Diwali and Darjeeling-a-ling

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The Darjeeling area of West Bengal (or Gorkhaland if you side with the locals) has been a great introduction into life in the Himalayan foothills. The mountain sides are home to terraced fields, scenic hilltop towns/cities and fantastic views of the Himalayan range. The steep terrain results in long crowded jeep rides that snake up and down the valley at an average speed that is slightly faster than walking, with the bonus feature of incessant honking around blind corners and switchbacks. The area, specifically Kalimpong, is where we celebrated Diwali (Festival of Lights) with the hordes of horn honking Himalayans and the flocks of firework/firecracker fiends who competed in ear-splitting revelry over several days. Our ringing eardrums think it was a tie.

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Photos

Darjeeling with Khangchendzonga
Great view from our guest house; thankfully the owner would wake us up 5:30 to proudly show his vista.

Multi-faceted Toilet
Sit or stand, you pick!

Over crowded jeeps...
15 people, 1 jeep; our new record