Survivors of the trek to Dharamsala.

I just came back from two weeks in India, where I interviewed survivors of the recent shooting at the China-Nepal border. It was the morning after they'd arrived to their safe haven:

On Tuesday, October 24th, 41 refugees arrived in Dharamsala, India. They were all young, between the ages of 7 and 28. Contrary to what you might think, the new arrivals seemed more happy and relieved than distressed and traumatized. Maybe they realized how lucky they are to have survived the fatal shooting on the Nangpa La Pass three weeks earlier. That's the riskiest part of the pilgrimage to Dharamsala, the epicenter of Tibetan government and culture and home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When they started off, there were 75. By the time the Chinese were through with them, a nun had been shot dead, and 33 others were detained and imprisoned.

A refugee's journey is never easy, but at least the Tibetans have several safe points along the way, and the promise of physical and spiritual freedom when and if they make it to Dharamsala. Here's how the Director of the Tibetan Refugee Center, Dorjee, explained it to me:

"Once they get to Nepal, the UNHCR has a center set up where the refugees can get exit passes from Nepal and special entry permits into India. They're given some food, a bus, and a travel agent, and are sent on their way to New Delhi. The UNHCR also sends us some money to pay for the reception costs. Once they get to India, they're registered with our center's Delhi branch. Then we at the headquarters get a call that newcomers have arrived. Finally, they are brought to Dharamsala by bus along with other refugees."

Dorjee welcomes about 3000 refugees a year at his center. Most of them are children whose parents urged them to leave Tibet because Tibet is turning into hell on earth. Any mention of the Dalai Lama could get you jailed and tortured; the slightest mistake could lead to your disappearance minutes later. Risking frostbite and death by gunpoint is a small price to pay when one of the most powerful countries in the world is out to destroy any remnants of your cultural existence. This refugee center opened in 1990. 85 refugees arrived yesterday, including the 41 that escaped the shooting. Some sick, some old, some injured. But all happy to be here, and looking forward to the audience with the Dalai Lama.

These two boys were among the 41 who survived the shooting. Dorjee's secretary warned me not to reveal their full faces or names, because if the Chinese saw it they might hurt their families. 13-year old Tenzin (left) made the 22-day journey with his 2nd cousin, Tsering (right). He's smiling a lot, because he's meeting the Dalai Lama today. He showed me his white scarf, which the Dalai Lama will put around his neck as a blessing. Tenzin left his parents and two brothers behind in Tibet. "They wanted me to have a better education in India," he said. When I asked him if he thinks he'll ever see his family again, he just laughed, as if that was the stupidest question in the world. Tomorrow, Tenzin will move out of the refugee center to the Tibetan Children's Village, a 2,500-kid strong orphanage and school set up by the Dalai Lama's sister.

Tsering, who is 18, knew he wouldn't get decent work if he stayed in Tibet. But here in Dharamsala, he'll receive skills training and English and Hindi classes at the Transit School for newly arrived Tibetan refugees 18 and older. "We walked through snow that was up to our knees," he said. "Our eyes and faces were burning. When the Chinese started shooting, we dropped all our bags and hid in the Nangpa La Pass."

I'll probably never see this kids again, but I'm not worried about them. The Tibetans have an amazingly warm and functional reception system for refugees from all walks of life. More on that later.