You know how there are some places which are so popular that it gives you a major FOMO if you do not visit that place? For Bengalis, it is probably Darjeeling, after Kolkata. If you are from Kolkata, that’s a different story. You can often run off to Darjeeling. Hence, you see all kinds of crowd there, not just the honeymooners; but college students in search of romance, old couples rekindling their love, couples going through midlife crisis, couples in search of romance with their whole big clan of family. Yep. You see it all. But most people there will be in search of a pinch of romance, for sure, right from the Bengali film industry to Hindi cinema.
Well, I have thrown the word ‘romance’ quite a lot. You get the picture.
My story of Darjeeling is different. I went to the place in search of my parent’s romance, with my childhood friend whom I hadn’t met in years. To me, it almost felt like I was in search of my roots.
The whole year had been utterly confusing to me and frankly, a difficult one. I needed to think, to do something which makes me feel free and see the world; to have reassurance that things would fall into place. The only way to do that would be by traveling.
We planned for the first week of August in Darjeeling but were constantly worried about the trip being canceled. Planning is a major problem in any hill station due to the rains as the roads get blocked and communications can get cut off. However, the rainy season or the offset of the season also means lesser tourists and therefore, better accommodation at cheaper prices. It is a matter of the opportunity cost and the risk you are willing to bear.
Day 1
Darjeeling, being at a height of about 2,000 meters, wasn’t too steep to reach. Besides, you get regular buses or shared cabs from Siliguri, and it takes about 3 hours or so to reach West Bengal’s own Queen of Hills. We hopped on a North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus (NBSTC) at around 8AM from Siliguri. The change in topography and the weather was absolutely welcoming just before we reached Kurseong, another quaint hill town on the way to Darjeeling. We stopped mid-way for chai and a couple of pictures. By 12PM, we had reached Darjeeling.
The walk from the bus stand to our hotel was something we had underestimated, though. Neither my friend nor I carried heavy backpacks, since our trip was just for a weekend. We had booked an accommodation at the Mall Road, next to Chowk Bazaar, in order to be at the heart of the town. That meant, we had to walk quite a steep climb up.
I am not sure if women not being good at navigation was a logical stereotype, but it definitely is true when it comes to Ankita and I (she is worse than me). We had both Google Maps and Apple Map open, which showed that our hotel was 650 m away and somehow, we still ended up getting lost, asking people for directions and huffing and puffing as we made the climb up. Even then, we were not ready to spend ₹1200 on a local cab. Oh yes, cab fares are that high in Darjeeling. And I am not kidding, it was quite far. To this day, I am not sure what is the direction that we checked.
We reached the hotel (which was ongoing renovation) and checked in to find that our room was quite spacious and pretty. The hotel is called Golden Orchids, and we booked it through booking.com. We paid about INR 5,000 for 3 nights, which for us, was a good deal. That is the perk of traveling during off season. The manager, in fact, suggested we book the hotel by calling them directly the next time for more discount!
After freshening up and having a light lunch, we decided to take a stroll and find a cab for our sightseeing the next day. Mind you, finding a cab is not as easy as it seems. Yes, there are quite a lot of local cabs parked in the taxi stand but it all depends on your negotiation skills. Remember how our moms bargain with the vegetable vendor? DO THAT! If necessary, take a crash course from her in an hour before you talk to the cab drivers.
Ankita was not good at negotiation at all. Wait. To say not good would be an understatement. Let’s just say that both of us agreed that it would be better for her to go and shop in Miniso nearby while I handled the bargaining part.
I talked to about five or six cab drivers and took their numbers, told them that the other was charging less and managed a cab for the next day for INR 3000.
Once we were satisfied with having 10% of the cab drivers in our contact list, we decided to spend the evening sipping coffee and enjoy the confectionery at Glenary’s Bakery and Cafe. Glenary’s is an (overhyped, sorry but it is true) age-old bakery since colonial times. The outdoor sitting area overlooks the Kanchenjunga. We ordered pizza, pastry, a croissant and a coffee. Food was just an excuse. We just wanted good pictures. However, that was almost impossible to get with the amount of crowd in the cafe. We did not find one tiny corner devoid of humans to angle our pictures well. And both of us are very, very picky about photographs.
Nevertheless, it is always refreshing to just sit in a cafe with one of your oldest friends and talk about life. We had never been one of those people who would go out often during our school days. And there we were, taking a trip together. Little joys, eh?
Once we were remotely satisfied, we decided to explore the little town. The happening street is of course, the Chowrasta, a meeting point of four streets in the middle of the town with an amphitheater, surrounded by shops and vendors selling a variety of things. You can see performances going on, if you are lucky or the locals and tourists spending a relaxing evening, trying out momos and taking pictures.
