Times were not easy for me - Being 29 had its own set of pressures in India. Each conversation with mother somehow ended up around marriage. Which path to choose , which country to choose , to switch or not - these were the common life changing decisions faced by any person working in IT. On a lucky day , I got a call from my best friends, who were planning a trip to Sikkim. I casually said a "Yes"- I had very less expectations from the trip. Apart from its capital, I did not know much about Sikkim - Sikkim was never on my top list. Ladakh , Goa, Kasol topped the list of places which I have not seen yet in India. I did not refer any blogs - I just went with the flow. Well, after 7 days, my mind ended u rented by thoughts of mountains, roads that boasted of gateway to heaven, rivers of heaven, "kala patthar" , hot girls as policemen controlling the traffic and generous, welcoming people.
Day 1 - Bangalore to Kolkata to Siliguri
Reached Kolkata from Bangalore via flight. Boarded train from Kol to Siliguri (Started at night in Kolkata and morning we reached Siliguri). We hired a private cab to reach Gangtok (4.5 k).
Day 2 - Siliguri to Gangtok
We reached Gangtok around 4 PM - Try to take a hotel , which is near to MG Road(Jewel of The East , Hotel Bayul are decent hotels). MG Road is the main place in Gangtok - a lot of restaurants, shops , cab drivers, tours and travels. After getting freshened up, we went on a window shopping for "tours and travels". After going through a couple of them , we got an idea of the rate and booked the trip to North Sikkim ( 3D 2N) - 21k with basic hotel at Lachein and a luxury one at Lachung, lunch and dinner included. For Zero Point and Kala Pattahar , extra 3.5 k was charged.
Day 3,4,5 - North Sikkim (Lachein , Lachung)
Day 3 - Gangtok to Lachein
We had our breakfast at Cafe Italiano - great sandwiches, sausages , ambience. We started around 10 AM. The first stop was the Himalyan View Point - a tree house kind of setup. Glorious view - one could see Kanchenjunga Range from there. The background with clouds coming right in front of the mountains amidst the blue sky
gave the feel of a painting. While we were clicking photos, one person in comfy pyjamas ascended up the stairs , took one stool outside and sat - he just kept on gazing at the mountain range in front. At that moment, we felt embarrassed - the phone was still ruling us. Sometimes the most beautiful thing is in front of us - but rather than us enjoying it, we get caught in the show business.
We hopped back in our cars and stopped at the other view point - The Butterfly Falls. It was beautiful but falls like these are a commonality in these scenic locations - can stop here
to click great photos here. We hopped back in our cars. Teesta river made its way between the rocky mountains - the sight was unmissable. As we went ahead, we met with Naga Waterfalls in the evening. The sound of the cascading water against the rocks hummed in my ears like an A.R Rehman song. We sat there for couple of minutes to inhale the sound fully in our systems. A small trek was there to reach the mid or top. One of the most interesting things about the trip until now was our Driver. The songs in his playlist kept on boosting our energies up plus he never once hurried us. The next stop he stopped was defined as Naga Waterfalls 2.0.Water was coming from a cave like structure. There was a small water dam on the opposite side. The energy levels felt spiritual here - there was this aura of peace that can not be compared to anything else. We cooked up a story of the cave being abode of batman/some sadhu , or god. Driver rode amidst dark roads to reach Lachein by 8 PM. The dinner was in the hotel only - it had two options - rice with chicken / aloo sabji. The food had almost no masalas.
Day 4 - Gurudongmar Lake
We started early around 7 am. Snowfall occurred in Kala Patthar recently - so, our driver asked us if we wanted to go there. We gave a nod ahead , hoping to find the ultimate gold of the trip. We reached the farthest point in Kala Patthar , up to which the tourists were allowed.
There was snowfall at a distance, where we were not allowed. It was chilly there (we visited on 5th October). We, clad in black leather jackets , intermingled with the black rocks present in the landscape. Before the next stop, we halted at an army canteen , where we had great aloo samosas and jalebis.
The next halt was Gurudongmar Lake, which was at 18000 ft. We were informed by the
driver earlier to take some Kapoor because of scarcity of oxygen there . The pathways were laced with sand colored mountains on either side of them ,complemented by snow on some of them - they seemed to talk back to us. May be our ears overheard - but they said ," We are taking you to heaven." When we reached the lake , it was nothing less than what was promised. After the last season of Game Of Thrones, I had stopped expecting from life but this was a surprise on a whole other level. The whole setup felt like a Hollywood movie background. After parking the car, when we descended upon a small hill, I lost my voice for a couple of minutes owing to the blue transparent water amidst sand-colored mountains on one side and icy mountains on the other side. Reaching the bottom and touching the water
felt like angels/devtaas/paris visit it in the night. It felt like if I die inside, I would come out alive in Narnia. All of us three got hold of one position near water for a couple of minutes. After a barrage of cover and profile pics, we headed back. We felt ourselves panting on the way up - camphor was the savior.
We returned to our hotel at Lachein at around 3 pm for lunch. We then , marched forward towards Lachung.
Pahads open our mind in ways that we don't think it could be possible. Looking at the river making a way between the hard rocks, our subconscious awaken the possibility of a way for us to flow freely amidst all the chaos of life.
TO be continued ...