On the Road to Mandi, Riwalser, Solan and Dolanji

It sounds a little like one of the "on the road" pictures of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Am I dating myself or am I dating all of you?

It was an early start this morning from Bir after a night of thunder claps and heavy rain both of which woke me at different times of the night. It continued to rain on and off throughout the day. We left at about 8:00 in the morning and headed for Mandi with the goal reaching Riwalser and the lake miraculously formed by Padmasambhava and Mandarava (Tso Pema). We arrived around 11:00 and proceeded to the nearest tea shop. That is what you do in India. From there we ascended the highest mountain over-looking the lake of 'Tso Pema' to the cave of Guru Dragpo and visited the shrine and the two main caves. We stopped to look down on the lake and take photos. It was cold and wet.

Returning to the town we circumambulated the lake in the car. Yes, a little lazy, but it was raining even heavier. Instead of renting a room in a guest house we decided to head directly towards Dolanji and figured we would arrive there arong 7:00 at night. We arrived closer to 8:00 and had some anxiety negotiating the difficult road in the dark that runs sixteen miles outside of Solan. There are many twists and turns as the road transformed from a nice two lane thourogh fare into a one lane paved road into a dirt track with mud and rock slides at regular intervals.

We arrived safely and promptly found my friend Geshe Sonam (he was one of two Bon monks that were present for two months during the RMA Bon exhibition) who whisked us away to get a hot meal and a quick catch up on all of the news. He also helped us get or bags into a vacant room at the guest house which was completely booked two days earlier and will be again in two days. Tenzin will be the only one to appreciate that the only rooms available were on the ground floor, or bottom, of the Bon Guest House. It could have been a sad story of 'no room in the inn' but then we're not Christians and there isn't a good Buddhist story that corresponds to that phrase, not even concerning Bon Guest Houses.

After visiting the Menri Tizin in the morning we will likely leave Dolanj around mid day tomorrow and travel to Manduwalla in the Dun Valley.