Visit to Makaibari Tea Estate

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Getting out tickets on the "Toy Train" out of Darjeeling, to our next stop, Kurseong is an experience. We have to go to the Darjeeling train station and fill out a form. We have to fill it out just right, which takes about 3 trys, but with the help of a friendly local young man, we are finially successful. The train ride is slow, but interesting. We ride on the Deisel powered train, there is a steam engine as well that travels a joy ride route. Patty & I both think of our fathers, both of whom were train lovers & would have loved this ride. They are riding withus...

After about 3 and a half hours we arrive in Kurseong, & are hustled into a cab for the ride to Makaibari Tea Estate. There are homestays available here, but we have not been able to get ahold of anyone to set this up. However, it is easy, once we are dropped off at the factory gate, we follow the road downhill a short distance to the volunteer office. There we are served tea and visit with Nyon, the volunteer coordinator. He arrainges our stay at the cost of about $25.00 per night including homecooked meals, for both of us. After dropping our bags off at our homestay we join a British family for a walk in the Tea Garden. The Mother of the family was born here & her Grandfather was an engineer on the train we rode on from Darjeeling. This is her first time back since she was in grade school here, 60 years ago.

We are fed well at our homestay, & the next day we are given a tour of the Makaibari tea factory. The entire operation is orgainc, the tea is great and we are well treated for our entire, too short, stay here.

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