Darjeeling

---

Monday 5^thNovember



Well that was a bit of a fizzer really.<span> We were the 4^th car there out of about 150 and we had a deluxe view.<span> In India that means you get to sit in dodgy lounge chairs in a room on the third floor of a dodgy building with sliding windows, and then, if you’re me, the window you had dibs on because you got there so early, gets invaded by some arrogant German prick who gets there at 5am – and the mongrel wont move!

After a hearty breakfast we went to the Mountaineering institute and then to the zoo.<span> The Snow Leopard was an absolutely gorgeous cat as was the sleek and slender Bengal Tiger. Apart from that only the Black Bear was of much interest.

The Tibetan Refugee Centre was interesting. There is a small area of Darjeeling that houses a small number of Tibetan refugees.<span> Recently a group of Australians built a basketball court there and today just happened to be the opening, with an inaugural match to boot.:-)

The Toy Train ride up to Ghoom was fun.<span> It’s a steam train than runs once a day and has the auspicious title of Asias second highest railway, after Tibet.

At one point the train stopped and started going backward.<span> All of a sudden we start chugging forward oh so slowly and I find myself thinking<span> <span> ‘I think I can, I think I can!”LOL

I walked in to a lovely curio shop that had beautiful Carpets and shawls. We saw a gorgeous rug hanging from the wall.<span> Silk on silk no less!

“Come through madam, sit down, let me show you what we have for you. You wont be disappointed!”.

I’m disappointed alright. I fell in love with THE most spectacular silk on silk rug.<span> It was only $2500 affirming that I haven’t lost my knack for loving the finer things in life.<span> Love em and leave em though at that price.

There’s a really corny concert on in the main square.<span> Teenage boys and girls groups miming and dancing badly to their current pop songs have us giggling to ourselves but the locals seem to love them.

Dinner at a nice little vegetarian restaurant, Lunar, is delicious and then off to be for an early night

---