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Published: August 27th 2008
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Misty morning in Darjeeling
A little girl enjoys a pony ride in the Mall, Darjeeling Day 22 - Wednesday 20 August
Another day, another training session which goes well. The material seems to be going down better with participants as the week goes on. After the session Juren takes us into town to stock up on essential supplies. Additionally we pop into a dress shop and Eleanor invests in her first Kurta. The material is lovely and the shopkeeper pops out and brings in the tailor from a few doors down who measures Eleanor. The outfit will be ready in six days. The three piece set will cost about £13.50!
Day 23 - Thursday 21 August
More training today. Round 4 of the first session again goes quite well. In the evening we meet the local committee and have dinner at David’s home. We meet a very interesting group of people under the affable chairmanship of Mrs H. David is very late in arriving due to an appointment with the army. That is the official version but in fact he has gone to town in search of tonic for our gin and has had to get the shopkeeper to open up specially to buy it!
Day 24 - Friday 22 August
After the final training session we set off for a weekend in Darjeeling. The journey is quite spectacular with fantastic views across valleys and tea gardens. We have been persuaded to stay at the New Elgin by David and from the moment we check in it appears that we have made a mistake. The hotel is cold; there is no ice for the gin and tonic and the dinner menu consists of fish pie, roast chicken, sauté potatoes and sweet corn followed by steamed marmalade pudding. When we create a fuss, the manager organises proper Indian food to be cooked for us and we enjoy dinner, although we have to wait for it and as a result we once again go to bed on full stomachs and no exercise. Tomorrow we will walk a lot in Darjeeling and may consider going to another hotel. This is all very disappointing since we were so looking forward to a couple of nights in a nice hotel. We have spoken a lot to Katie today including while we were in a 4x4 on the road to Darjeeling and she was in an ambulance on the M8. The wonders of technology. In the evening we hear that she has arrived at RIE and is settled. We also talk to Guy as he is on the M9 returning to Aberdeen from Edinburgh where he has been to see Katie.
Day 25 - Saturday 23 August
After breakfast we set off on a walking tour of the town having decided to stay at the Elgin for another evening as the alternative does not bear thinking about. We have also decided not to do the tourist sights on this visit but rather spend some time wandering through the streets and indulging in a little shopping. There are lots of lovely hand woven garments and other souvenirs to be had for next to nothing, including a beautiful silk rug which we will almost certainly return to buy before we leave.
During the day we have met a waiter from our hotel who escorted us into the Highlander’s Retreat, a B & B, with beautiful views over the Himalayas on a clear day, and we have determined that on our next visit we will stay there. We also met a young man who gave us directions and explained that his family were conducting a wake for his grandmother who had recently died at the age of 81. This was a particularly poignant moment for us both. When we returned to the hotel we had afternoon tea under the gazebo accompanied by two doggie companions and the noise of the bustling town below in the gathering evening darkness. Dinner tonight, served in the newly painted elegant dining room, is an exotic menu of local food including such delights as forest fern cooked with curdled yak's milk - yuks!
Day 26 - Sunday 24 August
Early start today as we are going to St Paul’s School to hear the choir from the Homes. Banu picks us up at 9.00 am for a 9.30 start. The service in the Chapel is rather high and is attended by the Bishop of Darjeeling. The DGH choir knock spots off the opposition singing a selection including Faure, Webber and upbeat hymn singing. After the service we have a snack and tea before watching a football match, in a thick mist, between the two schools. We intended to go the Himalayan Zoo in search of red pandas and snow leopards but by then it was so wet and misty that we decided to head back to Kalimpong and save our visit for another day when the weather isn’t inclement. The journey back to the Homes was very wet but on our arrival at Ahava the sun was shining. Later on the lights went off and the rain came on and on and on and on!!
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granger
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great blog
try the dekeling hotel ... love that place Mrs Norbrg will take care of you