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Published: March 22nd 2014
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The road to Sikkim sees us driving up and down steep mountain roads with more pot holes than road and many long stretches of dirt and loose stones where the original metalled surface has been washed away by previous monsoon rains. The roads are narrow with just enough space for two vehicles, steep hillside on one side of the car and sheer drops on the other - incredibly challenging driving but fortunately we have an excellent driver!! We are travelling up through ancient forests of giant bamboos, massive ferns, small and large trees of numerous varieties - including figs, laurels, pines, oak, chestnut, maple, birch, silver fir, magnolias many of which are in flower - together with immense rhododendron bushes with dark red flowers - all of which cover the incredibly steep mountain sides.
Looking back and down, out of the car window, we can see a thin shining river in the deep valleys, appearing miles below, with a thin ribbon of road winding its way up the mountainside - have we really driven along there!! The distances between towns are not great, up to 100 km, but requires 5 or 6 hours to drive. There are fantastic views, along
the valleys, but the haze prevents good photographs. We arrive at the border between West Bengal and Sikkim, by crossing the River Rangit, on a typical Himalayan-style suspension bridge - how fantastic is that!! At the border we require a special tourist permit and even have our passports stamped and then off we drive into one of the smallest Indian States and the real foothills of the Himalayas.
We arrive at our hotel in Pelling and are told that there is a fantastic view from our hotel room window - but not just now as it is still hazy with low cloud. Early morning is the best time!! We will believe that when we see it - but we all agree that there will be another early morning 05.30 start. We hear the alarm clock, dare we look out of the window, it is still dark but the sky appears clear and is that the tops of mountains? We rush down to the hotel lawn, and are soon joined by others in our group. As the sunrise commences - there before our eyes is the amazing vista of the snow covered Himalayan Kangchenjunga range - this is awe-inspiring -
the third highest mountain in the world - Kangchenjunga at 28,169ft - we just stand and stare!
We head further up the hillside to Pemayangtse Buddhist Monastery, from where we get superb views of Kangchenjunga through the fluttering prayer flags and Buddhist monks, welcoming the morning by blowing their conch shells, add spiritual atmosphere to this spectacular scene.
In the afternoon we visit Khecheopalri Lake - which is a sacred lake for both Buddhists and Hindus - and is very busy with locals coming to pray and make wishes.
We have a long drive the next day, to Gangtok the capital and main town of Sikkim. Here we visit the Rumtek Monastery, headquarters of the Black Hat sect, and then the Institute of Tibetology which has an interesting museum. In the late afternoon and all night there is a massive thunderstorm with torrential rain which keeps us awake for some of the night.
Our tour of the Himalayan hill stations is now over as we head back to Bagdogra for the short flight to Kolkata and then the following day we fly down to Goa. We are hoping for some rest and relaxation and hot sunny
weather after our tiring, but amazing tour.
Accommodation - Pelling - Elgin Mount Pandim Hotel
- Gangtok - Elgin Nor-Khill Hotel
Weather - Mainly sunny, cloudy & hazy with one spectacular blue-sky day and one thunderstorm.
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C Birch
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Wanderings in India - 11 - Sikkim
M B Says Wonderful Colourful Photographs C B Says I don't know how you could cope with very narrow and Winding Roads, I would have been scared Stiff. A most wonderful and exciting tour, many thanks for all the Blogs, I wish we could have been there.