I had an epiphany through chocolate cake...

Interesting things happen everyday on this trip...even if they take place accidentally sometimes. One morning when the group was supposed to meet to attend a lecture, several of us were misinformed about where the group ended up. It just so happened that on this same day the Dalai Lama was arriving back in Dharamshala. After learning that the group was waiting by the temple to see the Dalai Lama, we walked down to wait among the crowds. While we waited (the four lost students) to see His Holiness drive by, we saw Dr. Maher coming along the road looking for us. As we made our way down the curving streets to rejoin the group, the motorcade passed by; and there he was, the Dalai Lama smiling and waving to the crowds lining the streets.
Once we arrived at the library, the group hadn't gotten out quite yet so we went to look around the Temple of the Oracle of the Dalai Lama. This was one of my favorite temples that we walked through. It had an archaic and haunting feeling about it. In retrospect, I am happy we missed that particular morning's lecture.

Shimla...
Even though the majority of the group wasn't especially impressed by this stop, I especially enjoyed one particular event that took place there (in addition to the chocolate cake....of course). The climb that we all made to the monkey temple, although it was a bit of an effort, was a nice walk. It was fun to be around so many monkeys, even though there were some encounters that weren't too enjoyable for some people on the trip...
After the temple was the hike to the offlook. Some people went back down to the town, but a good chunk of the group of us continued up. The walk to see that priceless view wasn't nearly as tough as it was to get to the temple itself. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would in a heartbeat!
The view was amazing. There were no honking cars, no trash, nobody trying to sell you things. There was just a cool breeze, a beautiful view, and peace and quiet.