Trip to North East India (Day 7)

Day 7
This was practically the last day of our north-east India tour. We wanted to visit some nearby places from Shillong and were recommended to go to Cherrapunji, the place with the heaviest rainfall in the world.

8:30 AM
There is a water sports complex right next to the Orchid resort. Here various activities are organized such as speed boat ride, house boat and cruise. We decided to check it out early in the morning. It was a 15 minute walk down to the Umiam lake where the boats anchor. The boathouse was locked and the boatman had not yet come. So we sat by the lake for some time admiring its beauty. Here is a view of the lake.

The boatman arrived at 9:30 and we enquired about the rates. There were a couple of options available such as the speed boat that could accommodate four people, a slightly larger boat that could take around ten people and a bus that could house 30-35 people. There were only a few people and so hiring the bus was not feasible. We decided to go for the speed boat; it cost us Rs. 75 per head for a 5 minute ride. This would cover half the lake. It was also possible to hire the boat for 10 minutes which would cover the entire lake and for which Rs. 150 would be charged.

We had to put on life jackets before boarding the boat. The boatman struggled for some time to start the boat by yanking a lever several times. This reminded us of Bangalore autorickshaw drivers starting their autos. We enjoyed the boat ride which took us round the lake and gave many photo opportunities.

This is the speedboat in which we travelled and standing in front of it is our boatman:

10:00 AM
Returned to the hotel. We came back a little early since we expected to be out all day. We contacted the receptionist who called for the same taxi that had taken us to Shillong on the day before. Meanwhile we had breakfast in the dining hall awaiting the driver.

11:00 AM
The driver arrived at 11:00 AM and we had a brief talk about the places to be covered and the amount to be paid. We had to pay Rs. 1500 for the Cherrapunji trip, which was slightly higher than the Shillong tour since it involved an extra two and a half hour's drive.

12:15 PM
Our first stop was a view point at Mawkdok Valley on the way to Cherrapunji. It is a very deep valley with sloping sides dotted with waterfalls. The place is filled with such lush greenery that a pair of eyes is insufficient to take in all its splendour. It was simply breathtakingly awesome.

1:15 PM
Visit Nohkalikai Falls at Cherrapunji. The original name of Cherrapunji was Sohra and so most of the boards there mention Sohra instead of Cherrapunji. It was about an hour's drive through barren landscape before we reached the Nohkalikai Falls. This is reputed to be the fourth highest waterfall in the world. There was an entry fee of Rs. 5 per head and an additional Rs. 20 for a digital camera. The waterfall is visible at some distance from the viewpoint. Somebody told us that a newer viewpoint was under construction some distance away. We decided to explore it and found that we had to climb down around a hundred stone steps before reaching the new view point which was apparently still not completed. It was constantly drizzling and we had to watch our step while climbing down. There were no other tourists here probably because nobody knew of it or were not enthusiastic enough to climb so many steps. This is how the waterfall looks from the viewpoint.

Climbing the steps back up was more exhausting than going down!

2:15 PM
Visit Mawsmai Cave. This is a cave that is around 150 meters long. We had to pay an entrance fee of Rs. 10 per head plus Rs. 10 for the camera. The cave is filled with shallow water for most of the way and we had to remove our shoes and roll up our trousers to avoid getting wet. The wet surface makes the ground very slippery. There are several rocks along the path providing the stepping stones for making progress. The roof is very low at several spots and we had to walk with our head bent low. Stalactites and stalagmites hang from the roof lending it an authentic look. The rock formations are also very beautiful. The place is damp with water dripping down from the roof at several spots. The inside of the cave looks like this:

It took us around 10-15 minutes to cross the cave and come out at the other end. It resembled a subterranean obstacle race. Several excited teenagers went back into the cave for another round of exploration!

3:30 PM
We were famished by the time we finished our cave adventure and came out of the exit. There was a newly inaugurated small dhaba just outside the cave and we had a simple meal of chapattis there.

4:30 PM
Visit the Seven Sister Falls. There are seven different waterfalls here that can be seen from a distance. The seven north-eastern states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya) are also referred to as the seven sisters. The waterfalls are probably named after this analogy. It was quite cloudy and it was difficult to spot all the seven falls from the distance.

We were now very close to the Bangladesh border and our driver pointed out the Sylhet district of Bangladesh in the horizon.

