DARJEELING
The train from Kolkata took about 12 hours, but it was a sleeper train so you can try and get some rest on it. The touts have no qualms in walking up and down the carriages, wacking their coke bottles with a spoon to try and get your attention though, even if everyone is pretending to be asleep. It was then a bumpy and squashed bus ride up into the ranges to Darjeeling, but the views were increasingly astonishing, and it was finally getting cooler, yea!
Darjeeling itself is about 2100 metres up, and on a clear day has incredible views of the Himalayas and surrounding countryside. The temperature is pretty much like a New Zealand summer, and there was much rejoicing.
The link below has some photo's if your interested. There not actually ours, as we haven't got anything onto digital format as yet.
http://www.geocities.com/benoythapa2000/darjphotos1.html
By the way, just upon entering town, we passed a hotel with a sign saying.....
"Hotel Gay Lords" (??!!!?!?!)
I think they chose the wrong words for Hotel Happy Kings!
Upon arriving we promptly got out our lonely planet map and proceeded to get completely lost. We met an extremely friendly and smiley pair of traffic police who played us a traditional song on the Guitar. One trait of Indian people appears to be their preference to say "yes" instead of "I don't understand". The Lonely Planet bible actually talks about this, but it was still surprising to experience the truth and consistentness of the habit. The traffic police conversation (after the happy song of course) went something like ,
"Where are we on the map please?"
"arhhh, yes. here"
"So, how do we get to here?"
"Arrr, yes, that way (points)"
"Ohh, so does this mean we are actually here??? (pointing to a a different place on the map)"
"Arr, yes"
"Ohh, can we just go up there then?? (A different way, that seems to make sense on the map)
"Arr, yes"
"Sooo, this way, that way"
"yes, yes"
Anyway, we can't speak a word of Indian, so appreciate the help anyway, even if it just makes us more confused.
The Guest house itself was one of the best we've stayed in yet. Called the "Tower View Lodge", it had incredible views (there was no tower in the view), lots of travellers staying there, games, beers and cool staff.
One of the days in Darjeeling was spent visiting the small Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering center, were we got to read lots about Sir Edmunds himself (as well as lots of others of course). We also visited a Tibetan Refugee Self Help centre, which is essentially a community of exiled Tibetans who live and work together, producing Tibetan arts and crafts which they sell to sustain themselves.
We couldn't leave without attending an Indian Disco, so one evening plodded along to "Purple". Disco's are huge in India, and are a stark contrast to a New Zealand dance party or rave scene. For one thing, a Disco is a family affair, and the dance floor is populated with young and old alike, all pulling out their latest dance maneuvers (which put Grant and Myself to shame, so we watched instead ! ). The music was a massive mix of western covers like "Jump!" and Santana, and Indian/Western Hybrid songs, which included the occasional hard core electronica track (then to be followed by a Santana cover, a really eclectic mix of sounds). The place was extremely American, and the decor included a full size American army jeep, electric guitars, an Easy Rider and NBA posters, and a huge American flag. The disco also had fully armed guards both outside and in, because of the highly American theme?
As I type this, we are in Sikkim, which is further north. Just across the road, there's a room in the guest house we are saying in, and everyday, a group of Tibetan monks get together for a couple of hours to chant, bash gongs and blow horns. They just went through a hugh climax where they are all yelling a woo hooing. Fantastic!.
Grant and Simon's Travel Journal
Reply to this post