My blogger added a new WYSIWYG feature so now I can easily do all sorts of funky things like, uhh, write in colors and oh let's see, make numbered lists. Here are my nominations for top 5 desserts in Dharamsala:

1. Chocolate caramel squares at the no name chai shop in Bhagsu
2. Chocolate cake at the Chocolate Log in McLeod Ganj
3. Chocolate chip cookies at Trek 'n' Dine in Dharamkot
4. Shalom la malka (Hello to the Queen) at Funky Chef in Bhagsu
5. Banoffee pie at Sky Pie in Bhagsu

Hello to the Queen, the introduction of which is attributed to Israelis (though no Israeli I've met had ever heard of it before coming to India), is a sickly sweet concoction of crushed cookies, bananas and ice cream covered with hot chocolate sauce. I think what really happened is that someone with a bad case of the munchies went and simply threw everything sweet he could find in the limited stock of an Indian kitchen into a bowl. Some of you might be familiar with Banoffee Pie and if not, you should be. Make a crushed biscuit crust, pour on a layer of toffee (sweetened condensed milk boiled in the can for two hours), toss on some bananas and chocolate sauce, and if you have access to a refrigerator and a relatively steady supply of electricity (i.e., few places in India), whipped cream.

There are three small movie theaters in McLeod Ganj and I've spent some of my recent rainy nights catching up on the movies. I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 (gulp), Shrek 2 (very good but the ending wasn't very realistic) and The Butterfly Effect (easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen).  I still feel pretty out of the loop when it comes to American cinema and look forward to the surprises awaiting me in the New Release section at Blockbuster.

Gee, has life in Dharamsala really gotten so dull?  Yoga continues to go well- I can almost do a headstand on my own. The weather continues to suck- it rained all night and morning, causing the door of my guesthouse room to swell and refuse to close. It's currently tied shut with some high-security twine. While my time here has been everything I wanted it to be, I do think it's time to move on from this comfortable mountain tourist haven. I'm thirsting for the real India I know and love; you know the one where my only dessert choices have names I can't pronounce and contain unthinkable amounts of ghee (clarified butter). There's simply not enough hassle, pollution or head wobbling around here to keep me interested. I think I'll find what I'm looking for in the western state of Punjab. 

Despite my efforts to live without watches and calendars, reality has set in that my days here are numbered. I'll be heading to Thailand in just a few days to spend about three weeks visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia (at long last) and get some R&R on a beach- maybe even Koh Chang for a third time. I come back to the States for Burning Man at the end of August followed by a short trip to New York (Sept. 21-26) and then my dear friend Jen's wedding in Boulder on October 1. I'll be back in San Francisco on October 3 and then god-only-knows what I will do then. But let's not think about that- it goes against my recent efforts to be more present. (Thank you, Eckhart Tolle.)