5:00 PM
Visit the Eco Park. There was not much to see here. At the entrance was a small green-house with several plant species. There was a small stream flowing over which was a stone bridge.

6:00 PM
On the way back, one of the tyres of our taxi got punctured and we had to get it repaired in a mechanic shop. Finally we departed to Shillong. On the ride back, we got to witness the majestic sunset of Meghalaya, which literally means the Abode of Clouds. The sunset was visible for more than half an hour. Never before had we witnessed such a wonderful celestial spectacle. We thought that our journey all the way to the north-east was worth it and more after seeing that brilliant event. Words are insufficient to describe its magnificence. Here are some photographs of the Meghalaya sunset.

This later inspired me to pen a few lines of poetry:

Abode of Clouds, swathed in shrouds
Your beauty is but Nature's bounty!

On the azure plate
Who doth paint
A million hues
Is it Nature's ruse?

Words cannot express
All it does is impress!

8:30 PM
Arrive at the Orchid Resort. We had dinner soon after and retired for the night.

We were to later leave for Guwahati by taxi and thence take a flight back to Bangalore.

With this post, I will conclude the series of blogs on North-East India. It is my sincere hope that this will be useful to some enthusiastic traveler some day.

Trip to North East India (Day 6)

Day 6
This day was Shillong. We had two days to spend there, the first day of which we decided to explore Shillong city and the second day to visit some nearby places.

But first a word about the resort where we stayed. The Umiam Orchid Lake Resort is owned and operated by the Meghalaya Tourism Department. It is situated around 15 km before Shillong in a place called Barapani. The hotel rent for a double room is of the order of Rs. 1500 per night. The double rooms are really huge and spacious with large French windows opening out into balconies. Our room had a wonderful view of Lake Umiam barely 50 meters outside. The lake is surrounded by beautiful and well maintained gardens which is a treat to watch. One can sit in the terrace and enjoy the view for hours. The whole place is very calm, placid and serene and is a perfect getaway for honeymooners and newly married couples. Here is a view from the balcony outside our room.

And here are a couple of views of the dining hall which boasts of a fireplace that is probably lit in the cold winters.

11:00 AM
Breakfast at Hotel Orchid. The food is nothing great but decent vegetarian food is available. We enquired at the reception about the local sight-seeing options available. Luckily the receptionist's cousin was a taxi driver who could also take us around the city. After talking for a few minutes over the phone, we agreed to pay some Rs. 1200 for a day's sight-seeing trip.

11:40 AM
The driver arrived at the hotel in his taxi, a black Maruti 800 and we started off on the tour. We would realize later that we would be with this same driver for three days on. Shillong is around half an hour from the resort on the highway where a constant stream of army and other trucks keep moving. On the way we stopped to have a glimpse of the Umiam lake. As we entered the city, we observed that the roads were narrow and the traffic was slow-moving at several junctions. Our driver informed us that traffic jams are common during the peak hours of the day.

12:00 PM
Visit Bishop Biden Falls. One can see two waterfalls at a distance from a small viewpoint. The falls are surrounded by lush greenery.

1:00 PM
Visit Shillong View Point. The view point is situated in the Indian Air Force Station premises and it is required to get a visitor's pass before entering. It took several minutes to fulfil this procedure as there were several tourist vehicles waiting to get in. Once inside the gate, a few minutes drive takes us to the view point. One can get a panoramic view of Shillong from this point.

Just behind the view point, some tribal women were making brisk business by dressing up ladies, gents and children alike in the Khasi traditional costume. It was a colourful picture to see the rich dresses, beads and crowns adorning the enthusiastic tourists. They would charge Rs. 50 for a few minutes of dressing and allowing snaps to be taken! Very nice business model indeed... There were also a few hawkers around selling clothes and other bric-a-brac.

2:00 PM
Arrive Elephant Falls. This is around half an hour's drive from the Shillong view point. Here the water falls in three steps forming three small waterfalls. The notice outside the falls explains the origin of the name Elephant Falls.

Here's how the three parts of the waterfall look like, one below another as the water gushes down its path.

We had run out of batteries for our camera and had to buy them in a stall just outside Elephant Falls by paying a premium of Rs. 20! The vendors outrightly exploit the hapless tourists.

3:00 PM
From the Elephant Falls, we drove to the Shillong city center and had lunch at the City Dhaba, one of the fine eating places there.

