Darjeeling - A Hill Station

After Bodhgaya it was time for us to finally board the train to head up further North into India. By now I was a little dissapointed by not being able to travel up into the Northwest of the country to see Leh and Dharamsala. But, given that it was a good time of year to visit the Northeast, I was again hopefully of finding some peace and quite among the mountains.

After only one setback - a train delayed for 12 hours that resulted in one night slept in the Patna train station, we were on board the train for another 12 hours until we reached NJP and Siliguri from which we boarded a jeep for a spectacular ascent up into higher elevations. We probably climbed at least 1000m and saw some amazing views, which would have been 1000x better if it weren't for the fires burning in the valleys and winds pushing the smoke upward. Either way, both a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air from the crowded and polluted cities we've ventured within so far.



With a few days to lay low and walk the steep streets of the city we were able to look into several options to occupy our time for the next couple weeks in the North. We managed to drink some excellent tea and sample some local cakes and cookies as well as dive into a pizza or two to taste a bit of home. One day we even managed to take the walk to the top of the ridge where we stumbled upon an all boys private school called St.Pauls where we managed to sneak into a game of cricket and shoot some hoops on a hill-top basketball court (2200m elevation!).



After sometime of adventure searching we have decided to go on an 8 day trek to the lookout point of Goecha La - a 5000m point with a view of the third highest mountain in the world - Kanchenjunga. I've never been on such a long trek, and especially at such high elevation. My stomach is a little light with anticipation, but I'm more than excited to take on the challenge which may be a once in a lifetime experience in the Himilayas.



Devin is with me and we have a stock of Candy and activities to keep us on track. Not to mention a new aresenal of woolen attire (Sweater, toque and gloves) to keep us warm in the freezing nights.

Stay tuned for a post-trip update and wish us luck!

Future Travels:
- Goecha La look out point
- Calcutta (flight to Mumbai)

Lessons Learned:
- always carry a flashlight at night in Darjeeling - the power WILL go out
- Don't wash your clothes without checking the weather - No sun = no drying.

On the Mind:
- Meeting Challenges
- Getting out of the smoke and seeing some beautiful mountain landscapes