Tea Time in Darjeeling at 7000'
Hurry Burry Spoils the Curry.
Don't Gossip. Let him drive.
Give blood in bloodbank, not on road.
Drive carefully. Live funfully.
It's your life. Save it.
These were the street signs painted onto the mountain along the road up to Darjeeling. Driving up in the bus for three hours it felt as though I was heading for the top of the world to where the sky touches the earth. It is a dramatic ride past tea plantations towards the sky. By the time the bus pulled into the parking lot it was dark and I had to find a hotel pronto. Found one. It was decrepate. No running water so a 10 year old boy brought a bucket of cold water up to the room. The toilet didn't flush. No heating. No insulation. I could see my breath as I fell asleep in two layers of socks and a shirt and sweater under the blanket. This morning I checked into a hotel that at least provided buckets of hot water for 10 rupees. Took a 'shower' for the first time in two days of sweating. Clearly I've come unprepared for the weather. I will be wearing the same sweater and two pairs of socks for the next couple of days (and nights).
It's beautiful of course and people are nice (and in most cases drop dead gorgeous with the most inviting smiles I have ever seen). There's lots of good walking to be had around the town and by the end of my stay here my butt should be nice and firm before it starts to soften again from sitting on trains for 30 hours at a time. The hills are steep and the huffing and puffing uphill is not so bad because the air is crisp and clear up here. No cows on the roads but there must be elephants somewhere because I saw an elephant crossing sign on the bus ride up.
Today is Tibetan New Year. I found this out after a 'twenty minute'* walk to the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre. It was closed. The 'twenty minute' walk back uphill almost gave me a heart attack. Then I thought of Carol and how she would just be breezing past me if she were here for the hike and I found the courage to go on. Thanks Carol!
I'm not heading any further north. I was planning on getting a special permit to head to Pelling in Sikkim but this is cold enough for me. I know, I know, most of you are really freezing your butts off in North America right about now but considering that I don't have warm sweaters or jackets in my backpack I am allowed to complain about the weather for once!
*that's what everyone kept saying when I asked them for directions. "Only twenty minutes." My out of shape ass! It took me 45 minutes to get back uphill.
Don't Gossip. Let him drive.
Give blood in bloodbank, not on road.
Drive carefully. Live funfully.
It's your life. Save it.
These were the street signs painted onto the mountain along the road up to Darjeeling. Driving up in the bus for three hours it felt as though I was heading for the top of the world to where the sky touches the earth. It is a dramatic ride past tea plantations towards the sky. By the time the bus pulled into the parking lot it was dark and I had to find a hotel pronto. Found one. It was decrepate. No running water so a 10 year old boy brought a bucket of cold water up to the room. The toilet didn't flush. No heating. No insulation. I could see my breath as I fell asleep in two layers of socks and a shirt and sweater under the blanket. This morning I checked into a hotel that at least provided buckets of hot water for 10 rupees. Took a 'shower' for the first time in two days of sweating. Clearly I've come unprepared for the weather. I will be wearing the same sweater and two pairs of socks for the next couple of days (and nights).
It's beautiful of course and people are nice (and in most cases drop dead gorgeous with the most inviting smiles I have ever seen). There's lots of good walking to be had around the town and by the end of my stay here my butt should be nice and firm before it starts to soften again from sitting on trains for 30 hours at a time. The hills are steep and the huffing and puffing uphill is not so bad because the air is crisp and clear up here. No cows on the roads but there must be elephants somewhere because I saw an elephant crossing sign on the bus ride up.
Today is Tibetan New Year. I found this out after a 'twenty minute'* walk to the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre. It was closed. The 'twenty minute' walk back uphill almost gave me a heart attack. Then I thought of Carol and how she would just be breezing past me if she were here for the hike and I found the courage to go on. Thanks Carol!
I'm not heading any further north. I was planning on getting a special permit to head to Pelling in Sikkim but this is cold enough for me. I know, I know, most of you are really freezing your butts off in North America right about now but considering that I don't have warm sweaters or jackets in my backpack I am allowed to complain about the weather for once!
*that's what everyone kept saying when I asked them for directions. "Only twenty minutes." My out of shape ass! It took me 45 minutes to get back uphill.
posted by LOTC at 7:11 AM
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