More Monasteries

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We started slightly earlier today but not much. I think we arrived at the breakfast cafe just before 10am. The usual please ... 5 minutes later it arrives. Maybe we are becoming locals!

We chatted to our friend over breakfast and made a plan together to go to Deer Park. Deer Park is a training institute with short courses ranging from art to meditation. It has a monastery too, so we thought it would be a nice morning activity.


We strolled the grounds, the organic vegetable gardens, library, chatted to the workers and had a guided tour by our friend, who knew the Director. We even played cricket in the garden. It was certainly a quiet, relaxing place.


We then went for coffee at a larger hotel where our friend's shop is based. The coffee was nice and we even went without sugar, something that doesn't happen with our usual 10 rupee chai. We talked a lot before making a move towards Chauntra with further Tibetan monasteries.


It was an hours walk all down hill with some beautiful scenery, wild flowers and small streams. We fuelled up on bananas as we crossed the main road and traversed a few fields before the monastery appeared. It was a big one where they train thousands of monks.


We ventured through the gates and the monks were all outside 'debating'. In pairs one would sit and the other stand. The one standing would pose a Buddhist philosophical question and the one sitting would answer from the Buddhist scriptures. The standing monk would clap to fire the question across and keep the debate going.

Inside was very pretty with a huge Buddha statue and elaborate painted walls. Huge chukors hung from the ceiling and shell bugles nestled amongst the monks stations.


Back outside some monks were making interesting woven items and paintings in minute detail. Very interesting.


We stopped off for popcorn and crisps as snacks to fuel our journey home. We even bought chai from the back of a mini Suzuki van!


We made it home as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sky, pink clouds with a dull orange disappearing sun.

After a quick rest and donning of warmer clothes, we headed for dinner .... veg thali of course!

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