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Published: August 18th 2011
Some people may think it's pointless to travel to the Himalayas in monsoon season. The rain, the landslides, the fog, the veiled views, blah blah blah. Well, all those things may be true, but you also get hill towns with almost no other tourists, guesthouses with rates cut in half, and just possibly a glimpse of those mighty mountain tops...if you're patient and a little lucky!!
We left Varanasi in the middle of the afternoon to start our long train journey across northeastern India into the hill town of Darjeeling. We had an evening stop in Patna where we boarded our overnight train to New Jalpaiguri, the jumping off point for the hill stations, northeast states, Nepal and Bhutan. There are really two (cheap) ways to Darjeeling from here; train and jeep. Since we just spent almost 24 hours on trains, we opted for the shared jeep. For Rp 150 each, Sean and I were crammed onto fold out benches in the back of a jeep facing eachother, clutching our backpacks because we refused to put them on the roof of the jeep (remember...monsoon season). There was only about 10 inches empty between my right hip and the door, so
naturally I assumed I would have the bench to myself. Oh, silly silly Westerner. That is 10 inches of free space that can be used for a paying customer!! So scoot on over, girl!! And so we did, Sean and my knees pressed against eachother, hugging our huge bags perched on our laps, hips squeezed to the brink as every inch of breathable space is occupied in the jeep. Needless to say it was a long 4 hour journey up the mountain, travelling a distance of only 88 km!! The roads were steep, rocky, and riddled with pot holes and remnants of landslides. We were so impressed with our driver's skills navigating everything! The views of the lush hillsides, tiny villages and occasional waterfall...in addition to the much cooler mountain air...made up for the less-than comfortable jeep ride.
We reached Darjeeling and eased our numb legs out the back of the jeep. Next task: locate the guesthouse we wanted, Hotel Tranquility based on Lonely Planet's recommendation. We had a small map in our guidebook, but this is a hill station, and elevation is not really marked on our maps. Sean (aka Magellan) knew the approximate location so we made
our way there. I got my workout in that day, carrying my 20 pound pack up countless stairs and hills! The owners at Hotel Tranquility were very kind and helpful, they even suggested we check out another guesthouse to compare the price and room. We did, but decided they were the best option at Rp 400 per night. The location is great, and the owners really add to the homelike feeling...they even pulled my laundry in off the rooftop clothes line when it started raining! However, the damp air and lack of circulation left a lot of mold in our room.
So now for my description of Darjeeling...if you read my other blogs about India, you probably have an image of heat, crowds, odor, dirt, animals, and spicy food. This is what I came to equate with the word "India". Darjeeling feels nothing like India. This area originally belonged to Buddhist kings until 1780, when the famed Gurkha warriors of Nepal invaded. Tibetan refugees have also sought solace in Darjeeling. Most of the locals, even the native Indians, look more East Asian than Indian. They reminded me of the Hmong in Northern Vietnam and Laos. The women wear sweaters
and long skirts as opposed to saris. Handmade scarves and caps are sold in the market. The cobbled streets wind along the hillsides with colonial-buildings, restaurants and shops lining either side. Fog envelops the streets in the morning, brightly colored prayer flags peek out of the tall treetops, tea plantations roll across the valleys, and jagged Himalayan peaks rise from the distant clouds. The locals, even the elderly, walk the steep streets with the greatest of ease, as if they are walking along the flat seashore. This is in stark contrast to our American pace, rushed and competitive in an effort to reach our destination, arriving in a state of heaving, panting exhaustion.
Our hotel was perched on top of a hill on the southeast corner of town. Walking down the hill heading north, the narrow street is lined with busy market stalls selling vegetables, fresh fish, and handicrafts. The street empties into Chowrasta, an open town square with packed benches lining the perimeter offering the locals a place to people-watch and gossip. Further north from Chowrasta is a winding, forested path toward Observatory Hill and viewpoints toward Khangchendzonga, the world's third-highest mountain.
Heading due east from our hotel
involved a steep downhill jaunt that ends at Hill Cart Road, the main vehicle thoroughfare through Darjeeling. It includes the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway station on the south end of town, then heading north the road is crowded and packed with shops and jeeps. The madness eventually ends at the Chowk Bazaar bus/jeep station, leading north along a much quieter, winding forested path toward the zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The famed mountaineer (and one member of the duo who first climbed Mt. Everest) Tenzing Norgay was director of the institute for many years. He lived most of his life in Darjeeling and was cremated at the institute.
