subject: Tramping along the Himalayan Trails… [print this page] . Snow roofed mountains, green woods, wild fountains, wooden houses and purity in the atmosphere- there may be innumerable common factors but a hill station never fails us as each of them has to offer something special. Gangtok was our newest discovery in the Indian travel map and we immediately embarked on a journey to unfurl this amazing hill station.
A delayed train journey from Delhi took us forty hours to reach New Jalpaiguri, a major town in West Bengal (being the nearest railway station to some of the amazing tourist destinations in the region). Big hoarding displaying Bangla alphabets welcomed us as we drove past the town till we entered the state of Sikkim. Then, a mere 125 kilometer bumpy bus ride and we found us amidst a cloudy hilltop.
No we didn't go for immediate sightseeing! It was our lovely hotel built on the slopes of a rocky hill. As our vision descended on the capital city of Sikkim, it felt like as if someone had just torn out a beautiful page from a picture-story book. The thick blanket of fog kissed our cheeks and the prayer flags fluttering in the breeze at a distant corner looked magical. The journey so far was tiring but we finally won the battle with our exhaustion and decided to explore the place in a nice coffee house to start with.
The bitter winter part was almost over and the sunny atmosphere had rouged the faces around. A positive vibe swept us and we instantly liked this new infection. Bending over a steaming cup of coffee we debated on our plans and finally, zeroed on the Deer Park, also called the Rustomji Park, the park near the New Secretariat.
The park houses the famous red panda and the Himalayan Bear. A big statue of Lord Buddha in the Deer Park embellishes the park premises. A butter lamp perpetually burning in front of the statue, which is surrounded with flowers of exotic variety, was simply mind-blowing. The trip was quick and worth trying. So worth was our next take, the Rumtek Monastry situated amidst some eye-soothing greenery.
The monastery, 24 kms from Gangtok, originally called the Dharma Chakra Centre, comprises of a beautiful shrine temple and a monastery for the monks. Again the religious colorful flags produced a perfect unfathomable setting. Away from the city madness, this place felt heavenly. The feel of the cold metallic wheels at the monastery to our fingers sent in a spiritual shudder and we wondered if we could stay back forever.
However, the increasing number of tourists threatened the tranquility of the place and we left it in a hurry lest our impression changed. On the way back, we couldn't help admiring the beauty of the pagoda like houses that gives the city a unique touch. The monks climbing the hilly roads in their religious attire waved at us and like some school kids we waved back too.
While in Gangtok, one thing that impressed us the most was the well maintained roads. Our guide told us that roads in Sikkim are maintained by the Boarder Road Organization (BRO), a wing of the Indian Army. Since the state faces China Border, the logic behind this seemed acceptable.
Later in the evening, we went to M G Marg that houses a stream of shops, pubs and restaurants and tourists throng in numbers to enjoy local cuisines, attires, mementoes or just to enjoy the ambiance. But, we simply knocked into the famous Dragon Restaurant at M G Marg for some much talked about Chinese delicacies. We ate as if it was our one last wish, only to find an extensive complimentary buffet laid for us at the hotel!
A nice hair massage at a roadside salon was necessary after we shopped till we got some sore feet, although the prices were unreasonable. We didn't mind the indifferent shopkeepers for those truly fashionable items. Passion fruit Squash, Alpine Cheese, Temi Tea & Maha Gurudev Tea are some of the local products that we shoved into our collection bag. Chinese products including food items like canned fish and mushrooms are must buys in as they are not available in other parts of the country. The number of local liquor shops surprised us but our jaws dropped when someone actually bought a bottle of local red wine just for 70 rupees! And let us reveal one more thing- we didn't see a single beggar to our relief!
Next day, we went to the Khangchendzonga National Park, one of the highest national parks in the world which covers the world's third highest mountain range Kanchenjunga. The biodiversity in the park was worth some research but we preferred to dote on something else. The snow-clad Kanchenjunga peak shimmered in morning splendor and we in a minute discovered the uniqueness of Gangtok- the land of lofty mountains!
The rest of the day was spent in different local attractions such as Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (Museum) at Deorali, Tasuklakhang - The Royal Chapel, the Peace Pagoda, and the White Hall( built in 1932 in memory of the first political officer of Sikkim, Claude White).
But one thing we highly recommend to our readers is the ropeways or cable car located at Deorali market. The cable car stops at the middle point to give you a spectacular view of the valley and if you believe us the time comes to a halt as you float in the air. It was scary at the same time to hang between life and death! But safety measures are well advanced. So, back from the heaven's door, we decided to wolf down some hot momos at the Shanti View Point as we had heard that momos are the most delicious offering from Sikkim. The day ended with a picnic by the Banjhakri Falls, a lovely waterfall, surrounded by gardens and stairwells. We returned cold but content. A new day awaited us when we were to experience some breathtaking events.
Some impatient moments at the transport office to acquire tourists passes and we set on to explore the Nathu La pass on the Indo-Chinese border that serves as a trade link between the two countries.
Known as the Silk Route (56 kms from Gangtok) , Nathula Pass at 14,450 feet altitude once had been the main access for Sikkim -Tibet Trade. All we could see was a bedspread of white snow stretched into infinity. The heavy snow fall made it difficult to proceed but we dared to go further to Tsomgo Lake, Sikkim's vital tourist attraction. The lake was in a frozen state and we didn't get a chance to enjoy the wild flowers by the lake that blooms in summer. But, the small temple of Lord Shiva built near the lake side and the walkways around the lake made it worth visiting.
Visibility was too low and we encountered breathing problem. A few faint cases in our team and we landed up at the Indian army base hospital. Entry to this restricted zone was thrilling but we dreaded the shoddy weather as time ticked. Medicines, a steaming hot meal and a lift back to the city they offered everything. The thought of their surviving in that bitter cold and fighting for the safety of the nation amazed us. In return, all we could do was to salute their willpower to survive such a hard life.
Silence and tiredness had crept in the ride back to our hotel. It was our last night at Gangtok. We wanted to go river rafting on river Teesta as rafters swear by the challenges. However, the best time to do this is from May to October. An early April rafting wasn't a safe bet. Still, we had one more thing left -without that the trip would have been incomplete. So before leaving the city we made a quick trip to Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden with our luggage loaded into our taxi.
The garden is maintained by the parks and Gardens unit of the Forest Department of the Government of Sikkim. The lush green vegetation, rare plants and trees and certain species of Himalayan flowers and Orchids preserved in a huge greenhouse within the garden can undoubtedly hypnotize nature lovers. Wild orchids in every possible color stole our heart right way. Bisleri bottles pierced in style to make fountains' was one innovative idea that we liked about this place.
So the visit was over and our taxi gyrated through the hilly roads. Tranquility, mysticism and poise this short trip offered all. Nobody dared to disagree this time. Hope we return to this land someday and find it the same-serene yet effervescent. Like we said before, a hill station never fails anyone.