4:15 PM
Arrive Ward Lake. This is a small lake in the city center with a nice garden around it and forms a good lung space for the people. A nominal entrance fee of Rs. 5 per head is charged. The day we went there a number of school children had come with their teachers probably on a picnic and so it was quite crowded. There is a small white bridge over the lake where one can stand and enjoy the view and feed the numerous fish abounding in the waters below. Several boats are anchored at one end of the bridge which can be taken on hire. We hired a pedal boat and took it for a spin around the lake.

The pedal boat is operated by pushing the pedals with the legs just like a bicycle; the harder one pedals the faster the boat goes. Pedalling in the opposite direction causes the boat to reverse direction. A steering rod is provided at the back - if the rod is pulled left, the boat turns right and vice versa. We spent a pleasant half an hour going around and spotted a duck-house on one of the banks of the lake. There are several stone seats scattered throughout the garden and we relaxed on them for a few minutes before moving on.

5:00 PM
Visit Golf Course. This is around ten minutes drive from the Ward Lake. Our driver informed us that this is a natural golf course.

5:15 PM
Visit Catholic Cathedral. It is a big blue Catholic church (Grotto Chapel) housing statues of Jesus and Mother Mary. We took a few photographs before departing.

5:45 PM
Visit Police Bazaar for shopping. This is the main shopping center of Shillong. Several roads lead away in different directions from the square. The city bus stand is located here from where buses ply to various north-eastern towns. The private taxi stand is also a stone's throw away from the bazaar. The bazaar is filled with numerous shops and shopping complexes mostly selling clothes, purses, bags and footwear. Shillong ladies have a very good dressing sense, the evidence of which is clearly seen there!

7:00 PM
Since it was getting dark, we did not get much time for shopping. Besides it would take around forty five minutes to get back to our resort. Hence we left a few minutes past six and reached the resort by 7 PM.

9:00 PM
After relaxing for some time in the hotel room, we went to the dining hall to have dinner. The hotel staff comes to each room to take the dinner order about an hour earlier. One can go to the dining hall at the appointed time and find the dinner waiting on a reserved table. Again the food was not that great but not too bad either. We took a short walk on the resort lawns post dinner before retiring for the night.

My next post will be the final one in this series where I'll describe our visit to Cherrapunji, the place with the reputation of the heaviest rainfall in the world.

Trip to North East India (Day 5)

Day 5
This was a day full of travel. We had to reach Shillong from Gangtok.

5:30 AM
We had requested the hotel reception for a wake-up alarm at 5:30 AM. We were told that it takes nearly four hours to travel from Gangtok to New Jalpaiguri station. Our connecting train was scheduled at 11:00 AM and so we wanted to leave Gangtok well in time.
After quickly freshening up, we checked out of the hotel and hailed a shared taxi to NJP. The hotel receptionist provided a helper to carry our luggage to the boarding point which is around five minutes walk from the hotel. There were only two seats left in the Sumo-type of taxi and we had to pay Rs. 150 per head for the ride. The taxi departed from Gangtok at around 6:00 AM.

9:30 AM
The taxi ride was as usual very scenic with the River Teestha in the backdrop for more than half the journey.

The driver had to overtake many a lumbering truck on the narrow winding highway. As we approached NJP, people started getting off at their respective places. Initially we were a little apprehensive whether we could make it in time for the train. However to our pleasant surprise, the taxi reached NJP at 9:30 AM, half an hour before expected. We had breakfast at the IRCTC canteen in the station.

11:20 AM
We had nearly an hour to spare till our train arrived. We spent the time in the upper class waiting room on the railway platform. From the Statesman we learnt of the storm that had lashed West Bengal the day before and the widespread destruction it had caused. Providentially we had escaped the fury of the tempest by just 24 hours! There was some entertainment for us in the waiting room when an irate passenger took the railway staff to task over the ill-maintained toilets there. The Rajdhani express bound to Guwahati arrived on time and we boarded it at 11:00 AM. The train left NJP station by 11:20 AM.

6:30 PM
The train journey was uneventful and we traveled through the length of Assam. As we neared Guwahati, we had the first glimpse of the great River Brahmaputra from a railway overbridge. A fellow passenger pointed us to IIT Guwahati in the distance, several kilometres before the railway station. The scheduled time of arrival for the train was 6:30 PM and the train did keep up to its schedule. However just outside the station, there was a big signal which stalled the train for over forty five minutes. Hence it was nearly 7:15 PM by the time we could come out of the station.

