The wonderland of nature, beauty and Mt Kanchenjunga

was going through the report... Again wow write up and wow photographs....we get so much emotional in the lap of mother nature....all the darkness of our mind just vanishes there....purity gets transmitted to the soul...

Its indeed the beauty of Sikkim.

Borong – A few details:-

Borong has its own charm – it’s a beautiful village on a hill top. But if you had asked me , to me , it was less impressive in compare to other destinations we had visited, mainly due to the accommodation.
1) Both the accommodation options are very very expensive, and not worth for the money.
2) The food is even more expensive but delicious.
3) The wildflowers will always catch your eyes, but to me , nature is best enjoyable in its lap , not confined inside a resort.
4) Moreover , I have seen much more wildflowers in Aritar and Uttarey than Borong. Might be its not the season of the flowers available in Borong.

But , as I said , Borong itself is a beautiful place itself –quite and serene.

Accommodation: There are two resort available
1) Wild-flower retreat: Mr Madhusudhan Mondal : 09830705512
2) Borong Retreat : You will get the contact number somewhere in this forum.

Both of these are very very expensive.

Food : Good

Electricity : Heard of frequent power-cut , but we didn’t experience any.

Hospitality : Good

Hot Water : There is Gyser fitted in all the bathrooms

Medical facility : Heard that not much of medical facility available in Borong- not sure though.

Mobile Network: Vodafone , Airtel, BSNL work here.

ATM : Nearest ATM is on Ravangla( Though I couldn’t find out a ATM in Ravangla)

Travelling time from few important places :
Ravangla : 1 Hour
Singtam :2.5- 3 hours
Pelling :3-3.5 hours
Gangtok : 3.5 Hours
NJP : 5-5.5 hours

Market : Nearest Market is at Ravangla

A journey from South to West Sikkim:
After our lunch we have started for Pelling. To reach Pelling one have to take the route Borong> Ravangla> Bakhim> Legship> Gyalshing> Geyzing> Pelling. We had our first stop at old Ralong Monastery . We have got an excellent welcome by a completely drunk person. He was not able to stand on his feet , but showed us the way toward the religious place. We have seen the little lamas playing inside the campus of this beautiful historical monastery. We have also joined them.
Last evening , in the dark we had travelled by this road, and it was a thrilling experience for all of us. But in the day light we have experience the beauty of this road. Few stretches are really bad, but it is very scenic. I would never recommend anyone to drive on this road after sunset.
Our next stop was New Ralong Monastery- it is as beautiful as the old one , but don’t have that historical charm.
We have crossed Ravangla and near Legship, the bridge over the river welcomed us to West Sikkim. The road near Legship is in very bad condition . Finally we had reached Pelling at 5:00 PM. We had our booking at Rabdantse Residency.

our next installment pls....

The old Ralong Monastery


The drunken person welcomed us


The lama kids are playing- We have joined them


The Bhutia House near Ralong Monastery


The New Ralong Monastery




Guru Padmasambhaba

wow ! Very informative... added with great photographs...

Pelling

He was supposed to meet his 3 years old daughter today. His wife must be one of the happiest woman today-when we met the beautiful lady in Aritar, though she is not very fluent in Hindi or English, we had realized, she loves her husband as much as her daughter. After 11 long days he will get one day off from his daily routine- he must be the happiest man today.
When I looked at him I saw his eyes turned into red , his eyes became wet , I can see the tears in a corner of his eyes- he wanted to tell many things, but he couldn’t speak. He hugged me and told “I have only a few relatives alive, but after so many days I could able to find out my mummy-papa in your’s, I was able to find out my brothers in you. “

No, I have no intention to create a drama with such an emotional thing, nor did I wanted to write these words in my log , but a trip-log on Sikkim would be incomplete , if I don’t mention these names in my travelogue- for me it was much better gift than watching the sunrise and Mt Kanchenjunga on a cloudless morning in Bermiok- Its time to bid adieu to Mahindar Ji- One of these excellent persons we met in Sikkim. Kamal ji was equally sad , but he was trying to control his emotion. It reminded me the last day in my collage- when we had planned to spend the whole night in the open ground just in front of our hostel , the police was running after us - just because it was last night for most of us to shout together – but unfortunately by excitement we had shouted in front of a police camp, the next morning I was able to clearly observe these wet eyes , including me. I knew all my friends for past four years – but how could a person feel so sad knowing us only for last 5 days.
Many times in during evening gossip in last 5 days , I have suggested Mahinder ji to buy his own vehicle. But I realized , with a income of Rs 3000/month , buying his own vehicle is as difficult for him as buying a 2000 sq ft flat somewhere near Marine Drive in Mumbai for me. We had spend some lovely 6 days with them(Mahindar ji and Kamal Ji).
We had initially planned to travel almost everyday till sixth day , and we will stay two night each at our last two destinations(Kaluk and Uttarey) . So we had two chartered vehicles for first six days.But we thought of retaining both the vehicles for rest of the days- but they already had booking starting from day after tomorrow. So now way, we could have retained them.
So we have started our stay in Pelling with such a heavy mood.

