BootsnAll Travel Network



June 22nd, 2008 – Dharamsala, India

I woke up at 130pm after going to bed late…I wanted to get some work done but also wanted to do some exploring so I took a taxi back to bagsu, the place where i got a falafel with ben, arrindum and angela.  I bypassed the shop this time on my way to Bagsu because my objective was to look at the temples of the area and hike up to the waterfall.  I slowly made my way through the area of Bagsu, going in to the two temples, getting the bindi on my head.  After visiting the temples, and snapping photos, I began my hike up the side of the mountain to the waterfall.  I stopped a long the way, due to being tired and because I wanted to snap some photos.  The waterfall was really great.  It spilled down into a creek like river where people swam in when the water pooled up among the rocks. At the top where the waterfall was, I asked this western girl to take my photo and then returned the favor for her and her partner.  After dipping my feet in the freezing cold water, I found a nice slate of rock right next to the waterfall, pulled out my book on the autobiography of the his holiness the dalai lama.  After two cups of chai (indian tea), and a few hours of reading I left the waterfall and made my way back down.  On my way down I encountered several different groups of locals who took my photo with them, I took one with my camera, and I had a nice opportunity to practice my hindi.  I also spoke to some of the locals and tourists visiting at the waterfall just like me, engaged to practice my hindi. On the way down I met a rather large group of kids who asked me several things like usual, I spoke in hindi and they spoke in English which was typical.  They also wanted to take a photo with me.  Once I got back down to the town of Bagsu, the main road, I again had to stop at the falafel stand to get a full falafel and a full pita of nutella and banana with an israeli chocolate version of nutella, it was damn good.  I also read my book across from the stand, ate my falafel and dessert and enjoyed the nice, warm, rainful evening in Bagsu. Eventually it got dark, as it does every day when the sun sets, I didn’t have proper light to read, so I found an autorickshaw back to a part of Mcleod Ganj called “times square.”  This is basically just the main junction of the town where the rickshaws start from and usually drop you off at when you return back to Mcleod Ganj.  I paid the 30 rupees, which is about 75 cents, very cheap. When I got back to the main part of town, I started to wander back towards the hotel, and of course bought a few things, as I usually do when I’m walking around town, don’t worry mom its cheap!  Also on the way back I stopped at a male hair dresser place I asked if they could give me a shave.  I just wanted my neck to be shaven, because the neck beard or the “neard” is really a gross look and I hate it.  The guy said sure, and most importantly told me he was using a new blade and showed me changing the blade.  If he wasn’t willing to change the blade I obviously would have left, for fear of getting any number of dangerous diseases and infections. It was a great shave, he used a straight blade, old school, like from the 1800’s or something and didn’t even use shaving cream.  I asked him if he would use shaving cream and he said “no need,” instead he just rubbed water in to my neck and went at it.  His first attempt at shaving my neck, he didn’t take off enough, I tried to tell him where to make the line, and another gentlemen in the tiny place helped me out to explain to him that I wanted it a little bit below my jawline, the natural cut for a beard. After the second time, he had done a great job, in the end he put on some alcohol based aftershave and when he put it on my face I wanted to scream like McCauley Caulkin in Home Alone 1.  If you remember the scene McCauley tries to shave when his parents are gone and puts on his father’s aftershave and when he slaps it on his face he lets out a very loud scream.  That is what I was feeling, but I sucked it up like a man and said thank you. The shave only cost 20 rupees, or about 50 cents (a little less), I gave him 10 rupee tip to make the entire shave just about 72 cents or a little more.  After my shave I was in much need of my very expensive and precious neutrogena after shave, with bump protection.  When I got back, it was a great day.  Anyone who has read my blog over the past two years, knows that when I am on my own even for a few hours I always have fantastic local experiences, with local natives and fellow travelers, and today is just another example of this. 



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