7:45 PM
There are a couple of exits from the Guwahati station and we had a very harrowing time trying to figure out which way to go to catch a taxi to Shillong. Each of us had a heavy bag to carry and it was exhausting to run about from one end to another. Finally a police official directed us to the private taxi stand behind the station, but the worst was yet to come. We had to go to a place called Barapani where our hotel was situated about 15 kilometres before Shillong. There were touts all over the place who gave us misleading information about the mode of transport to take. At last one of them led us to a reluctant taxi driver who demanded some Rs. 1200 to take us to our destination. His claim was that he had to come back empty from Shillong which was not very credible. Besides we had heard that the usual fare was Rs. 300 per passenger. It was getting late and so we haggled with the driver to take us for Rs. 900. He agreed but he was waiting for more passengers to share the taxi with us.
Fortunately or unfortunately for us, there was an army man and his colleague who were also waiting to go to Shillong. They were also firmly bargaining with him over the amount to be paid. Finally after what seemed like eternity and heated arguments, they agreed to join us and the taxi left Guwahati at 7:45 PM.

10:30 PM
That taxi ride was one of the most difficult rides we ever had. The army chaps kept rebuking the driver continuously throughout the journey for demanding excess fare. We were in the dark as to whether it was sincere or whether they were in cahoots with the driver for some fiendish plan. The drive takes nearly three hours and the road was not very good for the first several kilometres of the stretch. Moreover it was pitch dark with few vehicles on the road for some distance. The driver was also driving a bit rashly. Finally we reached the Umiam Orchid Lake Resort in Barapani at around 10:30 PM. The army guy made us pay only Rs. 500 even though the driver kept insisting on getting Rs. 900. Altogether we were a bundle of nerves by the time we landed in our hotel room.

11:30 PM

We had pre-ordered dinner in the hotel over telephone. Cold parathas and a vegetable curry awaited us in the hotel room, and we consumed it before retiring for the night.

Trip to North East India (Day 4)

Day 4
9:00 AM
Breakfast at Hotel Sagorika, Gangtok.

10:00 AM
Leave for the 10-points tour arranged from the hotel reception. Actually there are two different tours called the 7-points tour which includes Enchey Monastery, Ban Jhakri Falls, Tibetology Center, Ropeway, Flower Show, Handicrafts Emporium and Charten Stupa, and the 3-points tour which includes the Tashi View-point, Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok. Each of these tours could be completed in a few hours time. We were told that the Ropeway was under repair apparently after an unfortunate accident and hence we would not be able to go there. We opted for both the tours as a single day-long package for which we were charged around Rs. 1700. The vehicle that was provided for the tour was a Maruti Omni along with a driver-cum-guide. It was raining throughout the day but we did not allow that to dampen our spirits.

10:15 AM
Visit the Charten Stupa. Our driver seemed to have his own ideas about which places to take us to and was initially very uncooperative. After a phone call to the hotel, his behaviour was much better! After all, their main livelihood is derived from tourists like us and they cannot probably afford to lose hotel orders what with competition from several tour operators.
The Charten Stupa is a traditional Buddhist stupa along with a monastery. It has the usual rotating cylinders or the Dharma Chakras.

10:30 AM
Visit the Tibetology center. This is right next to the Charten Stupa in the same complex. We saw several paintings and idols of the Bodhisatthavas inside the center. They depict the life story of the Buddha. Photography is prohibited inside the center.

11:45 AM
Arrive Rumtek Monastery. This place was not included in the original itinerary, but since it is a large and famous monastery in Gangtok, we requested our driver to take us there at some extra charge. It is nearly an hour's drive from the city and it was raining heavily throughout the drive. All along the way, we could see many rivulets and small waterfalls rushing past from the surrounding rocks, making the drive a spectacular experience.
Tourist vehicles have to be parked outside a big gate, and visitors have to walk around half a kilometre on a steeply ascending road. Here's how the monastery looks from the outside:

There are security guards at the entrance who check visitors before allowing them to pass. There are beautiful murals such as this one painted on the walls next to the main door:

Taking photographs is strictly prohibited inside the monastery as the notice board proclaimed:

So we had to be content with taking a few snaps outside the main hall. Just behind the monastery is the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute which is a residential school for the Buddhist monks. Next we visited the Golden Stupa nearby which houses a stupa made of pure gold and the image of the Buddha. A security guard is stationed here too and photography is not allowed.