After our snacks in hotel , we started for searching our travel agent for our next day trip. We have talked with several travel agent and got the best quote from Palizor travel in Lower Pelling(I misplaced their contact number , but the office is just in front of Rabdantse Residency). Our request was they will show us all the 4 points toward Yuksom, and after lunch after rest of the sightseeing on the way of Uttarey , they will drop us in front of Swadens Hotel.
It was 8 at evening , while roaming around the narrow lanes of Pelling, we saw a quarrelsome lady scolding her husband , a cute couple kissing each other , a newly married couple busy on deciding the name of her future son/daughter, learned some new bad words from the drunken man who was shouting beside the road. It is the first crowded tourist destination for us in this trip and we have experienced so many things in last half an hour.
After fixing the deal with Palizor tour and travels for next day tour we went back to hotel.
“Guys !! We have only one night in Pelling and I don’t want to miss any interesting place of Pelling. So tomorrow we will wake up early by 4:30 and will start for Sangha Choeling Monastery. We will watch the sunrise from the helipad in upper Pelling”- I told both of my friends.
“Yes , we will do that!!” Utpal replied with full of excitement and immediately he went upstairs without telling us anything and informed Nayekda(The manager of Rabdantse Residency) about our plan. Nayek- da, a very kind hearted person , was also very impressed by our plan and mentioned none of the hotel staff will be available during that early hour of morning , but he will give us the duplicate key of the main gate of the hotel.
But I was really surprised by the enthusiasm shown by Utpal today. Any other day , he normally wake up only after someone forcefully detach his body from his bed .
Post dinner , I had opened my laptop and found out the amazing trip log by Ruchira. It was great feeling to know she had also stayed at the same hotel. We went on to sleep early today.
Last evening weather was chilling and cloudy as well. One of the hotel staff has repeatedly told us that Kanchenjunga would be visible today. Initially we didn’t believed , but later thought he might be true , as being a local here he must be well aware of the weather here – even he might have a secret contact with weather God.
None of us waked up at 4:30. I waked up at 5:15 and pulled the window curtain to check the weather outside – its cloudy, but the speedy wind are playing with the clouds – there is a possibility of Mt K could be visible from here today. By that time Soumya and Utpal both has waked up. We got ready by 5:30 with our camera except Utpal- he has that bad habit of using toilet – as I had mentioned earlier. Last evening while reading Ruchira’ log , I had mentioned both of them that Kanchenjunga would be visible even from the toilet. And Utpal couldn’t find a better place than that to capture the picture of Mt K.
It was already 6:15 but Mt K is still not visible. Around 6:30 we got the first glimpses of Mt K and immediately after that she started playing with the clouds. It was a hide and seek game that continued for next half an hour and in-between putting all our effort, he had been able to click a few snaps of her.
“Another bad day!!!” Soumya told.
“Yes” I supported him- really our bad luck is chasing us everywhere.
By 8 , we all were ready for our sight-seen today. By 8:30 we had departed toward Yuksom.
Our first point for today was Khechiperi-The wishing lake According to the spiritual belief – The Wishing Lake is so Sacred that even the birds don’t through a leaf in the water of the lake. . I am never very much interested of all these religious things of life- but to my surprise , there was not even a single leaf in this lake. The black water lake is situated amidst dense forest , the scenery was good but not very impressive to me- as I have already seen much better lake than this.
Our next stop was Kanchenjunga Waterfall . It is a beautiful waterfall beside the road – but very very crowded . I set up my tripod which looks very similar to the Eifel Tower (Thanks to Sagarneel for the comparison) to capture the whole waterfall. After I looked behind , I have found out myself surrounded by atleast 10 very curious faces as if something very special going on. I was surprised to see so many person watching tripod for the first time in their life!!!
There was another waterfall which is supposed to be the main flow of Kanchenjunga Waterfall , perfectly hidden behind the wall of a hill. When I reached there I have found out atleast 10 different human body in front of my camera lens. So I though It would be better if I shoot this from much more closer distance. The water was falling from a very good height of more than 100 meters and creating a smoky environment in its surrounding. I somehow managed to walk till the closest stone of the fall, but again… One husband is shooting the picture of his beautiful wife standing above the same stone.
‘ Now raise your hands vertically’ – The photographer husband wanted to shoot the picture of her wife in different poses with the same surrounding.
‘Now raise these horizontally ‘ – the next pose.
I was getting bored of watching all these things, I requested her “Sister , will you please allow me to shoot a snap of this waterfall alone?”
“Just two more photo”- She replied.
“Now raise your left hand at 45 degrees”- instruction from her photographer husband.
“ Raise these at 30 degrees”- one more pose.
I thought its not gonna work for me. I have learned almost every angles of geometry today. I came back and shoot a snap. Suddenly I saw one young lady floating across the stream , her husband was tightly holding her hand , but the rest of the parts of her body was inside water. Later I realized that her husband was trying to help her crossing the stream.
Kanchenjungha Waterfall is undoubtedly the largest we have found in our whole trip , but was not very impressive to me , because of the crowd.
Later we have visited Rimbi Rock Garden- not very impressive to me. Rimbi falls was better but again full of crowd. We came back to our hotel around 1:30. After a very very delicious lunch , we have started toward Uttarey.

Behind the cloud Kanchenjunga was partially visible from our hotel balcony.





Dinning Hall of Rabdantse Residency



Way to the Wishing Lake


The wishing Lake

Kanchenjungha Waterfall


Is it 30 degree ?


A unknown stream on the way


Rimbi Rock Garden


Rimbi Falls

Amazing photos mithun....simply great...specially the new ralong monastery photo and the lama kids playing marble...that one...The travelogue is getting more detailed and nicer day by day....
waiting for the rest to come...
PS: just today morning Purna subba called me and was talking of your nice trip in Uttare...

Sensational photos and write-up, Mithun! The Pelling photos are really special. Great job! I am waiting to read the Uttarey and Bermiok part!!

Thank you Amit-da.

Purna Subba called me in the evening , and he has instructed me to hijack you for a trip to Phalut and Sandakphu during next April.

Mithun Amazing writeup with some excellent photography, enjoying every word of it..don't stop please
the landslided road picture is scary; where was it exactly ?