Farewell Bhutan, Hello Darjeeling

Morning mist in the Thimphu Valley

2^nd April

I had tried, the previous evening, to pre-order breakfast – as per the instructions in my room, but had been told it was buffet breakfast.

An Early morning dusting of snow above the Paro Valley

The dining room was becoming crowded with the tour group of 39 Taiwanese – mainly ladies – who had prepared Taiwanese noodles for breakfast (Shirley Valentine, eat your heart out!) and were encouraging me to share their food.  I tried 2 types of their noodles, with vegetables, and one dish of Bhutanese noodles with vegetables.  I passed on the rice porridge with vegetables.  It was a noisy and rather hilarious meal!  It seemed to me a little incongruous to watch some ladies pile their plates high with noodles and vegetables with a couple of slices of toast and jam on the side – but whatever they like, I guess!

There was too much high cloud for any decent mountain views on the flight, despite my window seat on the correct side of the plane, but I sat next to a delightful monk and we chatted a bit about him – he had chosen to become a monk at 5, having wanted to do so since 3, and was travelling to return to his college in India where he is studying for his PhD.

More snow dusted hills above the Paro Valley

Formalities at the airport at Bagdogra seemed to take forever, probably not assisted by the immigration officer’s one finger data entry.  I eventually exited customs to see a young man holding a hand written page with my name – relief.  My car booking worked.

Bagdogra was steamy hot and the traffic crazy and heart stopping in a mildly gentler manner than in Delhi.  It was a relief to gradually reach higher altitudes and start to feel a little coolness in the air. 

Covered Bridge over the Paro Chhu

The road, once the journey up into the hills commences, is narrow and winding but my driver Niki seems fairly good by local standards and there was only one point at which I vocalized:  He was about to overtake a large truck but from my position in the passenger seat I could see oncoming vehicles, 2 of which were large trucks!

As we ascended we seemed to rise a little above the smog haze and there was one point at which the view across the hills to scattered towns and villages seemed fairly clear – one could only hope for continued improvement and visibility.

A popular street food choice

At one point I realized that there were rail tracks along the side of the road – perhaps it was the fact that we drove over them to avoid an oncoming car that brought this to my attention.  It was a section of the narrow gauge Himalayan railway.  A short steam train trip is on my list of things to do in Darjeeling.

My driver, Niki, requested a stop – it seems to meet his friends, but I was glad of a short break and indulged in a cup of tea.  I figure that if a driver is driving more than 3 hours on those roads he can have all the breaks he wants. 

Darjeeling, and its suburbs, is spread out in a band along the hills, in and out of the valleys all joined together by a very narrow road, which twists and turns and in places is barely wide enough for one large vehicle.

The Chowrasta Mall

Above and below the “main” road are even more improbably narrow, improbably twisting, improbably badly surfaced roads edged with general stores, houses, businesses of all sorts of other descriptions, hotels, and (in the relevant places) tourists shops and “pop up” stalls (distinguished by blue tarpaulin) and assorted vegetable sellers and street food vendors.

As we navigated a complex set of ups and downs and twists and turns to get to my booked hotel, I wondered how far away from the main centre – whatever that may be – I actually had booked.

 

A scary thought...

We eventually got there and they were expecting me.  A minor hitch, the hotel wanted me to pay for the driver, in cash, straight away.  Insufficient rupees and it appears that while rupees and Nu are supposed to be interchangeable in both countries, that does not appear to be widely known in India!

The hotel said not to worry; I could give them that cash later, and paid the driver.  I had already asked him about a full day tour, which I have to arrange through the hotel.   Given that I only had one minor heart attack in the 3 hours I was in the car with him, he seems a reasonable choice for a full day!

This pharmacy made it official - chocolate is medicine
The front top glassed cabinet had a large pile of Cadbury

My room is compact, to put it mildly.  The double bed is against the wall and there is less than a metre between it and the wall.  The bathroom is not quite as big as it needs to be to house a toilet, a basin and a shower.  The bed is made up with a bottom sheet, a blanket and a top sheet, in that order.  But I’m not paying that much for it.  And it has decent wifi.

Hotel reception gave me instructions about where to find a money changer – I am guessing a friend of a second uncle twice removed because after I finally found the place, I noticed half a dozen on the way back!  I also tried to buy a SIM  card – a long and complicated and unproductive attempt involving directions to go up, then down, then up….  so I gave up.