Back to the trip. I spent nine days there and luckily for me, most of those days had clear skies. This gave me umpteen opportunities to gaze at the Himalayas. There is a particular hill in Darjeeling called 'Tiger Hill', which offers a jaw dropping view of the entire Himalayan range. And through binoculars, one can even see Mt. Everest!
-The Himalayan Range, as viewed from Tiger Hill
Darjeeling is primarily follows Buddhism, with lots of Monasteries and Pagodas around. The most famous monastery in Darjeeling is 'Ghoom Monastery' or 'Yiga Choeling Monastery'. It was built in 1875 and inside the monastery is a 15-feet high statue of 'Coming Buddha'.
-Ghoom Monastery
-'Coming Buddha' Statue inside Ghoom Monastery
Next stop was the Japanese Peace Pagoda. A Pagoda is usually a temple; a place of worship. It has beautiful wood carvings and bronze statues depicting the various stages of Buddha's life.
-Japanese Peace Temple
-Inside the temple
-Steps leading to the Pagoda
-A bronze statue of BuddhaOn my second day in Darjeeling, I happened upon a trail which runs behind the 'Chawrasta' (a central location where 4 roads converge). This trail was very unique as on one side were rows of houses and on the other, the hills and in the far distance, the Himalayan Range. I walked the entire trail (it took about 2 hours) and it was spectacular. Very peaceful as there were hardly any people around and the views were breathtaking. So many trees it was like a sensory overload.
-The Trail
Next, I visited Batasia Loop which is a natural drop occuring between Ghoom & Darjeeling. It houses the War Memorial housing a 30 ft. high triangular cenotaph with the Roll of Honour engrave on it in memory of the brave Gorkha soldiers. It was a sobering experience and the pictures below pretty much sums it up.
As for the rest of my trip, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking because, quite frankly, i cannot put into words what I experienced in those 9 days. It was something close to magical; I was one with myself and there was a feeling of being content; of being happy; of being at peace with my battles. I was as if my troubles melted away into the serene backdrop of the mountains and the world, all of a sudden, the world was beautiful, and life wasn't so bad after all.
To conclude, Darjeeling is aplace unlike any other I have visited so far in India. Infact, you don't even feel like you are in India. Even the people are so different from the Indians that you might have come accross in your life.
Darjeeling was an experience that I shall never forget; the place, the people; the tranquil pace of life and the majesty of the snow capped mountains which makes one feel so small, so non-existent. Possibly the only regret I have is that I didn't have anyone to share it with. Nevertheless, I have brought back with me a lot of fond memories...and my own little slice of heaven.
I've been working for a little over 4 years now, and the first time i took a proper vacation was only in October of 2008! This was partly because i couldn't afford taking a vacation and partly because, there just wasn't enough time.
Anyhow, since I was taking a vacation after more than 3 years for hard labor, I wanted it to be memorable. After a lot of thought and going back and forth on which destination to choose, i finally settled on Darjeeling, India.For those of you who aren't very familiar with Darjeeling, let me give you a crash course. Darjeeling is a city located in West Bengal and is close to the Himalayan mountain range, situated on the Nepal-India border. Probably the most famous thing about Darjeeling is the view it offers of the Himialaya's, and more specifically, Mt. Kanchenjunga.
-Mt.Kanchejunga, as seen from my hotel roomMt. Kanchenjunga (also spelled Kanchendzonga) is the third highest mountain in the world, after Mt. Everest and K2. It's height is 8,586 mtrs. and it's name translates to 'The five treasures of snow' as it contains five peaks. Majority of this mountain lies on the border of North Sikkim (India) and Nepal while a part lies wholly in Nepal.
Back to Darjeeling. The closest airport is at Bagdogra and the nearest railhead is Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, from where you can travel by car (which is preferable because of the breathtaking view it offers!). September-November is the best time to travel as this is the end of summer and the temperature is not that cold.
I arrived at Darjeeling and although i was very exhausted (2 plane changes and one 5 1/2 hour drive) my first impressions of the place was awe. Mind you, seeing dust and sand and experiencing sweltering temperatures day in day out for the last 3 years and then suddenly finding yourself surrounded by fabulous views and crisp, fresh air can be an overwhelming experience.
I stayed at the Sinclairs Hotel on Gandhi Road (yes, there is one in nearly every city of India!). Darjeeling doesn't have any 5 star hotels, the maximum they go up to is 3. The hotel I stayed in was quite good; clean, good location, all wooden flooring and ceilings. And best of all, a fantastic view of Kachenjunga. Also, the hotel staff was extremely friendly and smiled all the time! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's planning a trip to Darjeeling. Although the hotel offered various packages which included sight-seeing trips organized by the hotel itself, I chose not too to take up any of them and instead, saw Darjeeling on my own terms and convenience. I decided to employ the services of the taxi driver who drove me from Bagdogra airport to the hotel, which turned out to be a good decision as not only was he a good driver, which is a must in Darjeeling, but was very well aware of all the places of interest within the city.
I arrived late afternoon and after checking in, resting a bit and taking a quick shower, I stepped out to my first tryst with Darjeeling. The hotel is located quite near to the marketplace and that's where I went first. the market is called quite simply, The Mall or Mall Road, and is a quaint area with majority of the shops dedicated to curios and handicraft items. It is a very different experience as compared to, let's say, walking down Salem Mubarak Str. here in Kuwait.
-a view of Darjeeling city
One thing that I should mention here is that staying in Darjeeling is quite expensive. Hotels charge quite a bit, considering that tourism is the only other industry that Darjeeling has, the other being tea. But shopping in Darjeeling is quite inexpensive and one can bring back numerous knickknacks without breaking the bank.
Gots to go now. I will be back with more on my trip to heaven...
