Dancing in ze mountains - Dharamshala

• Dharamshala vs. Rishikesh.  In a table!
• I’m a racist
• An Oxymoronic celebrity

Amristar to Dharamshala was a simple 6 hour bus ride.  Usually a duration which I fill with audiobooks and breathing in the sights.  This ride, however, was made a lot more interesting by my companion for the ride, Rami from Israel, a photographer who films for The Great Race.   Among many of his cameras he had an S100 as I do and was surprised that I hadn't hacked mine.  Hacked my camera?  This guy uses drones to make movies.  I’m proud of my 5 euro tripod and unhacked camera but was humbled looking at Rami’s photos.  This is a photo he took with an iPhone 4.  You can only imagine what he can do with a professional kit...

If you've read previous posts you’ll know my favourite spot in India is Rishikesh.  I had always been curious by my mates who headed to Dharamshala when it got too hot in Rishikesh.  I had high expectations for a little bubble of bliss even further up in the Himalayas.  I was not ready for the Las Vegas bright lights and groups of tourists drinking when I arrived.   To demonstrate my shock I made a table (cool eh?):

	Rishikesh	Dharamshala
My form	On crutches.  Discovered Tantra	A bit sick.  I get no lovin'
Religion (local culture)	Hindu (and reputed to be the Yoga capital of the world)	Buddhist (home of the Dalai Lama)
Booze/Drogas	No, Maybe	Yes, Yes
Cars	No (apart from jeeps in LJ)	Yes
Gangs of Israelis	A lovely bunch	OD
Mountains	Baby Ones	Grown up ones
Yoga/Meditation	Too much	Not enough
Ganga (Ganges River)	Yes	No
Tourist type	All in white	Anything goes/North Face head to toe
Gestures	Palms in front of chest	Any

So my subjective opinion is that Rishikesh wins hands down.  I will go back to Dharamshala but next time I’ll take it for what it is; a cheeky little party town in the mountains with a few options for meditation. 

On arrival I headed past the Vegas lights of McleodGanj and up to Bagsu where I found a gorgeous hotel.  The only issue was that I was the only non-Israeli there.  Remi (the Israeli from the bus) had suggested best to stay away as despite Israelis being lovely on their own like most nationalities they become very insular when in groups.  Well it resulted in me nearly being racist on my tripadvisor review (click here).  I did later move down to the quiet Chaawani but it still didn't feel the love.

My main issue with Dharmshala was not the place but the fact that I couldn't even walk up stairs without getting out of breath.  This was not altitude and only a year before I’d been running up mountains so I finally went to see a doctor.  A GP who had also studied ayuveda (and is so well loved that he is now on tripadvisor as an attraction!).  As David (the dude) had told me on the boat in Dal Lake my lungs were wrecked so I was advised to stay in bed and rest.  I was due to fly to altitude and trek within one week.  Ouch.

As opposed to resting I got attracted by the bright lights of McleodGaj and ended up going clubbing.  Yes, clubbing in Dharamshala.  I was in a club necking shots with a gay friend from Brighton and he turned to me and claimed it was the gayest club he’d been to in a while.  I looked over and saw a pished fat middle aged English guy dancing with hit top off whilst parents danced with babies in slings swaying infront of them.  For a brief moment I thought I was on the Koh San road.

This was the little gang I hung out with in Dharmshala before I listened to my doctors orders.

A friend of a friend had setup a dance school in town and needed performers so as she was a lindyhop dancer I volunteered.  It was an amazing setup with big windows looking out onto the Himalayas and after we’d danced (and I was covered in sweat with a fever as  should have been in bed, resting) I spoke to some of the audience.  To my shock (aswell as them talking to me when I was such a mess) some of them were Tibetan Politicians in exile and some Tibetan celebrities.  Not quite sure quite how you can be a celebrity in exile, quite the oxymoron.

Here’s a pic of me and Dolker dancing.  Yes I know, aren't trekking shoes quite dainty!

The dance performance reminded me how much I miss swing dancing.  I’d done a little bit over the last year but this was my first in a studio and it felt GOOD.  The backdrop of the Himalayas and a great follower helped.  Funnily enough that same week a TEDx talk on Lindy Hop by was given – check this out..

I then retired to spend two days in my room being good and resting to get fixed before I flew to altitude.  I had decided to fly but not to trek.  It was to be simple trip.  6 hour bus to Jammu, then flight to Leh.  Simple mi hole…..