Here is a view of the room I was staying in:
Actually quite nice for a hostel. Really spacious.
New day. New try.
Small backpack. Entry permit.
Aaand... from Sobijid I heard one more hint about Dalai Lama. Who is actually here, in Ladakh.
Why?
Because Dharamshala was too rainy for his taste. Usually he resides there, that's a cople of hundreds kilometres away from here. But during monsoon months he someyears comes to Ladakh. Just as this year.
Coincidence?
Who knows. But you'll see meeting Dalai Lama is not thaat easy. And it was actually kinda fun to get to know how I shall proceed.
Sobijid is the manager of the hostel. A cool guy. And he knows the region enough to at least have some faith in what he's saying. And when asking about Dalai Lama he said "yeah, you can just go there and meet him or get an appointment."
What's the place name?
"Choglamsar"
What? Chocolatsunset?
No, "Choglamsar."
What? Tschoklamma?
"Noo, bro. Choglamsar."
Ah bro whatever. I will just ask random people about Dalai Lama. Everyone will know about it.
That's how I added Chocolatsunset to my to do list for the day.
This time I was like a missile.
Breakfast here. Some more tandoori snack there.
Following Loldens recommendation to check out the local museum. But that had time, just wanted to see what it has something pressing on offer. Nope. So went out of it again.
Then checking the Tourist Office out for the permit. Progress was so slow. I just skipped it.
And looked for a bus to Chocolatsunset.
People didn't get me. No surprise.
One elder recognized it though saying:
"Oh you mean Choglamsar?"
"Yes, exactly! Shockantsla!"
"Oh but Dalai Lama not allow in that. You need online. Takes long."
I was just like, ah who cares. Trusting Sobijid. I'll go there anyways. How to reach it?
"By bus. Every five minutes."
Perfect.
Found a bus to Shogglingtramline.
Squeezed in.
Left it at last stop, 10 minutes later.
Found the complex. But it was empty.
Looked around. Found an army person. He kindly pointed me away.
"Not entry."
I believed his automatic machine rifle.
I said Dalai Lama. He said. "There"
Awesome. There. Which was here. How precise.
I kept on looking. Asking. Walking.
Then I found something like a main gate. But it was locked. There was noone.
At just at that time a person with a suit left. I asked "office, for appointment with Dalai Lama?"
"No office. E-mail."
That was the same info I got from the Ladakh Buddhist Association.
Matches. Nice.
"Thanks. Now nothing?"
"Now, not possible."
Ok.
So I came to "Tschuchingframa" basically for nothing.
At least I wanted to write some. So I was looking for a nice cafe. Found this.
Beautiful. But it was actually no cafe. Only a hotel. An actual one. Where you sleep. Stayed a little. Left without much progress. Searched something else.
Found it. Wrote. Had butter tea. Had chapati. Wonderful. Prepared some blog posts. Went to the washroom. And because they didn't want to hear my sounds, they turned up the volume of the speakers.
And maaaaan, what a song.
"Headlights" by Alok & Alan Walker.
I loved it that much I almost stayed even longer at the washroom.
Immediately downloaded it. Went to the main street. Wanted to go back to Leh.
Tried to stop a bus. But weirdly. Bus after bus ignored me.
I was like "bro?! What's wrong here? Am I doing something wrong?"
Since they were all driving already. I thought maybe they are full. So I started blasting the new song. And walk back into the direction of the Dalai Lama complex.
There was the first bus stop going to Leh. There I would surely get one.
When I reached I noticed something strange.
There were people in Dalai Lama's complex. Many. Walking.
In that moment I realized why no buses stopped for me. I was supposed to get there.
To join that walking activity. Whatever it was.
With my huge backpack I joined. The first circle was done I thought like "Okay, what's the purpose, when is he coming out now?"
I was also perplexed because some were laying in grass, not looking towards the shiny palace type of building, but to something in the forest. What am I missing?
One circle took me roughly 20 minutes. After the first circle I thought, okay. Do I want to meet him or not?
And I kept on walking.
But nothing kept on happening.
Just the people got less and less.
Until I finished my fourth circle.
It was getting dark and the gates closed.
At the exit a family was waiting. For me.
They wanted to know where I'm from, how many circles I did. I learned this was a praying circle around Dalai Lama's residence.
I immediately connected it to the circling motion we do with the prayer wheels which we rotate clockwise. Same thing there. Just the rotating thing was us. And we protected and energized His Holiness with it.
Nice thing.
Anyways I told Wangtak about my plans. And he told me everything about it.
Send e-mail. Ask for blessing. Since when you wait for this. Why you do this.
Awesome. So I got eventually what I wanted. I might have been tested. Or let's say, my dedication was. Do I really want it? Because walking on a flat surface with that heavy backpack is also not suuuuper fun for everyone. For me it was though first practice for some hikes. And ultimately I enjoyed walking into myself with each step. It was actually a meditation.
And then he asked where I need to go.
"To Leh."
"You have vehicle?"
"Nope."
"Come, I drop you."
Me: "Awesome."
Him: "Do you believe in Karma?"
"Sure."
"That's why this happens today. It's an honor to meet you."
"Oh man, likewise, thanks for dropping me there!"
And that was not all. His brother is a monk in Zanskar. The valley for the brave. In one of the monasteries I wanted to visit. He gave me the name and reassured that I should call him before I go and he would arrange everything. Even cooler.
And know what?
He didn't drop me at the hostel. That was on the opposite side of Leh.
He dropped me near to where he had to go.
And that was actually perfect.
Why?
Because that was directly where my first hostel was.
And why is that good?
Because I forgot my towel there and anyways planned to take it.
So I did, then wasted some money on sweets made with old oil, almost making me vomit when tasting. Took another bus into main market. And walked home from there. It was a really cool day.
Found some cool places I wanted to check out. First this food store located right at the street, serving Tibetan food.
And then this beauty. But I just wanted to reach home. It was late.
So I did that. To have food at the hostel. Which was more than awesome by the way. Rohit, my friend, and the main chef was rocking the Gobi Manchurian, the rice and the chapati.
That was it.
I came home. Chose a six bed room.
It was actually free. I was the only one.
And just about to undress for a shower. When the door opened.
And again the same girl came in.
I thought "crazy, this girl is following me."
But actually, last night with all the guys in one room was too loud for he. She couldn't sleep at all so she requested a shift in the middle of the night and got here. So technically I was following her.
Anyways, no need to go into more details. I slept.
Without Entry permit. Without bag.
But with knowledge about how to meet Dalai Lama.
Light and Love, Felix
