Darjeeling Express!!

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Sunday 5^thNovember



Strange start to the day.



Paldin rang our doorbell this morning at 6.15am.<span> He held on to our passports last night in order to have us stamped out of Bhutan this morning but apparently this cant be done because we don’t have the departure cards we need.<span> So he sits in our room talking and then makes a comment about how poor he is, having to support his daughter etc etc.<span> He offers Shane a map of our route around Bhutan – one that is quite expensive. Shane offers to give him whatever Bhutanese cash he has left which he accepts.<span> He finally takes off so that we can go and have breakfast. Almost as soon as we are back to pack our bags he returns with the map (which turns out to be a generic tourist map) and then becomes upset because someone has stolen his mobile phone.<span> He goes on about how much it’s going to cost him to replace, and although we both smell a rat, we appear sympathetic.<span> As if knowing we aren’t going to give him any more cash, he says he’ll meet us downstairs and leaves, without even closing the door.<span> When we get downstairs to wait for our new guide, Palden and Tsering are already gone.

I am terribly saddened and even a little angry to think that he would try to scam extra cash from us by lying!<span> I hope it isn’t true.



Umesh and Bevit collect us right on time and we head to immigration to sign out and then to Indian immigration to get stamped in.<span> What a contrast.<span> In Bhutan they bidding us goodbye and welcoming us to come again soon, and in Indian, I’m being told off for not including the letters preceding the visa number , on the form.<span> For Christ sake!!! It only asked for numbers.

“And”, he says “ you vill remember how to do this properly next time!”

Uh, no mate, there won’t <span> BE a next time! Consider yourself lucky I came here even once!

This side of the border is dirt poor in stark contrast to Bhutan 20 metres away. It is filled with traders, workers and migrant riff raff.<span> It is hideous! In some ways its a sad way to leave Bhutan. Mind you, if you were coming in the other way you'd be jumping for joy!







We have arrived in the hills of Darjeeling this afternoon, and its quite adorable really.<span> It’s been nice to have charge of our meals and we had a delicious curry at Glenorys, which has been highly recommended by a couple of old time frequent travelers to India, from Britain.

The Fortune Hotel is quite comfortable, although once again, the bed didn’t cost them a fortune. I think I can actually feel the wood through the mattress on this one!

Anyhoo, we’re up at 3am tomorrow morning to watch the sun rise over the snow capped Himalayas.

Nameste!

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