Quite frankly, we wanted to find live music or a karaoke club, but we soon realized that we were living in a fantasy world. These were either not to be found easily by tourists or did not exist in Darjeeling. We gave up our search after being disappointed for an hour. Instead, we decided to try out the food and head back to our cozy room after a tiring day.
Day 2
I love seeing the sunrise more than sunsets and am usually an early riser. The morning in Darjeeling was perfect to go for a run. I took one of the market lanes, after talking to our hotel manager, who guided me on the point from where I could see the Kanchenjunga.
The beautiful part is, you are not alone. You’d be surprised to see how many locals and tourists alike would be up and about running, jogging or exercising.
Once I saw the Kanchenjunga, I felt myself holding my breath for a while. The morning sun glistened in the snowy-white peak against the blue sky making the whole thing look like a perfectly edited postcard. You see pictures on Instagram, clicked by the best of photographers but nothing can beat nature’s beauty being seen yourself.
For Day 2, we had the following on our agenda:
● Breakfast at Keventers: Keventer’s is one of the places where the movie Barfi was shot. Primarily famous for the scene, it has also been the spot for many Bengali and other non-Bengali cinema as well as artists. The restaurant has a whole wall dedicated to their rise to fame. It opens at 8AM and you will find people queued up for breakfast from 7:30 AM onwards.
Once I returned from my run, I found Ankita almost ready to leave. Quite frankly, I was scared of her. I knew she would kill me if we failed to get a place at Keventer’s.
However, once there, we did manage to get a place but not at the spot where Illena D’Cruz and Ranbir Kapoor had their date. That was on the grab by angry Bengali aunties, one of who was almost about to kill me because I managed to get close to her chair (I was only taking a picture, I swear). Either way, from where we sat, we had a better view of the Kanchenjunga and both of us were too excited when we realized how good the pictures would be.
Not going to lie, we ordered so much that by the end of it, we regretted having ordered the last plate of bacon. Going to Keventer’s and not trying their bacon is a sin. We finished up our respective plates of English Breakfast, two plates of extra bacon and coffee. I did not know either of us could eat that much.
● Riding the Himalayan Toy train: This was our much-awaited Main Hoon Na moment. Ever since we had planned the trip, I was waiting to see the exact spot where SRK got down from the train. We reached the station way before our train departure and even managed to check out a pretty monastery nearby (which Ankita was afraid to go to. I am sure that there were times she wanted to kill me for running off like a monkey, not to mention with her iPhone to click pictures).
There are options of the steam engine and the diesel engine train when you book the tickets (tickets to the toy train can be purchased through the IRCTC website or app but do book in advance as it is quite in demand). The steam engine ticket is a few bucks higher but not too worth it, in my opinion. For one, you are contributing to polluting the environment. For two, it makes no difference to your experience as you will be sitting in a coach which would be the same for both the trains.
The toy train is a ride of about an hour and it passes through the Batasia Loop, where it stops for about 10 minutes, giving you some time to get pictures clicked. Once it reaches the Ghoom station, it will stop for another 10-15 minutes, and you can check out the museum at the station (which is quite informative). But well, people just end up taking pictures. There is a monastery at Ghoom which you can see through the train on the way. The ride is for an hour and a half.
I think the Himalayan toy train is an experience you can have once, for the sake of it. (Enter your Kashto Majaa Hain moment from Parineeta) It is a tad bit overhyped, (at least in Darjeeling) because there is not really any difference in the route the train takes which you wouldn’t see on your way to Darjeeling. The experience could be worth it in other places of India such as Shimla or Ooty.
● Visiting the zoo and HMI: The Darjeeling zoo is unique for the Himalayan Red Panda. It is a bit far from the railway station. We had taken the contact of the cab who dropped us to the station in the morning and by the time we finished the joy ride, he was there to pick us up. Moreover, he had also agreed to take us for sight-seeing the next day. You can do the same with one cab driver to get a discount. The key is to talk with them if you think that they do not mind. You’d be surprised at how many local, fun stories they have to share.
HMI or the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is inside the zoo. It has a museum dedicated to Tenzin Norgay and a few fun adventures like zip lining, rope climbing etc. I tried them all while Ankita took videos. Really, I could feel her wanting to kill me. Poor kid had to walk and wait as I kept dragging her from place to place.
The museum is worth a visit, though. There is a lot to know about mountaineering. You can also get the basic information from them if you want to be trained for Mt. Everest or mountain climbing under HMI.
The zoo, quite surprisingly, was fun. Of course, the Himalayan red panda stole our hearts and we could not stop gushing. You can also see a Black Panther, a very elegant Royal Bengal Tiger and an Asian White Tiger. There were two bears who, despite their disgusting smell, looked extremely cute. This is probably the first zoo I have been to where I was not disappointed. Usually, I avoid visiting any zoo because of the poor condition in which the animals are kept in.
We weren’t very sure about dinner. We scrounged the market for a while, got souvenirs and decided to be back for dinner after a while.
