So the first piece of advice I get when asking about traveling to India is, "Don't do it alone." To why my general response is, "I don't see people lining up to do it with me." Friends are busy or broke. I am not married. My parents think I'm crazy. None of my Indian friends are currently in India or planning to go . Et cetera et cetera.
Anyway, getting close to planning the trip. Looks like airfare's going to be in the $900 range, less if I add a stop. I don't want to add a stop. The ride is already 14 hours, 15 on return. Adding a stop makes it twenty.
To visit: The Golden Triangle (New Dehli, Agra, Jaipur) and Dharmsala.
Itinerary: Go May 3rd, Leave May 14th. Avoid a second Shabbos in India, as one I have to spend alone in a hotel doing nothing. Do Golden Triangle, hang out in Delhi for Shabbos, maybe go to Chabad House if my hotel is close enough (maybe get a hotel that is close enough). Sunday, go to Dharmasala.
My application to meet the Dalai Lama was turned down (it normally is) because he is too famous now. But he will be in town that week, as his office confirmed, so seeing him from a distance is not impossible. Or I could stay at that hotel Richard Gere stays at and try to make friends with him at the breakfast buffet.
I CAN probably get an audience with the 17th Karmapa if I apply for one. His website says it's not impossible. The Nechung Oracle doesn't speak any English as far as I know.
Forseeable problems: May is the hottest month in India (what the hell?), so it will probably be like 105 degrees every day there, less if I'm lucky. Cooler in Dharmsala. Planning on bringing my own food. Also I have to bring my own Shabbos candles, as I'm pretty sure any candle I buy there would be traif because it was made for actual, old-school idol worship or by idol worshippers.
Fun trivia: There are two 17th Karmapas. The one who is generally not accepted by Tibetan authorities to be legitimate nabbed http://www.karmapa.org/ first, so the actual state official reincarnation has to use http://www.kagyuoffice.org/
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dj_clawson) wrote,
cold