1:15 PM
It was afternoon by the time we completed seeing the Rumtek Monastery and we were feeling quite hungry. Luckily we found a small restaurant in the same complex and had a reasonably good lunch.

2:15 PM
We returned to our taxi and proceeded to the Ban Jhakri Falls. It was still raining but the drive was again very enjoyable due to the excellent natural beauty of the place.
The Ban Jhakri falls is part of an energy park that was inaugurated in 2008. It has a very nice man-made waterfall where one can see water falling with great force from a height. In fact, it is possible to go upto touching distance of the falls and feel the spray hitting you from the roaring waters. A signboard nearby declared that the water was not fit for drinking. There is a small bridge across the water from where one can get a good view of the falls and the water below speeding past boulders making miniature falls along its course.

There are some interesting models and sculptures of the Jhakri tribal people at several locations around the waterfalls. These depict some of the tribal practices such as the healing ritual of sick people.

4:30 PM

Arrive at the Sikkim Handicrafts Sales Emporium. This is sponsored and maintained by the Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation. Here a variety of local handicrafts such as clothes, hats, bags, soft toys and mementoes are available for display and sale. The prices are somewhat on the higher side and we spent only a few minutes browsing and making a couple of purchases.

4:40 PM

Arrive Flower Show. It was late by this time and so we did not have much time to enjoy the flower exhibition. We had a quick look at the well maintained garden. A little farther on, there is a green house chamber containing various plants but we did not go inside.

4:50 PM

Arrive Enchey Monastery. This was closed by the time we arrived there, but this is how it looks from the outside:

On the way out, we could espy several Buddhist monks around the monastery and some of them gave us a nice pose:

5:15 PM

Arrive Ganesh Tok. Our driver informed us that the word 'tok' means height. Ganesh Tok is a Ganesh temple located atop a hillock. We had to climb several steps that took us to the shrine. There is a big idol of Lord Ganapati to which a priest offers regular pujas. Photography is not permitted inside the shrine. However there is a viewpoint just outside from where one can watch a panoramic view of Gangtok.

We were also scheduled to visit the Hanuman Tok, a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman but we could not do so since it was quite far from Ganesh Tok.

5:50 PM

Back to the hotel

6:30 PM

After having freshened up a bit, we left for the market. The city of Gangtok is arranged in layers: a few roads and buildings at one level, and then quaint narrow flights of stairs leading up to the next level. It is almost like  a huge multi-storied building where it is easy to get lost if one has not carefully noted some landmarks. We were directed to the market on M G Road, one of the main roads of Gangtok that is well maintained. The road is cobbled but was very slippery due to the incessant rainfall. Vehicular traffic is not allowed on the road and there are seats at regular intervals on the pavement where one can relax and drink in the sights and sounds of the place. A bust of Gandhiji adorns the middle of the road.

It was Tuesday the day we went there and it was the weekly holiday for the local markets. However the shops on M G Road remain open till around 8:30 PM. After shopping for an hour or so, we returned to our hotel for dinner and rest.

Trip to North East India (Day 3)

Day 3
3:45 AM
Wake-up call. Today we were supposed to take the three point tour, the three points being the Tiger Hill, the Batasia Loop and the Ghoom monastery. We had made the tour booking in the hotel itself in advance and had been charged Rs. 900 for this tour. We had been provided a dedicated Toyota Innova vehicle with a driver cum guide.

4:15 AM
Leave for Tiger Hill from the hotel. Tiger Hill is a famous spot in Darjeeling from where one can witness the grand spectacle of the rising sun. It was drizzling and the weather was very misty outside as we set out from the hotel. The visibility en route was very low, and at some points we could not even see a couple of meters ahead. Fortunately our driver was experienced under such conditions and took us safely to our destination.

5:00 AM
Arrive Tiger Hill. There were a lot of tourist vehicles that had already arrived there, indicating the popularity of the spot. The driver had to park some distance behind and we had walk up to the view point. Here's a view of the view point building:
The building reminds one of a cinema theater with different classes. There were some three floors in the building with different rates for different floors. We chose to visit the Deluxe lounge for which we had to pay Rs. 30 per head. It was raining incessantly, the sky was very cloudy and the sun god was playing hide and seek. After waiting for more than half an hour, we had to be content with watching the view from the enclosure. Two or three hawkers were selling Darjeeling guide books and mementoes at a premium there, advertising their wares with loud raucous voices.

