Day 11:
The day was so bright and sunny and from the
back of our hotel we could clearly see the peak of Kanchenjunga. So the
peak which was elusive althrough the journey showed us itself here.
Maybe it was a blessing of nature.Since we had time till departure the
kids,Sil, Mil and Fil went to a nearby point where the children had some
adventure ride through a rope across a waterfall. So atlast they were
happy.
We had to reach NJP( Siliguri) by 5 pm to catch our train to Kolkata and from there flight to Chennai.
Day 12:
Reached Kolakata.Had booked a room to refresh ourselves and then off to visit Victoria Memorial Hall and Birla Planetarium. We had some awesome puchkas(golgappa/pani puri) and Kalighatta outside the Memorial Hall.
After pleasant weather all these days it was very hot here.We went to
Haldiram hotel nearby airport to have our lunch and reached airport by
4:30 pm. We had our flight by 7:30 pm.
Since it was a night flight there was some turbulation felt. None had the appetite to have dinner. We all were kind of homesick.Finally reached home by 11:00 pm.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Gangtok sight seeing- Day 7
Gangtok sight seeing
We had planned for local sight seeing in Gangtok on this day and it was a Sunday. First started off by visiting Ganesh tok and Hanuman tok which are nearby and you can awesome views from there.Then went to Tashi view point. We need to climb up stairs to have a look at the 360 degree view of the place. There are many small restos in the foothill and many shops also there. And then our driver took us to Flower exhibition centre which had many beautiful orchids in different colours, truly a photographer's delight. Though a small place we spent quite a time there clicking pics. Then to Ranka monastery to view Golden Buddha within serene atmosphere. The architecture is unbelievable to note that it is one of the oldest monasteries.
As it was Sunday the zoological park and handicrafts museum was closed.So we went to the rope way cable car.We had to wait for nearly an hour here. This was the first time for us in a rope way and we all enjoyed it thoroughly. The entire Gangtok city can be viewed and also the beautiful valleys.From all the view points we can have the glimpse of Kanchenjunga but since it was cloudy we could not have a clear view of the peak :(
That day there was a local strike in Gangtok,so all the shops in MG Road were closed including the eateries,sigh! So after the sigt seeing everyone were hungry, so immediately called up our hotel to enquire whether they can provide us with some food around 2 o'clock.Thankfully they accepted our request and we placed our order on phone for some rice and dal. When you are hungry and you get some awesome food what happens, the food gets over soon! We all licked our plates. I don't remember what other things we ordered together with rice and dal but we enjoyed our food that day. The one thing we all missed in the entire trip was some good curd. Being south indians we could not refrain from asking them for curd but it was not available. We even searched in the local milk parlour and super market, it was not there , not even the flavored yogurt kinds. But we brought some bread and mayonnaise and some other bites for the trip next day to Lachung.
One place to not miss in Gangtok is Cafe Tibet. Myself and my hubby did the search for the curd and were pretty tired.In fact we went till MG Road for some bank purpose and then on our way back we spotted this place. We stepped in to have some coffee. The bakery was so empty, all the things had vanished from shelves owing to the strike! But yes the coffee was superb here.
After some time we again went back to MG Road to spend some time there.Even though the shops were closed the crowd was there. While planning for the trip i came to know about the famous puchkas and kaati rolls of Kolkata. So i wanted to try Kaati rolls if possible here. To my surprise there was a small shop which was selling vegetarian rolls(without egg) along a small lane down the MGRoad. There was also huge crowd there. We all had a chance to taste them and they were super delicious.
And also had some light dinner at Sai Kripa to end the day.
