Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh

We arrived in Dharamsala last week sometime and like most travelers who come to Dharamsala, stayed longer than we had planned. Another traveler in Rishikesh said to me that people get stuck here, this is true. It is peaceful, and beautiful, and there is much to be learned in Dharamsala. Dharamsala is a hill station town of the Himalaya's, and is also home to the Tibetan Government in Exile. In 1949, the
Chinese People's Liberation Army came into power and shortly after invaded Tibet. Until 1949, Tibet had its own government and was completely separate from China. Tibet was secluded from the rest of the world and the people lived in peace and happiness among their land. Tibetans have their own language, food, culture, and are very religious people (Tibetan Buddhist). In 1949, China invaded and to date, 1.2 million Tibetans have lost their lives due to the Chinese Occupation. Why do we not learn about this in American schools? Why isn't there more being done to help these people? We were discussing this with a few people, and even the most educated people in the US are not very aware of what continues to take place in Tibet. The Chinese have tortured, imprisoned, and murdered hundreds of thousands of Tibetans who speak out against the Chinese. More Chinese live in Tibet than Tibetans. The Dali Lama fled Tibet in 1959 and obtained amnesty in Dharamsala. He continues to seek peace for his people. Go to these websites
http://www.tibetanolympics.com/
http://www.freetibet.org/
http://www.iisd.org/50comm/commdb/list/c46.htm
I was wandering around Dharamsala, really wanting to meet a local Tibetan to learn more about their people and the Chinese Occupation of their home. Of course the universe answered my wish and I met a gentleman who is a photo journalist and who runs a variety of websites regarding the situation of the Tibetan people. He also happens to be hosting an event called the Tibetan Olympics, go to the website, and educate yourself! Please! Kayo and I both bought Free Tibet shirts, and I am determined to educate my friends and family about this, so watch out, most know what I am like when I become passionate about a topic!! Also go to Kayo's blog she wrote about this as well, http://www.wanderingcamponesa.blogspot.com/
Other than learning about Tibet, Kayo and I hiked up to a temple and a waterfall and almost hiked to the top of the mountain. It was great to be hiking, especially around such natural beauty! We walked around town and met up with my friend Brian who is volunteering in Dharamsala. We went to the museum and visited the main complex where the Dali Lama lives. We walked about 20 minutes outside of town where the Govt. in Exile has all of its main offices. I loved this town and the people here are so peaceful and friendly. I want to come back to Dharamsala and spend more time, maybe do some volunteering.