So, we can see our breath in our room and my toothpaste is frozen. Darjeeling, this lovely old city built into the side of a hill, is still nicer than almost anywhere in the south. Reason 1. The people are obviously not as hung-up about tourists. 2. The women are more approachable and some even wear PANTS and have shorter hair. By far, there are fewer hassles but there's still that Indian beaurocracy which sent us back and forth between 2 offices, 3 km apart, for our Sikkim permits (if they're free, why do we even need them?) What a treat to see the peaks of some of the Himalayas! Early morning, some of the mist cleared and the snowy points were there, disembodied and floating over the city like a cloud bank. Awesome! And there's
... read more