Day 8 & 9: Travel to Lachung
The day was very cloudy with light showers and we were ready to leave after having break fast to Lachung. Lachung is in North Sikkim and from there we need to go to Zero Point or Yumthang Valley, the highest altitude point. Usually the itinerary is to stay in Lachung and from there go till Yumthang and return to Gangtok the next day. But we had booked our rooms in Mangan at the Planter's Home.So owing to the distance and the climate we had a dilemma whether to continue the travel next day or not. Finally decided to stay in Mangan itself and have a break and enjoy our stay there. But the downside was we were missing our chance to be there in snow clad mountains.Yes, Yumthang valley would be covered in snow till May and being in snow was one of our high points of this trip as none of us had experienced being in snow or seeing snowfall before.
But i would say we had made the wisest decision to not continue the travel. First it was raining and we came to know of a landslide on the route. With such a distance landslide means we would have increased our travel time. But we enjoyed our stay at the Planter's Home with nice food and ambiance. So this was a rest day for us after traveling without any rest all these days. So we decided to leave to Gangtok after having our lunch. So after reaching Gangtok went to shopping in MG Road for some artifacts and fancy jewellery. All excited about our trip next day to Nathula pass to have a view of snow at least there. What we didn't do was to pray that there should be no rains at least the next day. But nature had something else planned for us.
Day 10: Tsomgo Lake
We were all set to leave as early as 9 o'clock but the travel agent did not take the special permit to visit Nathula pass. So lost time there in arranging some more documents to be provided. Finally our vehicle came by 10:30 am and we started. But the worst thing was it started raining!
There was a huge lineup of vehicles and the rain made the scenario worst :(
Since we were climbing high up the altitude and the area was in remote border the roads were bad. In fact the driver should be well trained to drive in these terrains. Have never ever seen such roads before. But hats off to the army people who guard these places . The move day in and day out in these roads that too with such huge vehicles. If there is a landslide they help in moving out people.
So from slight drizzling the rain picked up and we could see water flowing down in all directions in one side and deep valley with river flowing on the other side. Truly indescribable in words. And i'd call it an adventure in itself to travel in these roads. Sure a lifetime experience.
As we neared the Tsomgo lake we could see that all the snow was melting down and there was nothing left in the mountains. So it altered the mood of everyone especially the children. By this time they wanted to see snow somehow!The weather making the scene even more bad, the chill was getting unbearable. Before reaching Tsomgo lake you need to purchase some rain boots,umbrellas and mufflers to protect your feet and ears for rent.There were yaks there, so you can go for a ride.
Near the lake it was pouring down, so only the children, my husband and Sil got down to take some pics at least. By this time some chill water had entered my younger son's boot and he couldn't control the frostbite and he was shivering.So we had to go down till the shops where there was a fire place. There we had to climb some rocky steps to reach the shop. Our driver seeing the pain of my son immediately took him in his hands and ran up towards the shop near the fire place. We are thankful to him. By this time there was news that the route to Nathula pass was also closed due to rains which we had already decided to avoid! We had some hot maggi there in the shop. Which was awesome owing to the cold weather. We were praying to reach Gangtok safe. Slowly the rain also stopped as we reached Gangtok. By evening the clouds were permanently clear and we could see sunset from our room.
So the two expected destinations were not covered by us which was a huge disappointment. And next day we would be returning back home.
We had planned for local sight seeing in Gangtok on this day and it was a Sunday. First started off by visiting Ganesh tok and Hanuman tok which are nearby and you can awesome views from there.Then went to Tashi view point. We need to climb up stairs to have a look at the 360 degree view of the place. There are many small restos in the foothill and many shops also there. And then our driver took us to Flower exhibition centre which had many beautiful orchids in different colours, truly a photographer's delight. Though a small place we spent quite a time there clicking pics. Then to Ranka monastery to view Golden Buddha within serene atmosphere. The architecture is unbelievable to note that it is one of the oldest monasteries.
