Rimbick 1

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I just wrote a whole big thing on Rimbick which I lost when I tried to publish it so this time around it may not be as well written. I'm sorry.

Rimbick is so remote that I had to request it be added to the travelblog database of locations.

I've been in Rimbick for 12 days so far and it's been amazing. The first night I arrived at 6pm, the dinner time at Sakya Choepheling monastery. I had my first nonvegetarian meal served to me in months! Tugpa is a kind of tibetan soup made with chunks of meat and thick doughy noodles. I tried my best to eat around the meat and aim for the noodles. The monastery has meat meals 3 times a week and I think it'd be a bit undernourishing to only eat vegetarian meals with the limited supply of crops that are available Rimbick. It seems like every grocery shop sells only garlic, potatoes, tomato, chili, cauliflower and a kind of asian spinach. There is one cook at the monastery who lives with his wife and child in a single room attached to the kitchen. I am so grateful to him for the mountains of food he single handedly produces for all of us every meal.

During the week I've seen the monastery secretary drunkenly singing in front of me and the monks, Played cricket and football with the monks and even lost 200 rupees in a tibetan gambling card game with the monks.

Although Rimbick is a 4.5hr drive further into the Himalayan foothills than Darjeeling it sells a lot more things than I would've thought.b I have seen DVD players, large speakers, SKY sets, mobile phones and they even have a 24hr doctor all on a one road town centre.

As well as teaching english at the monastery I went to help out at Rosarium academy yesterday for the first time. The other two volunteers, Lily and Lucy, have been telling me about how difficult it was at the school and I finally realised what they meant yesterday. As soon as I got there I was left alone with a class of 6 year olds who would not focus on me for more than 3 seconds and who were constantly asking to go to the toilet. I admire Lucy and Lily for being able to go and teach at the school every day.

Rimbick is a beautiful village perched on the side of a massive hill looking straight across at onother massive hill which is the beginning of Sikkim state. The walks I have been on so far have been amazing. Today 3 of the junior monks and I walked one and a half hours down the road to where the road ends and people have to start walking. We came to a bridge and across it a small cluster of buildings called Sirikhola where tourist trekkers can stay the night. It was truly breathtaking, especially on an almost perfectly clear day.

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Photos

SiriKhola bridge
Me and Sonam Singe

Comments

[Lindsay van Baaren]

wondrous travels
Awesome to follow you on your adventure. Thank you for your detailed descriptions of your experiences... I am almost there. Love Lindsay