Kath's Web: July 2006

Searching the Dalai Lama in India

Coffee break on the way from Una to Darmshala/McLeod Ganj, the home of the Dalai Lama. Our taxi, decorated for a wedding, which took place the previous evening. Many people looked surprised to see two foreigners in such a car...

Towards Darmshala. Slowly one is winding up the small streets to reach the Home of many Tibetan refugees, embedded in the Indian Himalaya.

Himachal Pradesh. That is where the Himalaya Mountains begin. Here they rise up to around 5000m.

The view from the balkony. We stayed in a little village called Nidda, in a resort called Udechee Huts. Highly recommendable!

It is July 1. 2006. On that day the railway from China to Tibet is officially launched. This provoques strong protest, as many fear an even greater negative impact of China on Tibet.

There are various initiatives to support the Tibetan refugee community in and around Darmshala.

Kolkatta

Kolkatta is supposedly the intellectual capital of India. A city with many faces and facettes. Very worthwhile to explore...

An old British government building. Nowadays used for the Indian Postal System. Clerical staff sleeping right in front of them.

Kolkatta also has very nice sides and many old British Raj buildings. This is the Victoria Memorial, build after the status of capital was transferred to Delhi. It contains an excellent exhibition about the city's history.

Kolkatta also has a tram, which however is very prone to accidents, as the brakes seem to not work by default.

Morning bath for the three-wheeler drivers.

Taking lunch on the sidewalk. Also the sleeping and working place for millions of poor people in India.

Flower Market: The man with the big bunch of flowers walking away, paid 40EUR cents for them.

A Hindu Temple: People doing the ritual bathing in the river - flowing through Kolkatta - which also carries Ganga water. Here however looking much different than close to its source.

On the Bridge, almost everybody carried a huge baggage on the head, transporting the goods from one side of the city to the other. Sometimes you wonder how they are able to see anything.