Eagles, Lizards and Snakes

Happy New Year or Happy or Happy Losar everybody. I am indecisive now about how much of writing I want to do at this exact moment. Internet hasn't awakened yet and continues his new years party somewhere in the valley keeping us westerners (or in my case eastern Europe's  blockers) glued to the screen, drinking numerous teas, coffees and hoping to log on to virtual world before caffeine takes over our minds and we all go mad.

Losar kept Tibetans away from opening their stores and cafes for three days allowing Indians to get all the tourist cash. The town seemed to be dead and you could observe which places belonged to Tibetans because they were the ones being closed. Seeing HH The 14th Dalailama twice in three days and adding a visit to Oracle Kunten La it all just seems so unreal. I was helping 3 russian ladies with russain - english - russian translation thus having a chance to meet the oldest of two Dalailama's Oracles. 

Running out of cash and noticing how the skin on my arms dries up I had to find the cheap and most nutritional food around here. So Max, the Dutch soul I mentioned in my previous blog, suggested to go to German Bakery near Peace Cafe on Jogiwara rd and get some really nice brown bread, the real stuff. Next thing to do was to find an organic spread which I was told to find at Osho book store (despite some weird ideas in his books, they sell really amazing and most importantly organic Tahini, Peanut Butter, Juices, Jam, Honey and Cheese!). His two months experience led me to a Momo Cafe, where you can have real Tibetan traditional dishes for good price and everything is really fresh.

The problem of eating momos, noodles and rice is that it just goes through your guts like water and leaves you in a constant state of hunger. After visiting these guys everything has changed for me and for entire McLeod Ganj, no more hungry latvians around because they have a recipe for most delicious bread and cakes which they not keeping in secret either. The business helps them to support at least to some extent their son (wife not pictured) in US where he's studying engineering in Michigan. The older man's wife is always really kind and eager to know things about Latvia and Europe in General. The size of that bakery is two small rooms but they are able to supply the whole town. 

My friend Eddy was leaving on Sunday and I took him around Namgyal Temple where old man was feeding dogs and cows from his hand.

Later that day we shared a taxi with Clare from UK and a swedish yogi girl Mandella who claims to be the only one having such name in Sweden, and visited Karma-pa's temple (the head of Kagyu lineage) and Norbulinka Institute of Arts.  If you know any Mandella from Sverige, we are in the same circle. 

Norbulinka territory was designed by a japanese architect and you can tell the difference right when you pass through the gates - amazing gardens and running water, small waterfalls and pools everywhere. 

Spilled Chai is a trademark of service in cafes.

Jamming with Max and recording bits at Rogpa for our upcoming song. It's so good to get in there and play songs in turns for mostly South Korean audience, cause the place belongs to Korean dude so it's like their base there. But everyone is welcome to volunteer and help raising money for Tibetan Community Center. 

Eddie right before leaving the upper Dharamsala and returning home with fresh ideas, goods for his shop and the blanket (he was the blanket man on this trip)

The secret of staying fit is choosing a guesthouse in the Lower East side where you have to measure a pretty steep stairway every time you want to hit the town.

Last meal in Carpe Diem. Pay attention to his face expression, we enjoy eating so much as well as talking about impermanence, enlightenment and karma (causes and results) to the extent where brain goes into error. 

Mandella spotted me on the street on Monday and followed to the internet cafe and we teamed up for a walk to Bhagsu waterfall and further up the river. This hairy friend above came up halfway with another company and stayed with us all the way up and down which took about 4 hours and made the beautiful day even more lovely. 

Ice cold pool. Got guts?

The Lizzard.

Bunch of guys live here and run a cafe apart of smoking weed pretty much all the time. Anyway, this place was rad and I guess it has a pretty impressive view on the river in the monsoon when the level is really high and the steep drop turns it into deadliest jacuzzi ever.

You don't find much of street art in town, but you go outside it and that's where it all begins. 

Street art or river art you may call it. They use huge rocks in stones for it cause river serves as a pathway when it's dry. Pretty smart.

Probably the most perfect settings to make songs and most perfect breakfast below. 

Slicing the legendary bread! Bon Appetite everyone.