Sikkim blog -beautiful?you name it

Getting out of the cozy hotel room bed and straight into the balcony as Gangtok layed in the valley below. A waterfall rushed right next to the hotel ( how often do u experience that?). As the mist slowly rose, the mountains gave a perfect wallpaper view echoing the beauty of this state which I had to explore.

Ok! Let me start with the backstory!

Day 0.

It all started on the 3rd of June 2019! Time 2pm, place Hubli Airport, a group of 13! As we boarded the flight to Madras as the first step and then after a long layover at the Chennai Airport we went on to board our next plane at 1935 and the next destination, Kolkata!! 10 Airport, 11 Hotel, 12 in the bed! The long journey day had exhausted us completely.

Day 1

A day in Kolkata! Ok, A day in Kolkata in 40 degrees of pure heat! As the TT arrived at the hotel and picked us up.

1. Our first destination was Kalighat as the name suggests, a shrine for goddess Kali in a densely populated neighbourhood. “It will take you 3-4 hours to come out.”, our driver said. But who really cared? Visiting places was our first motive. As we advanced towards the temple, ” per person 10 rupees fast Darshan” a guy dressed up like a pandit said. Fair deal. So he led us to the temple in ways undiscovered and finally in front of the goddess what we saw was the asses of devotees in the front and we were clueless. The pandit guy went on to the top to move the devotees and let us see the goddess for a mighty nanosecond! Though unhappy we left the enormously filled temple and back to our TT!
2. Victoria Memorial the huge marble building which is now a museum was our next stop. Its garden and lake and the cleanliness amused us after Kalighat! Though the air-conditioned room drew most of my attention more than the rest of the museum, the massive building and the beautiful interior did. After some photo shoots in and out we set out to our next place.

• After a long walk from the parking, “Closed” was something which welcomed us! Belur mutt couldn’t be seen from in but the gardens with the flower and fruits intact was something different.
• On the way, we went on to see the Eden Gardens stadium from all sides and the famous Howrah Bridge! A ride on it was something to be cherished. The workers carrying loads or the ambassadors coloured in yellow or the human powered auto or the old 1800 BC busses with “Pilot” written on the driver door distinguish WB from the rest of the nation I guess.

Dakshineshwar Kali Temple located on the banks of the Hooghly River was also closed at the time of our arrival. A huge temple with pigeons flocking the grounds was something to be seen even in the sunlight. But gosh no! Though we couldn’t get any Prasad we stuffed ourselves with the spicy puchkas and Alu chat outside the temple! There began our food marathon!

Lunch at Haldirams Prabhuji @VIP road was something mouthwatering till today! My lunch basically looked like this…

No wonder Bengali sweets are the best😅!

Eco Park was our next and final stop in Kolkata! A huge recreational park with a copy of 7 wonders and theme gardens and lots of activities. After a roam around this place and duo cycling with lots of acres unseen we set back to our hotel.

Later in the evening, we shopped at the New Market! Though we didn’t go on to buy anything, eating was mandatory! Puchka and Kathi rolls got us high. End of the day!!

Day 2.

As we set to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, just before noon in order to catch the flight to Bagdogra the only airport to reach Sikkim!

Though Bagdogra is located in WB, the view from the top gave us a trailer of the place we are going to! I was used to seeing buildings and roads from the flight as we advanced to the airport. This time it was mountains, green fields and water bodies. The best flight I must say.

Welcomed by our driver cum tour manager at the Airport, we set onto Gangtok by road. Have to admit the taxi drivers here are serious swaggers. Dyed hair, Rayban shades, branded clothes and shoes. Something which was unimaginable from a South Indian driver.

This 6 hour journey to Gangtok the capital of Sikkim was intense. Day light had disappeared before we crossed the borders of the little state but narrow roads, and falling temperatures all gave us its vibes. Having tea and wai wai noodles in a small shop after decades refreshed us. The last stop was the hotel.!!

Day 3.

The moment I was waiting for had finally arrived. Waking up at the beauty of this place was a dream but damn it! This place was more beautiful than my dream.

Our Innovas took us to our first place in Sikkim, Baba Mandir. The drive in the rainy but not rainy weather along too many greens and a series of hanging colourful flags along the valleys was splendid! We went on to have our breakfast which was some hot Maggi in a shack which also rented warm clothing to people travelling to the top!!

This 60km stretch was covered in 3 hours which led us to the shrine of Baba Harbhajan Singh. This place completely maintained by the Indian army was flocked with people. Beautiful views all over with periodical rainfall and mists! Just wow..!! As the temperature began to fall, people rushed into the small cafe in the place which served beverages, samosas and momos ( all served by the army!)

Nathula Pass was something I had waited to visit. Apparently, you need to take permission from the District headquarters in Gangtok the day before and not everyone gets it. With a doubt about it until the last minute, we finally made it!! Though clicking pictures was strictly prohibited here, the images from here will be engraved in my brain. At an altitude of 14k feet, Nathula is the trade border between India and China. Covered with snow for most of the year, the gate opens in the summer for trade and for the “Kailash Manasarovar” visitors. Reaching the gates was something hard because of the lack of oxygen and the freezing cold. I was just 2 meters from the China border which was just guarded by metal wires in here. With two buildings one on the Indian and Chinese sides each of which apparently holds the army meetings. With snow falling randomly along this place, people played like never before we were struck by heavy rainfall. Smart me didn’t even have a hoodie or an umbrella. We reached the parking lot and sped before the place got crowded. This made me end up with no photographs from here.