Darjeeling is famous for its tea, known by tea aficionados as some of the absolute best in the world. The Brits get credit for building tea plantations along the fertile slopes during their occupation. Harrods still owns one of the oldest and most productive plantations, Happy Valley Tea Estate. We visited this plantation where you can see workers plucking the leaves. At the bottom of the sloped plantation is the factory where the tea leaves are collected, dried, chopped, and packaged. After the quick factory tour we were whisked into the
tea house just outside the factory. A bit of a tourist trap, but the woman who offers samples was so knowledgeable and kind...and the tea really is delicious. Never was much of a tea drinker but I have really enjoyed it so far in India!
Our time in Darjeeling was mostly spent walking, both in the town and exploring the outskirts of town. We visited the zoo where we saw a Bengal tiger, deer, wolves, a black bear, red pandas, and leopards. It's housed in a beautiful forested environment with towering pines, which covered the area before it was populated. Within the grounds of the zoo is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. There is a fantastic history of attempts on Mt. Everest, including gear used by teams from the past and present. There are mountaineering courses offered, and during our walk on the outskirts of Darjeeling we saw a few sites used for rappelling training. There is a huge Buddhist community in Darjeeling, and there are gompas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries) to be found along quiet hillsides. Locals stop at the gompas to lay flowers, light incense, do pujas (prayers), and spin the prayer wheels. Prayer flags are hung from trees
overhead, where monkeys can be seen swinging from the limbs and occasionally fighting with the numerous town dogs.
We were occasionally caught in rain, usually no more than a light mist, but had two days of sunshine and warm temperatures. Our guesthouse owners told us we were very lucky, that the previous week it rained for 9 days straight, creating landslides that were so bad they had to stop steam train service south of Ghoom (about 11km south of Darjeeling). The steam train, or "toy train" as it's affectionately known, is another big landmark of Darjeeling. The first steam journey was in September 1881. The train station is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2 ft-wide tracks follow the steep mountain ridges down to Kurseong (32 km south), and the regular diesel service goes on down to New Jalpaiguri.
We took that diesel train down to Kurseong, waving at the local kids who stood outside their homes and shops to watch the daily train activity. The train tracks run at street level, right next to the traffic and at other times on the edge of the mountainside. Also, a tip if you ever take the train...we opted
for the MUCH cheaper 2nd class ticket and were perfectly comfortable. 1st class may be nice if you take the 8 hour journey all the way to New Jalpaiguri, but for the 3 hour journey to Kurseong 2nd class is just fine. From Kurseong we took another bumpy jeep ride the rest of the way downhill back to New Jalpaiguri...on to our overnight train Kolkata.
I don't have much to share about Kolkata, our train arrived a little after 6am and my flight to Chennai was that evening. Sean was only spending one night there before his flight to Thailand, so we started by hopping on the suburban train headed to the budget Sudder Street area. Here we saw quite possibly the worst hostel room I have ever seen in my life. It wasn't much bigger than my bathroom at my parent's house, had a single bed with a blanket I wouldn't wrap roadkill in, no windows, and writing all over the wall that on closer inspection may have read something like, "_____ died here". The owner didn't look too surprised when we said "uhhhh, no" and ran out of there. This prison-cell-of-a-room was Rp 150. Yes, cheap...just over
$3 USD...but even cheap needs standards. So we walked a block away, found a dorm room that was at least tolerable for a night...and only Rp 100! So we locked our bags in the under-cot drawer and spent the day walking around town. We were able to see the Victoria Memorial and the surrounding parks, walked around the Fort William military base and the Maiden park, and rode the trolley through town. I thought Kolkata's wide streets, colonial architecture, and cultural sites made it feel less congested than the parts of Delhi I visited.
From Kolkata I tearfully left Sean to fend for himself in his cheap dorm room, as I flew south to Chennai to start my study abroad program. More on that to come!!...
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MOM
non-member comment
India looks much better!
Lori, the blog is great! I'd say this definitely shows quite an improvement of India from what you saw your first few weeks! I'm reading the book INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer (Judy's book) that is all about his experience with mountaineering starting there in Darjeeling. You'll find it especially interesting after seeing some of the actual places. Love you and Miss you.