, at the edge of the train station, our Delhi man Suresh spent 15 minutes with the porters reading our tickets and striking a deal. As soon as the porters loaded our luggage onto a cart, the two porters proceeded to run to the train station. We had no choice but to run after them. We were all a little freaked out, but we managed to catch up to them. We had to hustle as it was 15 minutes until our train left.

At the bottom of a steep staircase, the porters stopped running and offloaded three of the suitcases (my knapsack included) and indicated that we were on our own with those. The other four suitcases they loaded on top of their heads (two each) and climbed the steep stairs onto the overpass.

I had my day pack on my front, and my knapsack on my back and I followed them. It was really hot because we had been running and climbing the stairs, and I was worried we were going to miss our train. Blood pressure was probably getting high.

I noticed that the overpass was crowded with groups of people playing cards, sleeping, people watching. I kept my knapsacks close by and tried to remember what I was seeing.

We got to the train, and the porters loaded everyone on. Unfortunately, I was in a different carriage than everyone, and the porters were more concerned with helping the people whose bags they had carried. Luckily a nice Delhi man said that he would help me to find my carriage.

I arrived at my berth and was told straight away by the family sitting on my berth that they converted the seats to beds at 10:00 pm. So I sat down next to the kids with my bags on my lap--just trying to calm myself. Turns out that the family was super friendly, helpful and generous. Part of the family was from Portland, Oregon and the other half from Delhi. They gave me lots of tips on how to travel by train and I was so grateful to them.

The ticket man came by and agreed to move me to the same carriage as my friends. I thanked the family and moved. I was so grateful to be placed above Gordon and Aleeta that I began to relax and enjoy myself. Aleeta and I explored the train a bit and she taught me how to use a squat toilet.

We settled down at 10 and I slept really well considering I thought that the train was going to topple over. (I'm the kind of person who imagines that when an airplane lands, the wings could touch the runway and topple over. Maybe I have "topple over" paranoia.) At any rate, we arrived safely at Patankot 45 minutes ahead of schedule at 6:00 am and were met by Migma, our guide for the Dharmsala portion of our trip.

All of my fears were unnecessary. So next train ride, I'm going to try and take some pictures.

Dalai Lama Arrives in Leh

Today His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Leh for a holiday and to rest. We joined the school to watch him drive by. Before we lined up on the street, we had some fun with the camera and the Hagrid doll (character from Harry Potter) at the school.

Hagrid is a hit

They love the camera

Along with the rest of the town, we waited for 2.5 hours on the side of the road.

 To pass the time, I pulled out the camera and let them take pictures.

Photo taken by one of the children of Jamyang school

I also got them to sing into the audio recorder--it took a while to convince them, but when I got some sample audio, they loved it. (Will try to upload the audio in another internet session as I forgot to bring my recorder today.)

Introducing the audio recorder

Listening to the playback

No pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama--he went by too quickly. I did get to see him for a split second though. He'll be in Leh until August, so no audience with him on my birthday as we had planned.

Visit to traditional Ladaki home

On the way to a monastery, we stopped by Lama Lhundup's aunt's house. She lives there with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Her own mother was also there, so we saw four generations of Ladakhians.

Lama Lhundup and the granddaughter

 This is on the top floor of the house, with the grandmother. They asked me to put on a traditional coat.

Katie thinks grandmother smiles in her sleep

 The shrine room in their home.

 We had tea and yogurt in the most beautiful kitchen on the lower floor.

Granddaughter in kitchen

Aunty and daughter-in-law dressing me up in traditional outfit

Full outfit

Aleeta in full outfit

Gordon in the man's outfit

Navnit with the granddaughter, aunty, and grandmother

Jamyang School, Leh

Today we went to the Jamyang school in Leh, a boarding school sponsored by H.H. Dalai Lama.

When we arrived, all 200 children were lined up to greet us and shake our hands one by one. "Good Morning Madam!". Man oh man., I felt like royalty (again).

All 200 children lined up to greet us

Geshe Lobsong presents us with blue kata

We shook each and every hand

Since it was Sunday, most of the children were not in uniform. But turn the corner, and a few were in school uniform and local dress.

School uniform

Traditional dress

The official picture

These kids are incredible. They look after each other, they listen, they stay amused and can sit for extended periods of time without fidgeting. Some are shy, others are bold. They range in age from 3 years to 8 years, and the school goes to Grade 5, but plans are to go to Grade 12.

Brushing hair after their shower

Waiting for lunch to be served

Lots of Crocs outside dining hall

 The children in the school are orphaned or poor. The school admin tours the district each year and selects 20 lucky kids. This is the sister of one of the girls in the school.

Asleep in dining hall

The children have 4 house mothers--who each take care of 50 children. They have one year's training in compassion and trauma counseling. Beautiful, caring women.

House mother with four of her girls

The school and courtyard--needs a roof