BRO refers to Border Road Organisation!😝 You will come across many such boards on the way!

On the road, we passed Tsomgo Lake or Changu Lake ( as called by the locals ). With yaks and food places, this lake attracted tourists. “100 bucks for a pic on the yak and 500 for a ride!” Wow! With Tourism being the utmost source of income in this state, that’s how the yak owners filled their tummies.

Back to Gangtok and straight onto MG Marg or Mahatma Gandhi Marg the most happening place in Gangtok with hotels, restaurants and various shops lined up on both sides, it looks like an open mall. It’s just great to stroll along the place or sit on a bench to watch the crowd buzz into shops. Buying separate plates on momos which served 8 huge ones in a local resto was the first mistake we committed. Some shopping and walks lightened though!

It wasn’t long before we rushed into a resto called Nimtho which served Nepalese and Sikkemese authentics!! Thukpa, Gyathuk and Shaphaley were enough to partially fulfil our food craves! We finally ended our day with a night walk in the beautiful street licking yoghurt cones before we reached the hotel!!

One funny thing about Sikkim is that, all the vehicles have their number plate written in the same font…!

Day 4.

Afternoon we set out to Lachen, a picturesque village in the north of Sikkim. This 110km stretch was the hardest as the roads were narrower, water falling from every mountain onto the road, heavy vehicle density and bridges which had no confidence about their existence in the next hour. We had reached typical Sikkim. Waterfalls, valleys, mountains, flowing Teesta, everything became something “not sooo special” because every place in here had them! The completely unpolluted environment and the unlimited water in June were all notable. Permission to enter Lachen was necessary and this place was a completely “no plastic” zone! A huge carton with bottles overflowing lay on the side. Though thinly populated, a beautiful village Lachen. Cold winds gave us chill as we spent our night here.

Day 5.

Early in the break of the day, we set out to the most awaited and beautiful Gurudongmar Lake! Situated at an altitude of 18k feet, it’s one of the highest lakes in the world. Frozen during the winters, it’s said to have several powers. From hush green places, we reached sandy plains and snow-capped mountains. These places remain frozen till March but for now, a cold desert! Eating wai wai for breakfast had become a routine. But the cold weather asked more.

We passed many military camps with “photography strictly prohibited” written on the fences. Tanks and trucks parked inside gave a typical border feeling.

The journey on the uneven roads turned out to be a pain in the ass. The lake turned out to be beautiful. Lack of oxygen or the freezing cold couldn’t take away our spirit to see the lake.

We then returned back to Lachen followed by our next destination Lachung. Overnight stay in Lachung.

Day 6.

Snow worlds would be every child’s fantasy. But real snow is something different. Early morning we started to Zero Point and Yumthang Valley. The road ran parallel to the Teestha which rushed along the valley. Every mountain had its own kind of trees.

A landslide the previous day had closed the road to zero point a few kilometres away. Still, the flowers and the fallen snow had enhanced the beauty of the place. As vehicles stopped, people playing in the snow and shopkeepers selling hot Maggi and alcohol gave a zero-point feel though.

After some intense snowy experience, we reached Lachung via the Yumthang Valley which couldn’t be seen as rain struck us. Checking out of the hotel we resumed our journey to Gangtok.  Rainfall the previous day had the falls flowing in full force but this had also resulted in a landslide the previous day which blocked the roads for a while. As workers did their best to resume the transport, vehicles waited on both sides of the narrow path.

We reached Gangtok in the evening. The taste of the yummy momos pulled us back to MG Marg as we spent the rest of the evening eating hot momos on the street and roaming around.

With experienced and honest( no one ripping you off) drivers, we comfortably reached back to the hotel.

Day 7.

Pelling was our next destination. On the way, we reached Namchi the headquarters of south Sikkim! Char Dham or Sidheshwar Dham a “pilgrimage cum cultural complex” developed by the Sikkim government attracted tourists.

With gardens and temples and a huge statue of Lord Shiva, it is well maintained. Plums were something which we loved during our travel. We then climbed the hill to visit the Buddha Park which unfortunately closes at 1700 and heavy rain added to our misfortune which made us see it from the outside.

We then reached our resort by night! End of the day.

Day 8.

The last day had arrived. As we proceeded to Khecheopalri Lake which was holy for the Buddhists. With people feeding the fish who fought for it, the lake was peaceful between the trees. A nearby temple with a huge prayer wheel was also added to it.

Pelling skywalk, a 137 ft Buddha on the top of a hill with a man-made glass bottom bridge in the complex gives a skywalk view. Reaching the top to the Buddha and then the Buddha’s seat gives a breathtaking view. The skywalk gave a completely different experience of looking down the bridge as you walked. It had finally ended. One of the best weeks of my life in this landlocked state. The curvy roads, dense jungle, colourful flags, Teesta river following your path, the mountain range and the innocent and happy faces who have literally preserved nature. Everything will be remembered and cherished.

The next part of our journey was to Siliguri in WB where we spent our last night shopping in Hong Kong Market and trying local puchka, pav bhaji and kulfis. Electric-powered rickshaws, one of the cheapest and most used modes of transport here remains the attraction. Adios Sikkim!

Final Day.

Early morning we reached Bagdogra Airport. As we boarded our flight to Bengaluru with a lot of memories and litchis.