As it was Sunday the zoological park and handicrafts museum was closed.So we went to the rope way cable car.We had to wait for nearly an hour here. This was the first time for us in a rope way and we all enjoyed it thoroughly. The entire Gangtok city can be viewed and also the beautiful valleys.From all the view points we can have the glimpse of Kanchenjunga but since it was cloudy we could not have a clear view of the peak :(
That day there was a local strike in Gangtok,so all the shops in MG Road were closed including the eateries,sigh! So after the sigt seeing everyone were hungry, so immediately called up our hotel to enquire whether they can provide us with some food around 2 o'clock.Thankfully they accepted our request and we placed our order on phone for some rice and dal. When you are hungry and you get some awesome food what happens, the food gets over soon! We all licked our plates. I don't remember what other things we ordered together with rice and dal but we enjoyed our food that day. The one thing we all missed in the entire trip was some good curd. Being south indians we could not refrain from asking them for curd but it was not available. We even searched in the local milk parlour and super market, it was not there , not even the flavored yogurt kinds. But we brought some bread and mayonnaise and some other bites for the trip next day to Lachung.
One place to not miss in Gangtok is Cafe Tibet. Myself and my hubby did the search for the curd and were pretty tired.In fact we went till MG Road for some bank purpose and then on our way back we spotted this place. We stepped in to have some coffee. The bakery was so empty, all the things had vanished from shelves owing to the strike! But yes the coffee was superb here.
After some time we again went back to MG Road to spend some time there.Even though the shops were closed the crowd was there. While planning for the trip i came to know about the famous puchkas and kaati rolls of Kolkata. So i wanted to try Kaati rolls if possible here. To my surprise there was a small shop which was selling vegetarian rolls(without egg) along a small lane down the MGRoad. There was also huge crowd there. We all had a chance to taste them and they were super delicious.
And also had some light dinner at Sai Kripa to end the day.
Day 8 & 9: Travel to Lachung
The day was very cloudy with light showers and we were ready to leave after having break fast to Lachung. Lachung is in North Sikkim and from there we need to go to Zero Point or Yumthang Valley, the highest altitude point. Usually the itinerary is to stay in Lachung and from there go till Yumthang and return to Gangtok the next day. But we had booked our rooms in Mangan at the Planter's Home.So owing to the distance and the climate we had a dilemma whether to continue the travel next day or not. Finally decided to stay in Mangan itself and have a break and enjoy our stay there. But the downside was we were missing our chance to be there in snow clad mountains.Yes, Yumthang valley would be covered in snow till May and being in snow was one of our high points of this trip as none of us had experienced being in snow or seeing snowfall before.
But i would say we had made the wisest decision to not continue the travel. First it was raining and we came to know of a landslide on the route. With such a distance landslide means we would have increased our travel time. But we enjoyed our stay at the Planter's Home with nice food and ambiance. So this was a rest day for us after traveling without any rest all these days. So we decided to leave to Gangtok after having our lunch. So after reaching Gangtok went to shopping in MG Road for some artifacts and fancy jewellery. All excited about our trip next day to Nathula pass to have a view of snow at least there. What we didn't do was to pray that there should be no rains at least the next day. But nature had something else planned for us.
Day 10: Tsomgo Lake
We were all set to leave as early as 9 o'clock but the travel agent did not take the special permit to visit Nathula pass. So lost time there in arranging some more documents to be provided. Finally our vehicle came by 10:30 am and we started. But the worst thing was it started raining!
There was a huge lineup of vehicles and the rain made the scenario worst :(
Since we were climbing high up the altitude and the area was in remote border the roads were bad. In fact the driver should be well trained to drive in these terrains. Have never ever seen such roads before. But hats off to the army people who guard these places . The move day in and day out in these roads that too with such huge vehicles. If there is a landslide they help in moving out people.
So from slight drizzling the rain picked up and we could see water flowing down in all directions in one side and deep valley with river flowing on the other side. Truly indescribable in words. And i'd call it an adventure in itself to travel in these roads. Sure a lifetime experience.
