Darjeeling, Ghun Trip (April of 2013)
Now this one was one of those trips you talk about all your life. One of those trip, where you did not really do anything but remember doing a lot! I am not really sure what makes this one of my favorite trips with fondest memories, but here is my chronicle about the trip, fact files, places to see among other things.
Now this one was one of those trips you talk about all your life. One of those trip, where you did not really do anything but remember doing a lot! I am not really sure what makes this one of my favorite trips with fondest memories, but here is my chronicle about the trip, fact files, places to see among other things.
Nearest Airport – badogra
Nearest Railway Station – New Jalpaiguri
You can hire a cab from the railway
station/airport to reach Darjeeling. One can also take the toy train to
Darjeeling from NJP.
Well stocked with jackets and chanachoor and my new camera around my neck, we boarded the Darjeeling mail from Sealdah which
took us to New Jalpaiguri and that’s where our real journey started. We took a
Sumo to Ghum. The car ride from New Jalpaiguri to Ghum is beautiful. Just when you start to think you have had enough of the vistas, another turn brings around new breathtaking views. There is rarely a dull moment in the entire 4 hour ride.The route is dotted with small restaurants. We had a quick brunch at a little nondescript family run eatery where the lady served fresh,
made to order, chow mien, fried rice and momos.
We stayed
at the Sterling resorts in Ghum which shares its boundary with The Ghum
Monastery – one of the oldest monasteries in Darjeeling. Sterling resorts has clean, maintained rooms and cottages. It has a fair multi-cuisine restaurant. It
is walking distance from the Ghum Railway Station – the highest railway station
in the world! Ghum is a great place to stay if you are looking for some peace and quiet away from the noise of the market.
The English influence is predominant all over Darjeeling and resonates in its gastronomic culture. One of my favorite pit stops is the Glenary Bakery. Th nice e cozy bakery/cafe in the heart of the Darjeeling market serves a variety of pastries,
snacks and breads, all freshly baked and displayed enticingly, that a foodie
like me just cannot walk out of there without a couple of boxes of goodies. I
totally loved their hot chocolate milk. The decadent hot chocolate complemented
the breezy and cold weather. (There is nothing in the world like sipping that hot chocolate drink in the cool Darjeeling drizzle, holding hands with the beloved and pretending to not hear his requests for a sip of your drink) This red fake telephone booth at the center of the cafe attracts a lot of attention and every member of our 6 people group wanted a picture in it!
There are some awesome cafes here, like the Keventers, Frank Ross
Café and Elgin. The noisy little Hasty Tasty is a hot fave there among the
vegetarians. You simply have to visit the iconic Keventers, if not for a meal, then just for an evening tea and the view!
One of the best momo I had was on the streets of Ghum. A
little street leads from the sterling resort in Ghum to the Ghum main road and
it is dotted with small households selling homemade veg and non veg momos from
their tiny kitchens. I had a plate of 8 momos (veg) for Rs.25 and it was the
best I have eaten. The lady was stuffing and steaming momos in front of us, and
we got a freshly steamed batch! The momos were served with a spicy red chilli
sauce and a small bowl of mild beetroot and vegetable broth. Every other house
on this street served momos and some even had tiny dining areas it. It is truly
an amazing experience to sit with these very friendly locals and enjoy their
local and authentic food.
Our first destination in our Darjeeling day trip was the
Himalayan Mountaineering Museum and as people made a bee line for a glimpse at mountaineering history mountaineers and the conquest of Mt. Everest,
I hit the snack bar in the compound treating myself to some noodles and tea.
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| Himalayan Mountaineering Institute |
The next stop was the Sri Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park.
Though I am more of a National Parks person rather than Zoos, I did spot some
amazing animals and birds. The Zoo Cafe serves noodles, fried rice and other local fare along with special teas.
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| Padamaja Naidu Zoological Park |
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| Zoo Cafe |
The Tenzing rock was our next destination, where you can try
your hand at rock climbing or simply buy more snacks from the vendors there and
treat yourself while watching climbers try hard to scale the little big rock.
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| Tenzing Rock |
Batasia Loop or Batasia Eco Garden is a very picturesque
garden with the toy train tracks running all around it. It’s a great spot for
some photography.
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| Batasia Eco Garden |
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| Batasia Eco Garden |
The Tibetan Refugee camp has few refugees and a quaint
little shop selling handicrafts, some made by the refugees. If you are short of
time, you can give this one a skip.
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| Tibetan Refugee Camp |
My favorite tourist spot was the Japanese temple and the
Peace Pagoda. Tourists are invited to join in the ritualistic chanting in the prayer hall. The beating of the ceremonial drums by the priest, fills the little prayer hall
and reverberates in the soul. Within moments you are in a trans-like state. The experience of praying along side the monks and being a part of their rituals was truly
unique and amazing. Make sure to inquire about the prayer timings ( 4:30 AM to
6 AM and 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM) before you go so that you don’t miss out on the
experience.
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| Japanese Temple |
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| Outside Japanese Temple |
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| Peace Pagoda @ Darjeeling |
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| Peace pagoda @ Darjeeling |
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| Buddha Statue @ Peace pagoda |
Other places to visit are, the Ghum Monastery, Mahakal
Temple, Ranjneet Tea estate and the Darjeeling Mall road. Temples at
Darjeeling, with its colorful and abundant prayer flags are very vibrant and
full of life!
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| Prayer Flags at the Mahakal Temple |
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| Ghum Monastery |
No trip to Darjeeling can be complete without the mention Kanchenjunga
or the Tiger Hill. We were fortunate enough to get clear glimpses of the mighty peak from
our resort’s backyard. We missed the iconic sunrise tour coz of bad weather.
On our drive back to New Jalpaiguri, we drove Via the Indo
Nepal border and Mirik. One can enter the borders of Nepal for some street,
duty free shopping. But beware of the fakes and cheaps sold there to unwary
tourists. (I have a bottle of Dare (Dove) shampoo and some cheap replicas of
Nivea lotions lying idle in my cupboard)
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| Indo Nepal Border |
Mirik Lake is a bit of a disappointment. The large lake,
though surrounded by beautiful trees, is quite dirty. There are some
very good places to eat there and don’t miss out on the local dish Thukpa! We
also had our last local momos beside the Mirik Lake.
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| Mirik Lake |
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