Last night was freezing cold; unfortunately, most people didn't sleep very
well. Breakfast was delicious though, with sweet oatmeal and loose leaf tea. We
left that morning on an hour car ride to visit the Rumtek monastery. I found
the ride fascinating, as we were weaving back and forth, crisscrossing the
Indian jungle, yet with full views of Gangtok. All of the colorful buildings
seemed to be haphazardly stacked on one another from so far away, poking out of
the huge 'foothill.'
Rumtek itself is a beautiful monastery. We visited the new building first, where we met up with our enthusiastic tour guide. It was really interesting to learn about the history of the place and the stories behind the images. The inner temple houses Tibetan Buddhist scripts that were centuries old, and the golden stupa had portraits of the leading lamas of each sect of Buddhism (including a picture of body remnants vaguely resembling a Buddha, which would not burn from the lama’s body).
We then visited the old Rumtek monastery, which was absolutely stunning inside. All of the colors were so vibrant and intense, and the sun shining through the orange curtains made the whole room glow while feeling hazy. There was a side room (which we are all still confused about) that had murals of black demons and lots of death and gore around the top. We left after that room, embarking on another hour long car ride.
When we finally arrived for lunch, the buffet was already ready. They were serving traditional Tibetan food, about half of which was unpalatably spicy for most people in the group (myself included), but the roti was excellent! We then headed out for another (seemingly hour long) car ride back to Gangtok.
Once back in the city, we went to The Institute of Tibetology. It was a museum documenting the major aspects of Buddhism and Tibetan artifacts that are centuries old. After inspecting all the intricate tapestries, we had a Q&A session with a lama and one of his colleagues. They were super helpful in clearing up our queries about Buddhism. We then hopped back into the taxis to go to the hotel briefly, then rode back to the market.
Known as the mall (because it is a flat place with many stores), there is a strip of stores where cars aren't allowed and pedestrians are free to take in the bricked road and center fountain. All the shops are adorably tiny, and the group ended up congregating at a lovely bakery. I had picked up a charger for my phone (the charger had stopped working, and, with my phone dead, I don't have pictures of the past day and a half!) and some goods from the bakery to munch on later! :)
Anu made a traditional Bhutanese dish for dinner; it was a broth of sorts with vegetables and had an addicting taste. We also had rice pudding and strawberry ice cream for dessert! The ice cream here is really interesting because it is always served in slices (more or less the dimensions of a piece of bread), but it is always creamy and delicious. :)
Afterwards, I FaceTimed with my friends from the dorm! It was so great to see and hear them again, even though the wifi wasn't cooperating entirely. Nonetheless, I can't wait to see them (although I can wait for Maine weather. We've been so spoiled here with such sunny days!).
It was bedtime soon after, and, with the space heater on, the night was considerably warmer than the one before.
Rumtek itself is a beautiful monastery. We visited the new building first, where we met up with our enthusiastic tour guide. It was really interesting to learn about the history of the place and the stories behind the images. The inner temple houses Tibetan Buddhist scripts that were centuries old, and the golden stupa had portraits of the leading lamas of each sect of Buddhism (including a picture of body remnants vaguely resembling a Buddha, which would not burn from the lama’s body).
We then visited the old Rumtek monastery, which was absolutely stunning inside. All of the colors were so vibrant and intense, and the sun shining through the orange curtains made the whole room glow while feeling hazy. There was a side room (which we are all still confused about) that had murals of black demons and lots of death and gore around the top. We left after that room, embarking on another hour long car ride.
When we finally arrived for lunch, the buffet was already ready. They were serving traditional Tibetan food, about half of which was unpalatably spicy for most people in the group (myself included), but the roti was excellent! We then headed out for another (seemingly hour long) car ride back to Gangtok.
Once back in the city, we went to The Institute of Tibetology. It was a museum documenting the major aspects of Buddhism and Tibetan artifacts that are centuries old. After inspecting all the intricate tapestries, we had a Q&A session with a lama and one of his colleagues. They were super helpful in clearing up our queries about Buddhism. We then hopped back into the taxis to go to the hotel briefly, then rode back to the market.
Known as the mall (because it is a flat place with many stores), there is a strip of stores where cars aren't allowed and pedestrians are free to take in the bricked road and center fountain. All the shops are adorably tiny, and the group ended up congregating at a lovely bakery. I had picked up a charger for my phone (the charger had stopped working, and, with my phone dead, I don't have pictures of the past day and a half!) and some goods from the bakery to munch on later! :)
Anu made a traditional Bhutanese dish for dinner; it was a broth of sorts with vegetables and had an addicting taste. We also had rice pudding and strawberry ice cream for dessert! The ice cream here is really interesting because it is always served in slices (more or less the dimensions of a piece of bread), but it is always creamy and delicious. :)
Afterwards, I FaceTimed with my friends from the dorm! It was so great to see and hear them again, even though the wifi wasn't cooperating entirely. Nonetheless, I can't wait to see them (although I can wait for Maine weather. We've been so spoiled here with such sunny days!).
It was bedtime soon after, and, with the space heater on, the night was considerably warmer than the one before.
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