Dharamsala is interesting in the sense of life in a spiritual community. there are monks everywhere, mantras and "om mani padme hung" mantras being played on stereo's, lots of people walking around with prayer beads. Pictures of buddha's and the dalai lama are everywhere. There are lots of classes and lectures here on buddhist philosophy, meditation, yoga, tibetan cultural arts, meditation retreats etc... it's interesting because everything is a constant reminder for you to practice.
having said that, dharamsala is a bit more dirty and grittier than i expected. I was hoping it'd be different from the rest of india but it's still pretty dirty and noisy and crowded. however the people here are much nicer than the rest of india.
And although it is a buddhist community, there is a definite sense of westernization. There is a new-age hippy vibe to this place. There are so many westerners walking around dressed in local shawls and jewelry, carrying around prayer beads...It's hard to take them seriously.
But I can see the benefits to living in a spiritually oriented community, everything and everyone is on the same page as you.
Also, it is very cold up here.
This is the dog I befriended. I call him "Slice" for the pizza slices I fed him to win him over. I like him because he's a very bashful dog. He has a really funny way of holding his head down (you can see it in the picture), and he won't really look you in the eye even though he's happy to see you. I like him because he's been guarding the door to my room every night, his presence oddly makes me feel a little safer.
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