That was the day I realized that Ankita and I going for meals is a very bad idea, especially when we are extremely hungry. Neither of us are good at selecting food. We entered Glenary’s, checked their menu and came out. Finally, I got a few momos while she entered KFC. Yep, of all the places and meals in the world, that’s what we ended up with!
Day 3:
We had a quick breakfast and started for our tour at 10AM after which we headed for the day-tour (it felt quite luxurious booking a whole car for the two of us. That’s what you usually get only while travelling with family).
Peace Pagoda: Although the peace pagoda resembles a Stupa, the vital difference between the two structures is the fact that a Stupa houses the relics of the Buddha while a Pagoda is simply a shrine. The Peace Pagoda in Darjeeling is a beautiful, white monument which has various forms of the Buddha and instances from his life carved around it. Apart from its serenity, the monument also gives a mesmerizing view of the Kanchenjunga.
Japanese temple: The Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple is a soul-calming hub of tranquility. A holy place for the Buddhists, the temple is a symbol of peace established after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki tragedies and inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
These two places were the perfect way to start our day, despite having been crowded.
Rock Garden: The rock garden took us quite a while to reach and may I say, the roads were pretty steep. Almost gave me a scare in the turn-arounds!
You pass through a lot of tea-gardens on the way, where you can stop and take pictures. Additionally, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the Kanchenjunga as it accompanies you along your tour.
The rock garden is a little park built around a waterfall. In my honest opinion, it dampened our spirits a little bit. Despite collecting fees, the place is quite dirty and has been loitered with plastics and bottles. It is sad to see people having no respect for the environment at all.
Lepcha Jagat: Our next point was the Lepcha Jagat. It’s a pine forest which makes for a picturesque point on the way to the Nepal border. We tried real hard to get the Instagram-able shot of pine trees. Also, to our idiocy, used my polaroid there only to get a really dark shot. It has been 2.5 years of buying the camera and countless reels and I have still failed to get a satisfactory shot out of it. Whoever has hyped up polaroids but be super rich!
Simana Viewpoint: Our next stop was what I was personally rooting for: the India-Nepal border of Simana Viewpoint. Of course, you can go into the Nepali villages if you drive down to the Pashupati Market (you can find Nepali vehicles who will give you a tour, but that’s something I have only heard about). Simana Viewpoint is literally the border market of the two countries.
One can also see the Mane Bhanjan area, which is the starting point of the Sandakphu Trek.
I bought a little model of the Buddha in the Sleeping Lion position, which was INR 100. Everything in the border is a tad bit expensive but if you want to support the locals and buy yourself a little souvenir, there are many tiny items to choose from.
We had maggi for lunch, overlooking the hills, coupled with chai and it was perfect for the windy weather.
The Dali and the Ghoom Monastery: On our way back, we stopped at both the monasteries. While the Ghoom Monastery is not really large, the Dali Monastery is huge, and a sight for the tired eyes. We reached just before the evening prayers and couldn’t thank our luck enough. If you haven’t witnessed a prayer of the Buddhist monks, I suggest you try to, at least once in your lifetime. It breathes a peace like nothing else into your heart.
By the time we returned, it was late. I still wanted to see the school where Main Hoon Na was shot at. By then, Ankita gave up on me and decided to go back to the hotel alone while I walked towards the school. It is uphill and Google Map does the worst job there. However, halfway up the hill, I realized that it could rain tremendously any moment and I gave up my quest. Instead, I went to a Subway, got two salads for our dinner and decided to head back.
There was this beautiful Republic Day performance going on at Chowrasta, where the army had gathered. It was wonderful to see the military perform there. I almost had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t help but thank a few of them, standing near me for all that they do for us. One of them even wanted to take a picture with me! (inserts the monkey with eyes closed emoticon here!)
I cannot thank my luck enough because just as I entered our hotel, it started to rain cats and dogs. And sadly, the power got cut off. Electricity in Darjeeling, or any hill station for that matter, is tricky waters. There was generator service only in a few parts of the hotel, including a very weak light in our room, which wasn’t sufficient. Once we had dinner, I went upstairs to the restaurant to get a bottle of warm water. That’s when I met these really nice group of local musicians who were spending their evening, singing and having drinks. A few of them invited me to join them and I called up Ankita.
Let’s just suffice to say that what we thought was going to be a boring last night in Darjeeling turned out to be the perfect ending to our trip. We had live music (even karaoke), good food, laughter, stories and strangers who shared their beautiful evening with us. I couldn’t be any more thankful to the universe.
This, for me, is the best part about travelling. I cannot get enough of the culture. I love it when strangers share their little town’s secrets, make you a part of their life because you are new in the area and aren’t sure of what to do and are simply kind to you unconditionally.
I can only hope that I can give back to the universe as much as I have got, maybe more.
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