Where the Dalai Lama lives

We didn’t get the chance to see the Dalai Lama in person (which became quite difficult since his popularity has reached incredible dimensions), but he's omnipresent in McLeod Ganj anyway. Photos of him and his sayings, his texts, his books are everywhere, in any shape or size, in his temple, in the countless restaurants, cafés, shops, guesthouses and hotels.

Most of the people living here are Tibetan refugees who worship their spiritual leader. They benefit from the booming tourism, enjoy the peace and freedom of this place, always smiling. But when they tell their moving stories about their escape from Tibet, we can feel that they miss their country, their home.

While Silke was finishing her Vipassana, Hauke helped out at a local environmental project, supporting Tibetan women in a paper recycling factory, all handicraft, and definitely a great experience with the cheerful women.

Otherwise, we recharged our cycling batteries with delicious food, even some Italian, and prepared ourselves for the upcoming weeks. After all, we still had grand plans for the last weeks of our journey...Læs mere