DAY 24 : INDIA : Darjeeling

Weather : foggy, sunny, 18o

Today we had a full sightseeing day in Darjeeling.

 

 

Our activities today were situated in Darjeeling, Tiger Hill and Ghoom.

Altitude in feet.

 

 

Our guide collected us at 4.15 am to take us to a Darjeeling tradition - sunrise on Tiger Hill, which if the weather is clear gives a brilliant view of the Himalayas. We joined the thousands of tourists waiting in anticipation for the sunrise and appearance of the spectacular panoramic view. But today the fog didn't lift. How lucky that we'd had such clear skies on our trek.

 

 

Hawkers were out selling hats, gloves, coffee, postcards, DVDs etc. It all had a party feel despite the cold and disappointment of the fog.

 

 

Traffic was parked cheek by jowl - early cars had arrived from 3.30 am. It always amazes us that traffic can clear in seemingly impossible conditions.

 

 

Our first port of call this morning was to view Tenzing Norgay's home - a famous son of Darjeeling. His 1953 Everest achievement is commemorated on the front the house. He died in the 1980s.

 

 

 

The Toy Trains of Darjeeling are legendary. The original railway track from Siliguri,which is near to where we got off the train from Varanasi. It was built by the British in 1881 to ferry passages to the hill district to escape the insufferable summer heat on the plains on tiny tracks on narrow winding roads. The journey took 9 hours- and still did until 2010 when a landslide collapsed a section of the track. Now it is a tourist and local train travelling small distances. It is so popular tickets have to be purchased several weeks in advance. It is particularly popular with Indian tourists as nearly every Hindi movie has a song sequence with characters enjoying the train ride.

 

 

Baba and Megma's first attempt at a silent Hindi movie.

 

 

We took the train to Ghoom, which took 40 minutes. There was a ten minute stop-over at small eco-gardens, where women dressed in traditional hill tribe dress greeted us. These were the outfits women wore on the tree plantations.

 

 

Dawa was anxious to take us to a Buddhist monastery in Ghoom, built by a Mongolian monk in 1850. (Note the fog rolling in!) This monastery is dedicated to the 'Future Buddha' as opposed to the Past and Present Buddhas.

 

 

 

 

It was an impressive monastery - highly painted and furnished. It is a main centre for the Buddhist sect of monks, identified by their yellow hats. They are the only sect that don't marry.

 

 

Lunch was in a restaurant in Darjeeling - Glenarys. It is one of the only remnants of the British colonial past. Built in the nineteenth century as a sophisticated tea room for the ex-pat community. It is still a lovely place to eat but is now popular with local families and tourists.

Darjeeling boasts a very professional zoological gardens, displaying native animals and birds and a breeding program to ensure their survival.

 



 

Types of pheasants

 

 

Red pandas

 

 

 

Leopards

 

 

Wolves

 

 

Black bears

 

 

In the grounds of the zoo is the Himalayan Mountain Institute, which trains guides and climbers and also has an informative museum.

 

 

Tenzing Norgay's grave is in the centre of the courtyard with a corresponding statue. In fact a Sydney couple, staying at our hotel, are doing a documentary on him and are interviewing and filming in the district this week.

 

 

By the time we reached the comfort of our hotel, Cedar Inn, we had been out touring for 12 hours. A very interesting day and a guaranteed good night's sleep. This is the notice at the guard's box at the entrance to the hotel. There are so many hilarious signs and road awareness alerts that keep us amused all day.

M&M

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