The Dalai Lama was born on the same day as the Buddha (and George Bush and Sylvestor Stallone...how's that for a strange day in the course of humanity), and the Tibetans put on a huge shindig for him that lasted well into the night. The day after the big event all the special entertainers could be seen back at their real jobs wiping down tables and selling Buddha trinkets in souvenir shops. It's strange to think that this little village we're in is the same to the Tibetans as Washington DC is to Americans and London is to the Brits. An interesting note is that in the western world The Dalai Lama is 70, but in Tibetan Buddhism consciousness has to be present for conception to take place so they add nine months from birth and round it up to a few months, so to them he's 71. The always-smiling monks spent the day climbing though the crowd serving snacks and refreshments from massive buckets of rice and huge pots full of yummy, artery clogging butter tea.

The number two in the Tibetan Government is called the Panchen Lama who is currently out of the picture because at the age of 6 he was forceably taken from his home in Tibet and jailed by the Chinese Government. He is the youngest political prisoner on record and no one knows where he is or even if he's still alive. The Chinese have since declared their own Panchen Lama to take his place. Why does this matter you ask? It is very important to the Tibetans because, not only is the Panchen Lama the successor if something were to happen to the Dalai Lama, but more importantly, the Panchen Lama is the one who heads the small committee of monks who will able to recognize the reincarnation of the the present 14th Dalai Lama when he comes back as the 15th. I know one of the burning questions for those of you in cyberland is just how is the Dalai Lama's reincarnation recognized? Read "7 Years in Tibet" by Heinrich Harrer. It's a great story with a lot of interesting western insight into the Tibet of day's past. I'm well aware that the girls want to see the film version because of Brad, but trust me, the movie ain't even in the same solar system as the book.

Number three on the totem pole is known as the Karmapa and he turned 21 just days before His Holiness' birthday. This important birthday signified a right of passage making him head of the second largest Tibetan Buddhist monestary in India and excutor of untold amounts of wealth (and now he can finally buy beer legally too!). Evidently, before dying in his previous life, the Karmapa was kind enough to inform the Dalai Lama of the exact date, location, and parent's names so he would promptly be found on his re-entry...these guys are so polite, aren't they? Anyway, his bash wasn't too bad either.

Geshe Sonam is another amazing person. The Dalai Lama personally requested that he take the position as the head of the Sara Monestary in Southern India. With over 5,000 monks in residence it is the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist Monestary in the world. He declined. Geshe felt it was a more effective use of his talents to help educate westerners in the ways of Buddhism. He holds classes 6 days a week in the Library at the Tibertan governmental complex where people come from all over the world to study with him. When asked why she's worked with him for over 25 years, Ruth, his translater (and an Oxford Scholar) said "because he's the most intelligent and the kindest person I've ever met." Together they form an unlikely alliance, but many people are quick to recognize she expends a lot of energy to keep his brilliant mind on track.

Tushita is a beautiful retreat location about a mile up the mountain from McLeod Ganj. Among the many programs they host is an 8-day silent retreat where one learns the basic teachings of Buddha and reflects very quietly on how to make these teachings work for them. It was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. Whether or not you're into the teachings is irrelevant, just the peace and quiet of the incredible surroundings coupled with the daily discussion groups with your very interesting counterparts and the phenomenally good cuisine make it well worth your while. If you do end up going, I must recommmend our instructor: Jimmy Neal. He was, as he puts it, "exploring India way before Lonely Planet was." His pre-monk goings on include interesting activities in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and all those other volitile and mysterious places that end in "stan." He's also a frighteningly well read person who's been there and back and ain't afraid to talk about it.

Triand is on the top of one of the mountain ridges we can see from our room. It's not exactly a town, it's more like a bunch of caves in the mountainside where monks go into retreat and a bunch of little food stands for the hikers that either go for the day or to spend the night. At the beginning of our trek we encountered two dogs that took it upon themselves to guide us the entire 3 hours up. Alas, when we got to the top they decided the people camping who had potato chips were far more interesting. At one point we came upon a lone woman who was collecting the hillside grass into bales. She asked me for water and while reaching for the bottle she knocked a boulder loose. She started yelling and suddenly the entire mountain erupted with invisible screams warning of a potential rock slide. As we ascended the dogs were very good at pointing out the shrines along the trail. Needless to say, we were pretty surprised to find cows, donkeys, and even and a water buffalo grazing at the top of the steep and rocky hike. Also at the top we met Gunga, a Scottish woman who, after spending 10 years in New York as a Chaplin at Columbia Hospital's AIDS ward, had finally decided to throw in the towel. She's been in India for the last 10 years studying the Vedanta, the purest form of the Hindu religion. After our hike, we met her on several occasions for meals, and even though she left before we could exchange our vitals, I have a strange feeling we'll cross paths again.