feb 2007 sikkim trip overview

tacita

laratigger asked about my sikkim itinerary, and after i jotted a few thoughts, i realized it was, after all, something akin to a trip report, however dry and superficial. figured i'd lame out and call it, well, not a trip report, but an "overview". it's just the facts and a few photos. if i told the "trvalogue version"...well...um...i never will get around to that, so who am i kidding? anyway, it really was a great trip!

i linked to a few photos i uploaded, but they are a small fraction of those i took, and not even the most telling. (hey, it's only been six -- seven? -- months you want photos, too?!)

i flew to delhi and stayed overnight near the airport, flying out domestically the next morning, to badogra airport, just south of the sikkim border. i had a reservation to go by helicopter to gangtok, but the flight was canceled, i think because a larger group was going elsewhere later that day. i never did find out exactly what the story was. instead, i took a pre-paid taxi to gangtok, which was the better way to go anyway. i think it took about 4 hours, maybe more, as a truck had gone off a cliff, so there was a traffic tie-up.

in gangtok, i stayed at the hotel tibet and arranged a jeep and driver through potala treks and yours, across the street. they also hooked me up with a terrific local driver, bikash, who spoke good english. i wasn't able to visit tsomgo lake because i was a party of only one and a minimum of two is required for a permit. very disappointing, but the weather wasn't great, so maybe it was for the best. i spent a full first day at the rumtek monastery for the chaams dances for the tibetan new year. see here, too. the "zoo" (more of an open wildlife park) was fun--i got to see a red panda and snow leopard. don't miss the museum of tibetology and the adjacent gold stupa and monastery. on my last day there, bikash invited me to his home for tea and to meet his sisters--i learned a lot that afternoon; it was one of the best i had there.

i had a different driver, with a much more powerful vehicle, for the overland trip to west sikkim, stopping along the way at the temi tea plantation, the lovely little bon (sometimes written as "lingbon") monastery. i've just sent off some photos i took of some novice monks and an old woman there--i hope they make it there! do research the sights you may wish to see along the way and then get it all mapped out with someone local who knows the terrain and geography. the trip is very hard for the driver and a power jeep is essential. we sometimes had to make a long running start to even get up some hills.

my first layover was in yuksom, where we arrived in the evening, in time for dinner. i'm sure i was mistaken, but i seemed i was the only guest! i stayed at __?__, sorry, forgot, will look it up...tashi gang resort? it's at the base of the trail up to dubdi monastery. don't go up alone, as i did, at dawn. it wasn't safe for a woman with a monk at the top and not another living soul. but the mountain views were stunning.

from there, i went to the coronation throne and a small school nearby, where i made fast friends with the curious novices. there's a great prayer wheel (aren't they all?) in the temple.

from yuksom, we drove to pelling. we stopped at tashiding monstery (make sure you find and watch the master mani-carver there), khecheopalri lake, rabindentse (sp?) ruins (had the place to myself; it doesn't get rave reviews, but i loved it.) do take the hike up to sangha choeling monastery, in pelling. i'm sure i'm leaving out some sights, but you'll develop our own list. great views of khachenjunga from pelling, from my hotel room (norbugang resort), for that matter. there's a small guest house at sangha choeling, and a temple with interesting frescos. i met a couple staying there, meditating and learning about tibetan buddhism from the sangha's teacher, who rounded up the poor sleepy students so i could take a group picture.

from pelling, i went to darjeeling, where my driver left me. i stayed in darjeeling, at the elgin hotel, for three nights. i you visit pelling, you can probably skip tiger hill, though it was sort of a hoot to head out there in the dark with droves of indian tourists and drink tea while waiting for the sunrise (it was cloudy!).

from tiger hill, i walked back to darjeeling (a looong walk), but i visited the monasteries that dot the route back. the tibetan refugee center is worth a visit.

from darjeeling, i took the toy train to siliguri and got an overnight train to kolkata for a few days, mostly to see a child sponsor outside the city and to join a kolkata IM meet-up. we also attended the kolkata book fair. i've written elsewhere (post #53) about the banyan tree!

as you can see, i did not trek, so this itinerary may not appeal to you. i built my trip around the new year's chaams, which was my prime goal for the visit. it's worth checking to see if you'll be there for any festivals.

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machadinha

Hey! You did it!

Now give us more! Where's that video report!

Thanks, J.

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laratigger

Thanks for taking the time to Janice. Sounds wonderful. Can't wait till I can see it myself.