As we neared the Tsomgo lake we could see that all the snow was melting down and there was nothing left in the mountains. So it altered the mood of everyone especially the children. By this time they wanted to see snow somehow!The weather making the scene even more bad, the chill was getting unbearable. Before reaching Tsomgo lake you need to purchase some rain boots,umbrellas and mufflers to protect your feet and ears for rent.There were yaks there, so you can go for a ride.
Near the lake it was pouring down, so only the children, my husband and Sil got down to take some pics at least. By this time some chill water had entered my younger son's boot and he couldn't control the frostbite and he was shivering.So we had to go down till the shops where there was a fire place. There we had to climb some rocky steps to reach the shop. Our driver seeing the pain of my son immediately took him in his hands and ran up towards the shop near the fire place. We are thankful to him. By this time there was news that the route to Nathula pass was also closed due to rains which we had already decided to avoid! We had some hot maggi there in the shop. Which was awesome owing to the cold weather. We were praying to reach Gangtok safe. Slowly the rain also stopped as we reached Gangtok. By evening the clouds were permanently clear and we could see sunset from our room.
So the two expected destinations were not covered by us which was a huge disappointment. And next day we would be returning back home.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Disciplining the boys :)
As of now, I am taking a break from the trip post to write this.Need to check with the dates on some places visited. Just one more post and i think I'll finish it off, hopefully.
I don't know why but my boys are turning boisterous. What seemed to be so easy when they were young seems so difficult now! They just don't listen any more. This is what i feel. What i thought was, as they grow it would be easy for me to manage them . But it's turning otherwise ;)
If i feel like this when they are of this age itself, i cannot imagine what might happen later on :O
OK, may be i am sounding too much annoyed. But this is what is happening these days. Don't know whether i am feeling too much or there is some mistake with me. I would never like them to have behavioral or attitude problems. Wish that its just another growing up phase which would soon vanish off!!!
As of now i talk with them a lot. Which is how my father did with us. Simple things like brushing their teeth and bathing properly needs to be reminded to them daily. I cannot blame them also. They have to be ready by 7:30 in the morning to catch their van to go to school.They hardly get one hour time to do this. In their half sleep, they do not do things properly. And yes they are turning up a little messy which was not the case before. They have become lethargic. I just tell them how important some things are in life. How they can alone take care of their bodies and teeth especially.So every other week I make them use salt to clean their teeth and I use olive oil and natural scrub to clean their bodies. About taking healthy foods like raw vegetables and fruits. Yes even after having their lessons on these things in school they should be taught at home!
But I am happy with how Pappu can be so creative. He has his own interest in crafts. He does Quilling and the latest craze with him his Rainbow Loom bands i.e making bracelet types with rubber bands. But Dheema cannot sit in one place.He's an active one but he shows interest in cooking unlike his father :) YO might be my savior in kitchen in later days (touch wood ;))
I would like them to actively take part in all things. They went to swimming classes after SA1 exams in October last year. So they might be going again after SA2 next week.And they are interested in skating.
I would like to see them to grow up into healthy and good human beings!!!
I don't know why but my boys are turning boisterous. What seemed to be so easy when they were young seems so difficult now! They just don't listen any more. This is what i feel. What i thought was, as they grow it would be easy for me to manage them . But it's turning otherwise ;)
If i feel like this when they are of this age itself, i cannot imagine what might happen later on :O
OK, may be i am sounding too much annoyed. But this is what is happening these days. Don't know whether i am feeling too much or there is some mistake with me. I would never like them to have behavioral or attitude problems. Wish that its just another growing up phase which would soon vanish off!!!
As of now i talk with them a lot. Which is how my father did with us. Simple things like brushing their teeth and bathing properly needs to be reminded to them daily. I cannot blame them also. They have to be ready by 7:30 in the morning to catch their van to go to school.They hardly get one hour time to do this. In their half sleep, they do not do things properly. And yes they are turning up a little messy which was not the case before. They have become lethargic. I just tell them how important some things are in life. How they can alone take care of their bodies and teeth especially.So every other week I make them use salt to clean their teeth and I use olive oil and natural scrub to clean their bodies. About taking healthy foods like raw vegetables and fruits. Yes even after having their lessons on these things in school they should be taught at home!
