Feeling the pressure of moving on soon so I’ve been trying to cram a few of the remaining Gantok sites into this day. I started at 8 this morning for a trip to a monastery across the valley from Gantok. Rumtek is the seat of the 17th Karmapa of the Kagyu sect of Buddism, kindof. There is apparently much controversy surrounding the correct identification of the Karmapa’s current incarnation. I hate it when that happens. There are posters all over Gantok with the young lama’s photo and the caption “We’ve waited long enough”. They are referring to the fact that the Indian government has forbidden him to take his seat in Rumtek and he is currently residing with the Dalai Lama in Daramsala. Originally from Tibet, he seems to be a political football between the Chinese and Indian governments as well. Incidentally, he is quite the hottie with long black braids. Rumtek is a largish place with a beautifully festooned main hall (but the frescoes couldn’t hold a candle to Enchey and others). The monks were playing basketball outside the monastery. In the pic you can see a monk holding the basket. The ride to Rumtek was an ear-popping coulda-churned-butter-it-was-so-bumpy trip down a big hill and up a big hill. The scenery was beautiful though and it gave me lots of time to process many of the things I’ve taken in here. There are alot of visuals in the hopper that will be gestating on my trip home, hopefully to come out later as entirely unique and beautiful works of art. I have a whole section of my journal devoted to art ideas to crank on when I get home. Crossing the valley back to Rumtek I bailed out of my ride at the Gantok Ropeway for a little tourist action - the views are incredible but still there is a haze over the valley. I’ve yet to have a really clear day here but I guess that’s the price I pay for the fabulous weather. I’m guessing there are many more crystal clear days when it’s cold.

Many of the local Indian stations, the BBC, and CNN were all running Bush’s speech to the Indian Parliament last night so I tuned in for as long as I could stand which turned out to be not very long at all. It was painful to watch. He began with Namaste which, of course, is a traditional greeting in these parts but he pronounced it n’-MAAAA-stay and frankly, I think it took the MPs a beat or two to figure out what the hell he’d just said cause there were only a few claps of acknowledgment. The rest of the speech was standard George.

My early start this morning (by Sikkim standards) meant I had to breakfast at the Hotel. After ordering a cheese omelet and pot of tea I was told, about 20 minutes later, “no eggs”. Toast it was. Lunch was a grilled cheese so I am even more committed to finding vegetables for dinner tonight. Tomorrow I leave for Ravangla in South Sikkim mostly cause it’s half-way to Pelling in West Sikkim where there is a very old monastery and the mountain most famous in these parts, Kanchendzonga. It’s kindof a long way to go for not much but I’m pretty much through with Gantok and not quite ready to face the bustling Darjeeling. Rumor has it that neither Ravangla or Pelling have much in the way of internet connections so this might be my last post until Mar 7. If I find a connection (even a shack with dial-up as in Bumthang) I’ll definitely use it though so stay-tuned.

Sue Borchardt in Gantok, Sikkim. March 4, 2006 at 1:30 p.m.

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