5:40 AM
Leave Tiger Hill after taking some photographs outside. Many vendors sell traditional Darjeeling tea outside the view point building, carrying the beverage in big airtight drums. A sip of the hot tea is certainly welcome to ward off the early morning chill!

6:00 AM
Arrive Batasia Loop War Memorial. There was an entrance fee of Rs. 10 per head. The place has a war memorial to commemorate our brave soldiers. Here's how it looks:
The toy train that runs to Darjeeling makes a loop around the war memorial and that's probably the reason why the place is called the Batasia Loop.
A couple of hawkers were doing brisk business by dressing up ladies and children in Darjeeling native dress and getting them photographed. It takes them just two minutes to wrap the dress around their customer, put some pins, hang a couple of necklaces and bingo they are done. They were charging Rs. 20 for one such dressing. Easy money, eh? For their part, the tourists did not seem to mind the drizzle in their eagerness to get themselves photographed in the native dress.

7:00 AM
Arrive Druk monastery. Actually we were supposed to visit Ghoom monastery, but our driver convinced us that the Druk monastery was bigger and we would like it better. This is how the monastery looks from the outside:

The Buddhist monks in the monastery follow the practice of rotating several big cylinders, the Dharma Chakras, round and round in the belief that it brings world peace.


7:45 AM
Back to hotel after completing the three point tour.

8:30 AM
Breakfast at the hotel (bread toast and bananas).

9:00 AM
Leave hotel for some shopping. The local markets have shops selling all kinds of wares, mostly sweaters, jackets, umbrellas and memorabilia. It was drizzling constantly and we had to keep our umbrella out always.

10:00 AM
Check out of the hotel and leave for the Mixed Point tour which was priced at Rs. 1200. We were presented white souvenir scarves by the hotel receptionist.

10:45 AM
Arrive Japanese Temple.

This is a Buddhist temple and monastery. We had to remove and leave our footwear outside before entering the temple. The prayer was in progress in the prayer hall on the first floor when we arrived there. We also sat down for some time and prayed by beating a round plate with a small stick rhythmically. We met a Tamilian family in the temple which had also come there for sight-seeing.
Just adjacent to the temple is a Peace Pagoda which is simply magnificent to behold. It is pure white in colour and has an image of the Buddha embedded in it. There are two silver coloured lions guarding the entrance. The structure reminds one of the Vidhana Soudha dome in Bangalore.

12:00 PM
Arrive at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. There was an entry fee of Rs. 30 per head. The park is a one of its kind high-altitude zoo which houses several rare species such as the snow leopard, the Tibetan wolf, the Red Panda and the Himalayan bear. Besides we saw other animals like the common leopard, tahr, sambars, pheasants, langurs, yaks and the slow loris. We could espy the red panda lying curled up in its enclosure:

We also got a clear view of the Himalayan bear:

And the Tibetan wolf:

However we were not fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the famous snow leopard. There were two or three big enclosures with its name mentioned on the signboard, but we could not spot it anywhere. Maybe it had taken shelter from the rain somewhere inside.

After spending over an hour in the zoo, we visited the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute which is just adjacent to the zoo. We visited the Everest museum that houses several photographs and articles used by famous mountaineers such as Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. There's not much else for the average tourist to see; however there's a training centre for mountaineering enthusiasts.

2:30 PM

Break for lunch. There's a small restaurant just opposite the zoo where we had a nice lunch of chapattis. A short distance away, the driver pointed us to the Tenzing Rock where beginning mountaineers are trained.3:00 PM
Arrive at a typical Darjeeling tea estate where freshly packed tea is sold in sachets. The scenery is very enchanting there. We could explore the tea estates on our own, but since it was raining, we were cautioned not to venture far due to the slippery wet ground. We bought some tea at the rate of Rs. 300 per kg after sampling the beverage prepared from the very same tea leaves.

4:00 PM

Leave Darjeeling for Gangtok. There's a point from where shared taxis leave regularly for Gangtok. We got into a Tata Sumo that was jam-packed with passengers and were charged Rs. 130 per head for the five hour ride. The driver was a sullen chap with few words but he drove very carefully. Initially there was a traffic jam with a lot of vehicles piled up in either direction. The drive from Darjeeling to Gangtok is simply breath-taking with splendid scenery all along the way with the River Teestha providing the backdrop for more than three quarters of the journey.

7:30 PM

Brief halt at Rangpo where we bought some assorted sweets in a sweetmeat shop.