But I am happy with how Pappu can be so creative. He has his own interest in crafts. He does Quilling and the latest craze with him his Rainbow Loom bands i.e making bracelet types with rubber bands. But Dheema cannot sit in one place.He's an active one but he shows interest in cooking unlike his father :) YO might be my savior in kitchen in later days (touch wood ;))
I would like them to actively take part in all things. They went to swimming classes after SA1 exams in October last year. So they might be going again after SA2 next week.And they are interested in skating.
I would like to see them to grow up into healthy and good human beings!!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Pelling sight seeing- Day5
23rd May 2014
This day morning we were woke up by 5:30 AM to take a look at the view of the snow clad Kanchenjunga by my FIL. Truly it was a great experience.So, finally we got the view of Kanchenjunga here which was elusive in Darjeeling .Even though it was cloudy, we could have a sneak view of it!
It's said that Pelling is the only nearest high altitude point to view all the 4 snow clad mountain range(Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Sinalchu, Kabru) in this area and these 4 are visible according to their altitudes! We got ready for the sight seeing and before that we went to the vegetarian restaurant to have our breakfast. The hotel people dropped us there in their vehicle. It was an uphill walk so it was better we go there by vehicle. The name of the restaurant was Anjela. It was a very small place. You have to see the crowd there to believe the taste of food being offered there! First we did not know the food items available there since there was no menu card as such. We went with dosas and parathas. And some other items were some snacks that are available in the evening.But we were happy with what we got :)
So our sight-seeing started with Kecheopalri Lake.The entire route was covered with tourist vehicles and as a result they were moving very slowly.So we lost some precious time there!Also the roads are bad making it difficult to reach places on time. Infact in one place i saw a small hatchback finding it difficult to climb up the road.So better to avoid self driving in these places. The thing i liked here was there a chain of helpers helping people cross the stream flowing to the falls side. That was such a nice gesture by the locals.
This lake is called the wish fulfilling lake sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists! The place was so crowded.
Then we went to Kanchenjunga falls. Then went to the Darap Valley. There our driver took us to a small restaurant.There we had some noodles but it was nothing but hot Maggi and some momos. Delicious food to keep us going. Then we had to visit the Pemyangtse monastery and Rabdentse ruins to call the day off, but unfortunately our vehicle developed some problem. We went to the travels office to switch vehicles. and then visited the Pemyangtse monastery. It was such a beautiful and divine place.
We had to go to the Rabdentse palace ruins now but the new driver warned us about the nearly 11/2 hr long walk we should take to cover the entire palace and also it was getting late. So he took us to a view point from where we could see the entire ruins. Then he took us to the helipad where we can have the entire view of Pelling. We could clearly see that it was the top most point in Pelling. When in Pelling do make a point to visit the Helipad.
While dropping off we asked the driver to drop us at Anjela for some snacks.We had some cheese toasts and sandwiches. The chefs here were from Madhya Pradesh and the oven was constantly on now! We ordered some poha for tomorrow morning as we had to travel to Gangtok for children. Also inquired about the timings they'd open so that we can have our breakfast and leave.
Back to the rooms,kids enjoyed by playing Table tennis there. We also ordered for some veg sandwiches also for kids to have somewhat later. Though there were some initial adjustments here we enjoyed it here and also were over excited about our onward journey to Gangtok not knowing what was in store!!!
Day 6 : 24th May 2014
So again everything was packed and we were ready to move to Gangtok. So went to Angela had our breakfast with some nice aloo paranthas and this time we ditched the dosas :) and got our pohas packed. We bid goodbye to the place!
