Darjeeling to Siliguri - 3 hrs (shared jeep)
Siliguri to Kakarbatti (nepal border) - 1 hr (shared jeep)
2100 rupees for one month visa - took 3 mins over the counter.
(took longer and had to fill in more forms to Leave India)
Kakarbatti to Kathmandu - local bus - 17 hrs and the reclining seats do not recline.
5pm depart - 9/10am arrive. Blinding lighting electic storm and wild rain -made the journey a little more exciting. As did the 6 turned over cars, vans, lorries between dawn and arriving - some people were still crawling out of the cars. A warning to our super speedy driver ? ignored - but we did get there in one piece without a scrape.
Few stops for nepali Tali / pee / drop of the mountainous load of vegetables on the roof at market.
Inevitable 3 hr walk around looking for a hotel. Nicest one is Ganesh Himal - it was full. Thamel lots of less pricey places Freak Street - cheaper but also darker.
It was a day for people around me to fall asleep on my shoulder or be sick. euuuh
First impressions - Nepal is beautiful - way more countryside than buildings - very nice to see - same same but very differnt to India... No too much harassment. Super friendly and genuinely lovely pepole - especially the gate men at hotel Ganesh Himal for some reason..
Nepal to Tibet - is 900 dollars for 8 days - sooooooooooo would like to go but just dont have that sort a money.. Imagine Base Camp Everest also pricey - but I dont want to trek for 8 days anyway.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Sikkim West
4 hrs by shared jeep from Darjeeling to the border and onto Pelling, West Sikkim.
Permit - free in Darjeeling - from Sikkim Tourist office opposite Gleanery's bakery cafe. Need one photo and copy of passport and visa.
Shared Taxi costs about 100 rupees or little more. Two people sit in the driving seat. two more in the front row also. So 4 front. 4 middle and as many as possible in the back. Sometimes 4 5 or 6 on the roof with the luggage also. Indian style.
Pelling - small - mainly hotels, safe to walk alone to monasteries, villages.
I met people in Kabur hotel and Garuda hotel and we formed a 5some and walked from Pelling to Pechupari Lake (2hrs down 2000m and 4hrs up 2000m) It was beautiful through the forrests, to the river, wild orchids hanging from the trees, few birds and lots of ferns, villlaages etc. Find the shortcuts otherwise its a long crawl up the road. My shaky legs after the first 5 minutes managed the further 6 hours Just.
I was just about crawling when I arrived at the sacred lake. Momos and a cuppa helped get me up the final hill to a Homestay - very very simple sheds on top of a building. Shared bathroom. Chalet style dinner for all - vegetarian luckily and then straigt to bed. Too many moths somehow winged their way into my room attracted to the light bulb.
Next day potatoes and chapati breakfast filled us up before the 5 hrs hike to Yuksom. again down up, across, down, up up up up ahhhhh the stiffness, the legs - how will i ever make it - but somehow we arrived in Yuksom. Shared some noodles and crisps before finding the main part of the village and settleing in for full blown 2 / 3 hr feast. About 6pm we thought we ought to start looking for accommodation.
Again simple but clean 200 rupees per room - more expensive available also. Saw some working Yaks (but these were cross between Waterbuffalo and Yak's me thinks).
Walks worth it - same same so no need to keep walking - Jeep back will be fine for me.
Pelling - Porridge and Paratha 70 rupees
Haircut and Facial 300 ruppees only
Lost hotel key - tired legs walked up and down to look for it - eventually found it hanging in my hotel room door. Oopse.
Pelling to Gangtok - about 4 or 5 hours - Not worth it..
Trekking in North Sikkim I imagine would be amazing but its minimum cost is 1600 per day per person for min. 3 days ....
This is to not upset the Chinese.... Who's running Sikkim? Tibet is no longer marked on maps now either - it just says CHINA. in huge big capitals.
Back to Darjeeling to take the Steam Train.
Took bus to Ghum and the train was waiting at the station - what timing... I jumped on, sat down, got comfortable and then a ticket inspector - very smiling - asked what I was doing.. That every seat was booked in Darjeeling except one - guess that one was set aside for me. 120 Rupees only for 20 mins on steam train.
Off to Nepal
Permit - free in Darjeeling - from Sikkim Tourist office opposite Gleanery's bakery cafe. Need one photo and copy of passport and visa.
Shared Taxi costs about 100 rupees or little more. Two people sit in the driving seat. two more in the front row also. So 4 front. 4 middle and as many as possible in the back. Sometimes 4 5 or 6 on the roof with the luggage also. Indian style.
Pelling - small - mainly hotels, safe to walk alone to monasteries, villages.
I met people in Kabur hotel and Garuda hotel and we formed a 5some and walked from Pelling to Pechupari Lake (2hrs down 2000m and 4hrs up 2000m) It was beautiful through the forrests, to the river, wild orchids hanging from the trees, few birds and lots of ferns, villlaages etc. Find the shortcuts otherwise its a long crawl up the road. My shaky legs after the first 5 minutes managed the further 6 hours Just.
I was just about crawling when I arrived at the sacred lake. Momos and a cuppa helped get me up the final hill to a Homestay - very very simple sheds on top of a building. Shared bathroom. Chalet style dinner for all - vegetarian luckily and then straigt to bed. Too many moths somehow winged their way into my room attracted to the light bulb.
Next day potatoes and chapati breakfast filled us up before the 5 hrs hike to Yuksom. again down up, across, down, up up up up ahhhhh the stiffness, the legs - how will i ever make it - but somehow we arrived in Yuksom. Shared some noodles and crisps before finding the main part of the village and settleing in for full blown 2 / 3 hr feast. About 6pm we thought we ought to start looking for accommodation.
Again simple but clean 200 rupees per room - more expensive available also. Saw some working Yaks (but these were cross between Waterbuffalo and Yak's me thinks).
Walks worth it - same same so no need to keep walking - Jeep back will be fine for me.
Pelling - Porridge and Paratha 70 rupees
Haircut and Facial 300 ruppees only
Lost hotel key - tired legs walked up and down to look for it - eventually found it hanging in my hotel room door. Oopse.
Pelling to Gangtok - about 4 or 5 hours - Not worth it..
Trekking in North Sikkim I imagine would be amazing but its minimum cost is 1600 per day per person for min. 3 days ....
This is to not upset the Chinese.... Who's running Sikkim? Tibet is no longer marked on maps now either - it just says CHINA. in huge big capitals.
Back to Darjeeling to take the Steam Train.
Took bus to Ghum and the train was waiting at the station - what timing... I jumped on, sat down, got comfortable and then a ticket inspector - very smiling - asked what I was doing.. That every seat was booked in Darjeeling except one - guess that one was set aside for me. 120 Rupees only for 20 mins on steam train.
Off to Nepal
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