Dharamsala Archives - A Side of Sweet

My Favorites: Things to Do in Mcleod Ganj, India

For my last post about my time at Delek Hospital and Mcleod Ganj, I want to leave you with a post of my favorite things to do here. This is a collection of experiences, activities, places to eat and things to do in Mcleod Ganj.

Mcleod Ganj is a great place to volunteer. Given that the Tibetan government in exile is located here and that a large part of the population is Tibetan, there are many, many opportunities to work for the Tibetan cause. Personally, I volunteered at Delek Hospital and Tibetan Children’s Village, and also spent a day working in the Dharamsala slums via Tong-Len. These were amazing learning opportunities for me and I am confident that you will be able to find something as rewarding for yourself if you spend time here.

Visiting Norbulingka Institute in Sidhpur was one of my favorite day trips out of Mcleod Ganj (see my post here). I recommend taking the public bus, which takes about an hour and costs 15 rupees ($.30). The institute is beautiful and serene and is dedicated to preserving Tibetan handicrafts. Don’t forget to check out their awesome cafe! While at Norbulingka, you can also visit Guyato Monestary, also known as the Karmapa Temple. The Karmapa is one of the four head of one of the main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and does teachings at Guyato Monestary between 2:30 and 3:00pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

I also loved trekking to Triund. It is about a half day hike from Mcleod Ganj to the top and back and the view of the snow-capped Himalayas is amazing!

Take a few hours to visit the Tsuglagkhang Buddhist Complex, home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Museum, and walk the prayer wheel circuit to improve your good karma.

Although it’s no Rishikesh (the birthplace of yoga), I did check out a few yoga places in Mcleod Ganj. By far my favorite teacher was Amit Namdev of Amit Reiki and Yoga. He has classes that are appropriate for all yoga experience levels and takes time to give hands on instruction during class to help you improve your practice. His calm manner and great teaching style were exactly what I was looking for in a yoga teacher. I am lucky enough to now call him a friend.

Things To Do in Mcleod Ganj - Amit Reiki and Yoga

I couldn’t start my day without coffee, but unfortunately most coffee shops in Mcleod Ganj don’t open early enough for me to grab a cup of real (not instant) coffee before I head to the hospital. Thank goodness for the boys at Cafe Budan. They open around 7:45am and offer amazing espresso and coffee as well as a full Western breakfast menu. The staff there is wonderful as well and were happy to help me practice Tibetan in the mornings.

One of my favorite places to eat in Mcleod Ganj was Crepe Pancake. You absolutely must try the owner’s burritos! Apparently, I Mexican nun spent some time in Mcleod and taught her how to make an amazing burrito from scratch. The food takes a while to come, as it’s all made to order by one woman, but it’s definitely worth it.By far the place I visited most often for dinner was Peace Cafe. They have a full menu of India, Western and Tibetan dishes, and everything I tried was better than I could have imagined. My favorites were their tofu and vegetables (in broth, lightly seasoned with Indian spices) and the tofu massala scramble (tofu, eggs and spices), and tofu and veg thupka (a Tibetan dishes with noodles and veggies). My mouth is watering just thinking of it! Next door is a little place that sells made fresh sourdough and whole wheat bread. Every time I went in the loaves were so fresh they were still warm!

Other places not pictured:

Common Ground Cafe – great for healthy and thoughtfully prepared dinners and amazing, decadent desserts. Their homemade toffee bars are buttery, delicious heaven.

Bhagsu Waterfall – a nice 30 minute hike from Mcleod Ganj. Go early before it gets busy.

Misty Woods Guesthouse – my home away from home in Mcleod Ganj. Beautiful rooms, great location and an amazing staff that became like family.

Hiking in Mcleod Ganj – aka “The Scramble”

The other doctors are planning on doing a long trek after they get done working at Delek Hospital. To get ready, they have been hiking in Mcleod Ganj every morning before work. Sometimes they will walk for up to two hours! Crazy!

Hiking in Mcleod Ganj and Bhagsu Falls

One Sunday, I decided to accompany them on one of these epic training hikes. It only took about 30 minutes to make me realize that I was out of my league. The only word I can come up with to describe what these girls do every morning is “scrambling”. We basically walked our way through a river bed and climbed up and down huge rocks and sometimes inched our way along steep riverbanks. It took us about three hours to reach our first destination of Bhagsu Falls, which is only a 30 minute walk from where we started! Umm, ladies? That’s why roads were invented! 🙂

Hiking in Mcleod Ganj and Bhagsu Falls

I ended up bailing on the hike at Bhagsu Falls and heading back to Mcleod Ganj, but the girls went on going for another four hours! They eventually got caught in a storm and I spent the afternoon feeling very bad fom them as I was tucked under the covers in my guesthouse.

Maybe they have a little goat in them?

Hiking in Mcleod Ganj and Bhagsu Falls - Stupid Goats

Although I think they are a wee bit crazy to do these big steep up and down climbs for fun, I am also very impressed. I ran in the mountains almost every day while in Mcleod Ganj, but I was just no match for their scramble. Love you girls! xx Hiking in Mcleod Ganj and Bhagsu Falls

Check out my other post about hiking in Mcleod Ganj here!

Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums – India

One half day per month, the doctors at Tibetan Delek Hospital volunteer in the Dharamsala slums via Tong-Len, a volunteer organization that aims to improve living conditions of misplaced families who inhabit the slums

Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

I wish I could say that I finished the day fulfilled and feeling like I’d made a difference, but that was definitely not the case. We did not have much of an idea what we were in for when the wonderful staff of Tong Len picked us up. When we arrived, we found that the local “tavern” (aka drinking tent) had been tidied up for us to use as our clinic away from home.

Tong Len Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

All medications could be dispensed on site without the need for a prescription. We could not do any blood tests or advanced examinations, instead we recommended that the patients visit the local hospital for testing for things like tuberculosis. Two local men translated for us and the patients formed a small mob waiting to be seen.

Tong Len Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

We did out best with few resources and shoddy translation to diagnose and treat patients appropriately. It seemed like the patients had one of two complaints – back/body pain, or stomach pain. Both are incredibly nonspecific and usually fairly harmless as long as other “warning signs” are not present.” We treated them diclofenac gel (topical ibuprofen) or albendazole (de-worming medication) or a proton pump inhibitor (like Prilosec). In the words of one of the docs, “Given the living conditions, they probably all have worms.”

It seemed that some patients knew what medicine they needed before I even saw them. I asked the nurse running the clinic about this, and she said “Oh, they come every month with the same complaint. If they don’t get a medicine, they think the doctor is rubbish and go see someone else.” It’s unclear whether people even take the medicines, or if there is a stockpile hidden somewhere.

Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

Overall, it was very eye-opening to see the conditions of the Dharamsala slums and to see some of the good that Tong-Len is able to do. They run a tent school where children receive instruction in English, Hindi, and mathematics and they also started a fresh fruit and vegetable stand next door.

Tong Len Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

Mobile Clinic - Volunteering in the Dharamsala Slums India

Does Your Run Have This? Running in Mcleod Ganj, India

Don’t forget that I’m donating all advertising revenue this month to Delek Hospital for the care of Tibetan refugees! Just click on the ads on both sides and bottom of the blog!

Given that Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj are nestled at the base of the Himalayan mountains, I wasn’t sure if I could find a nice place to run without heading straight up a mountain. Luckily, running in Mcleod Ganj, India was beautiful and not all about steep inclines! I was able to find a mildly hilly route with scenic views. It was great to train at altitude while in India, even if I will lose all the advantages when I travel for two weeks at sea level.

In honor of my awesome runs in Mcleod Ganj, I present this post – “Does Your Run Have This?”

Does your run have rhododendron trees with scenic valley views?

How about snow capped peaks?

And foraging cattle?

Does your run have friendly dogs who follow you for the majority of your half hour run?

Does you run have lots of tree cover and a monkey that looks like it came out of a horror movie? Edited2

How about a red-faced monkey smoking a straw?

And finally, does your run have a quiet little cathedral called St. John in the Wilderness, where you can see the crumbling tombstones of people from as far back as the 1800’s?

And of course, exotic birds!

I’ve finished my month at Delek Hospital and I’m hitting the road. This means I have to say good bye to this lovely run in Mcleod Ganj! *Tear*

Curious where I was? You can find a map of my run here.

To Do in Dharamsala – Norbulingka Institute

One of my favorite things that I did while In Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj was visit the Norbulingka Institute. Norbulingka is about one hour from Mcleod Ganj using public transportation. It is as simple as hopping a bus at the Mcleod Ganj bus station and transferring in Dharamsala. The whole ride cost me 15 rupees ($.27) and was incredibly easy! In fact, the biggest interruption of the trip was a goat and sheep crossing:

Norbulingka Institute was established to help preserve Tibetan culture and traditional handicraft practices. Visitors can see and buy Thangka applique, woodcarving, metal working and embroidered clothing. I was able to pick up a pair of black loose fitting pants that will be perfect for our upcoming honeymoon to Morrocco!

One thing that surprised me was the amazing food at the Norbuligka cafe. Although it is expensive by Indian standards, the quality and taste of the food was on par with fine dining in the United States that costs much more. I had the special tofu and egg gyathuk (noodle soup with veggies), which was spectacular. I can’t wait to find a recipe so I can try to replicate it at home!

Norbulingka is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. I highly recommend you putting it on your “To Do in Dharamsala’ list!

Teenage Health Talks at Tibetan Children’s Village

Don’t forget that I’m donating all advertising revenue this month to Delek Hospital for the care of Tibetan refugees! Just click on the ads on both sides and bottom of the blog!

While volunteering at Tibetan Children’s Village, I was asked by the health committee to do some health education for the senior (grade 9-12) students while here. I gave separate boys and girls talks where the students were able to write down questions and submit them anonymously for me to answer.

I had tons of great questions on everything from acne to medicines that promise to make you taller to skin lightening creams. Just like we try to make ourselves tanner in the United States, the hope here is for fairer skin. The grass is always greener on the other side!

There were also a good number of sexual health questions, which I was very happy about. I really wanted the opportunity to dispel the myths that come with lack of knowledge and to promote healthy sexual behaviors.

(Click to enlarge)

The last health talk I gave was for World Health Day. It was for all of the senior students and ended up being about 500 students and staff! It was slightly intimidating to stand before such a large group and talk about being healthy. Okay, it was very intimidating!

I had a blast spending the week at TCV. It is my first time working with kids since September, as all of my recent rotations have been with adults. It really re-lit my passion for medicine and reconfirmed that training as a pediatrician will give me life-long fulfillment as a career. Working with kids is challenging and exciting and rewarding and I can’t wait to start residency at UCSF this summer!