Delhi to Dharamsala and back again

I am back in Delhi after a tranquil 10 days in Dharamsala. Stepping off the plane today, back into the heat, I wished that I was still in the hillside town of McLeod Ganji where I was on a Buddhist retreat. I can't possibly capture the experience here in a simple post, but my days were spent in silence, meditating and learning about Tibetan Buddhism with about 50 other travelers. For the first six days, we were able to talk for an hour a day when we broke into small discussion groups to talk about what we were learning. The last two full days, however, were spent in complete silence with seven meditation sessions spread throughout the day. Above is a photo of the gompa where I spent most if my time, as it where we had lessons as well as meditation sessions. Below that is my beloved discussion group with whom I became quite close.

Being back in Delhi is a little jarring. Riding in a taxi is always an experience as a three lane road is somehow turned into a five lane highway of cars, trucks, and motorcycles weaving in and out of each others' ways. I am excited though that tomorrow marks the beginning of my two week tour as it means more new people to meet, and much much more of the country to see.