9:00 PM

Arrive Gangtok. The shared taxis halt at the main taxi stand of Gangtok from where local taxis are available. We had an advance reservation at Hotel Sagorika which is about 10 minutes by walk from the taxi stand. Initially we had some difficulty what with having to lug our baggage in an unknown place. After a few minutes, we found a coolie who agreed to carry our bags to the hotel for Rs. 30. We had dinner at the hotel after refreshing ourselves and finally called it a day.

Stay tuned for the Gangtok story! Coming up soon...

Trip to North East India (Day 2)

Day 2
10:00 AM
Arrive at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station from Kolkata on the Howrah-NJP Sup Special Express. This is an important junction for most of the trains bound for the North East. Here's a view of the junction.
We had breakfast at a small canteen in the station. There is a separate big counter in the station exclusively for defence personnel. This counter is meant for making train reservations for defence personnel and their family members. Our nation takes care of its soldiers well.

10:45 AM
There are quite a few shared taxis available to take one to Gangtok from NJP. However there are few or no such options available for Darjeeling. Of course, there are private taxis available but they charge much higher (anywhere from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1500). We found one shared taxi whose driver agreed to take us and even loaded our luggage on the top. However after a few minutes he refused to come, probably because he didn't get sufficient passengers. This is how it looks just outside NJP station. The commonly followed practice of reaching Darjeeling from NJP is to first go to Siliguri and then catch a shared taxi to Darjeeling. We took a shared seven-seater autorickshaw to Siliguri from just outside NJP station. The ride takes around half an hour and costs Rs. 15 per person. The rickshaws are old and rickety and passengers keep getting in and out all along the way. NJP town itself looks quite barren and impoverished.


11:15 AM
Leave Siliguri to Darjeeling. The autorickshaw from NJP dropped us off at a point where shared taxis ply from in Siliguri. I was taken into a small office where it appeared that a receipt would be issued for the taxi. However as soon as the guy learnt that we already had a hotel reservation in Darjeeling, he was quick to let us off. These people try to market their own hotels as well as take care of the transportation. We were able to find an available shared taxi without much difficulty and were charged Rs. 120 per head. The shared taxis are normally Tata Sumo kind of vehicles which are packed as much as possible. Here's a picture of the shared taxi we travelled by.

Most of the taxi drivers are quite young, some of them even in their late teens. The tourism business, it appears, is the main source of employment for the youth there.

There is a toy train track that runs parallel to the main road all along the way. This mountain train takes seven to eight hours to reach Darjeeling from NJP and is patronized by patient tourists with an eye for natural beauty. Indeed the nearly three hour drive to Darjeeling is very scenic and offers lots of photo opportunities for the enthusiast.

On the way up to the hill station, we caught a glimpse of Jaswant Singh, the only BJP MP from West Bengal. He was apparently giving a thanksgiving speech after having got elected from there. The local press reported that he won from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency mostly because he was sympathetic to the Gorkhaland cause.

2:00 PM

Arrived at Darjeeling town, which is at an altitude of approximately 2000 m above sea level. The taxi stopped at a point which was some distance away from the hotel we had booked. We were carrying two not-very-light bags and were wondering how to get to the hotel when a lady coolie approached us out of nowhere and offered to carry our bags to our hotel; we gladly accepted the services of the coolie-cum-guide.

A characteristic feature of the hill stations we visited is that they are arranged in vertical layers. It is almost as if the people live in a large structure that is several stories high. To reach our hotel, it turned out that we had to climb several feet up to the next level. It was amazing how the lady coolie carrying two heavy bags could walk so fast up the steep paths while we brought up the rear with some difficulty, puffing and panting along.

3:00 PM

Hot water bath and lunch at Hotel Snowlion Homestay.

The hotel is a very nice place to stay even though it is slightly on the higher side of room rents (Rs. 1500 + taxes per night for a normal room). The all-vegetarian menu was decent and the room service was prompt and courteous. The meal charges were also quite reasonable. We rested for some time after lunch to relax our tired muscles.

9:00 PM

After dinner which consisted of Aloo parathas, rice and dhal, we went out for a stroll on the streets. The weather was cool and very pleasant. The bazaar was just winding up for the day, and we did some brief shopping on the way. The town goes to sleep at about 10 PM and we did the same!

In my next post, I will describe our sight-seeing in Darjeeling. Keep reading!