Tiger Riding for Beginners

Traveling Poet Philosopher & Occasional Wiseacre

DAILY PHOTO: Rushing Glacial Runoff

Posted on July 25, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken on June 8, 2015 in Great Himalyan National Park (GHNP)

Taken on June 8, 2015 in Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP)

DAILY PHOTO: Monument to Self-Immolators at the Dalai Lama’s Temple

Posted on July 24, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken at the Dalai Lama's Temple in McLeodganj on June 22, 2015

Taken at the Dalai Lama’s Temple (Tsug la Khang) in McLeodganj on June 22, 2015

In the Dalai Lama Temple complex, Tsug la Khang, there’s a monument to Tibetan self-immolators that is located right across from The Tibet Museum (which, incidentally, has its own memorial wall inside.)

DAILY PHOTO: Jakhoo Temple

Posted on July 23, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken on June 24, 2015 at Jakhoo Temple in Shimla

DAILY PHOTO: Village Kids

Posted on July 22, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken June 14, 2014 in Himachal Pradesh

DAILY PHOTO: Prayer Flags, With Fun Facts

Posted on July 20, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken on June 16, 2015 in Manali at Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa

Now heavily associated with Tibetan Buddhism, colorful prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon–an indigenous religion of Tibet that predated Buddhism’s arrival.

Traditionally, the color progression from left to right is blue, white, red, green, and yellow (i.e. as seen in the top row), but variations can be seen.

Besides monasteries and temples, one will often see strings of flags out in natural settings on mountains.

The day and time of placement of the flags is considered carefully because it’s believed that if they are hung at inauspicious times they may bring bad fortune instead of the desired compassion and peace.

DAILY PHOTO: St. John in the Wilderness

Posted on July 19, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken June 23, 2015 in McLeodganj

This Anglican church dates to 1852 and was built for British troops stationed here back when Dharamsala was a British garrison town. (FYI: Dharamsala retains a large military base to this day and thus is still a military town in a sense, though I doubt there is a significant number of Anglicans among the officers or enlisted troops these days.)

This hand-cut granite structure was said to be one of the few that survived a major earthquake in 1905. It features a bell that has survived damage and attempted thievery.

DAILY PHOTO: Snow Pockets

Posted on July 18, 2015 by B Gourley

Taken on June 10, 2015 in Great Himalayan National Park

Most of the snow that we saw during our trek last month was well above us, but we did have one day in which we had to cross through pockets of snow many times as we rounded a mountain at about 4,000 meters.