Our driver suggested that we visit Ravangla on the way which has a beautiful Buddha Park with a central statue of Buddha about 130ft high. The place is so beautiful and calm and such a large premise.You could feel like you are in clouds here. You need some time here. Inside the premises the stories from Jataka tales, the life of Buddha are painted. Wow such beautiful paintings and the place was so pleasant with the mild chilling weather! We could also buy some artefacts there!
We also could have the view of Temi Tea Garden in this route. The weather was in such a way that it was rainy and cloudy in one place and sunny in other .Such is the climate in hilly terrain i guess.
For lunch we stopped at a government run restaurant near Singtam i suppose.Very near to the place river Rangit was flowing.Though we reached the place late and we had to wait for our orders we enjoyed the food there.
Even though the travel time was 2hrs only the whole trip with stopovers for food and other sight seeing make it longer.In Gangtok the driver has to drop us at taxi stand from where the local travels need to pick us up. Here in Gangtok big vehicles are not allowed unless otherwise they are your own vehicle and that too with permission. So here we have to take two vehicles for our large group for local sight seeing. And also we had to take it from the taxi stand there.And i need to mention about the route to Gangtok from Ranipool,it was in bad condition.Some road expansion work was going on and the whole place was very dusty. Since Gangtok was the capital city, the roads were well laid and since only small cars were allowed not much of traffic jam too ie you dont get struck in a single place, the vehicles keep moving. Our rooms were booked in Sai Kripa. This was also much away from the maddening crowd in the city. But yes we had awesome food in their restaurant.
After freshening ourselves we went to MG Road for some unwinding. This is the centre place of the city with hotels, cafes and shopping centers and it was buzzing with activity. We had dinner at a very small hotel near to the MG Road but yes food was good.
So we retire for the day for the sight seeing on next day. See you soon!!!
This day morning we were woke up by 5:30 AM to take a look at the view of the snow clad Kanchenjunga by my FIL. Truly it was a great experience.So, finally we got the view of Kanchenjunga here which was elusive in Darjeeling .Even though it was cloudy, we could have a sneak view of it!
It's said that Pelling is the only nearest high altitude point to view all the 4 snow clad mountain range(Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Sinalchu, Kabru) in this area and these 4 are visible according to their altitudes! We got ready for the sight seeing and before that we went to the vegetarian restaurant to have our breakfast. The hotel people dropped us there in their vehicle. It was an uphill walk so it was better we go there by vehicle. The name of the restaurant was Anjela. It was a very small place. You have to see the crowd there to believe the taste of food being offered there! First we did not know the food items available there since there was no menu card as such. We went with dosas and parathas. And some other items were some snacks that are available in the evening.But we were happy with what we got :)
So our sight-seeing started with Kecheopalri Lake.The entire route was covered with tourist vehicles and as a result they were moving very slowly.So we lost some precious time there!Also the roads are bad making it difficult to reach places on time. Infact in one place i saw a small hatchback finding it difficult to climb up the road.So better to avoid self driving in these places. The thing i liked here was there a chain of helpers helping people cross the stream flowing to the falls side. That was such a nice gesture by the locals.
This lake is called the wish fulfilling lake sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists! The place was so crowded.
Then we went to Kanchenjunga falls. Then went to the Darap Valley. There our driver took us to a small restaurant.There we had some noodles but it was nothing but hot Maggi and some momos. Delicious food to keep us going. Then we had to visit the Pemyangtse monastery and Rabdentse ruins to call the day off, but unfortunately our vehicle developed some problem. We went to the travels office to switch vehicles. and then visited the Pemyangtse monastery. It was such a beautiful and divine place.
We had to go to the Rabdentse palace ruins now but the new driver warned us about the nearly 11/2 hr long walk we should take to cover the entire palace and also it was getting late. So he took us to a view point from where we could see the entire ruins. Then he took us to the helipad where we can have the entire view of Pelling. We could clearly see that it was the top most point in Pelling. When in Pelling do make a point to visit the Helipad.
While dropping off we asked the driver to drop us at Anjela for some snacks.We had some cheese toasts and sandwiches. The chefs here were from Madhya Pradesh and the oven was constantly on now! We ordered some poha for tomorrow morning as we had to travel to Gangtok for children. Also inquired about the timings they'd open so that we can have our breakfast and leave.
Back to the rooms,kids enjoyed by playing Table tennis there. We also ordered for some veg sandwiches also for kids to have somewhat later. Though there were some initial adjustments here we enjoyed it here and also were over excited about our onward journey to Gangtok not knowing what was in store!!!
Day 6 : 24th May 2014
So again everything was packed and we were ready to move to Gangtok. So went to Angela had our breakfast with some nice aloo paranthas and this time we ditched the dosas :) and got our pohas packed. We bid goodbye to the place!
Our driver suggested that we visit Ravangla on the way which has a beautiful Buddha Park with a central statue of Buddha about 130ft high. The place is so beautiful and calm and such a large premise.You could feel like you are in clouds here. You need some time here. Inside the premises the stories from Jataka tales, the life of Buddha are painted. Wow such beautiful paintings and the place was so pleasant with the mild chilling weather! We could also buy some artefacts there!
We also could have the view of Temi Tea Garden in this route. The weather was in such a way that it was rainy and cloudy in one place and sunny in other .Such is the climate in hilly terrain i guess.
For lunch we stopped at a government run restaurant near Singtam i suppose.Very near to the place river Rangit was flowing.Though we reached the place late and we had to wait for our orders we enjoyed the food there.
Even though the travel time was 2hrs only the whole trip with stopovers for food and other sight seeing make it longer.In Gangtok the driver has to drop us at taxi stand from where the local travels need to pick us up. Here in Gangtok big vehicles are not allowed unless otherwise they are your own vehicle and that too with permission. So here we have to take two vehicles for our large group for local sight seeing. And also we had to take it from the taxi stand there.And i need to mention about the route to Gangtok from Ranipool,it was in bad condition.Some road expansion work was going on and the whole place was very dusty. Since Gangtok was the capital city, the roads were well laid and since only small cars were allowed not much of traffic jam too ie you dont get struck in a single place, the vehicles keep moving. Our rooms were booked in Sai Kripa. This was also much away from the maddening crowd in the city. But yes we had awesome food in their restaurant.
After freshening ourselves we went to MG Road for some unwinding. This is the centre place of the city with hotels, cafes and shopping centers and it was buzzing with activity. We had dinner at a very small hotel near to the MG Road but yes food was good.
So we retire for the day for the sight seeing on next day. See you soon!!!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Day 3 Darjeeling sight seeing Day 4
Day 3
We had booked two rooms in The Swiss Hotel. One a cottage and the other a suite, Tenzing Norgay suite which was in first floor. The suites are located at separate building and one can have the view of the snow clad Kanchenjunga from there on a clear day. There is a point in the hotel with the latitude and longitude markings of the mountain. both the cottage and the suite were spacious. But unfortunately when we visited it was cloudy and we were not able to have the view. In the reception there are pics of old Darjeeling and to note that The Swiss Hotel was constructed in British era and all there was only muddy roads in the terrain. But you have to visit the place now to see the structures developed there. Even the roads are narrow and if you get caught in a traffic jam, that's all, you need to wait for minimum 2 hours :(
The driver came to the hotel after inquiring with us sharp on time. His name was Mr.Prashant. He told us that he was driving there for around 5 years and belongs to Nepal. In fact most of the locals were Nepalis who knew Hindi. And the locals preferred walking and they climbed up and down the mountains to reach their homes. And the main source of income was tourism and related activities here!
So first we visited the Peace Pagoda or the Japanese temple. It was a beautiful place with wonderful views. Next we went to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo. The specialty here was various wild cats. And yes the terrain is hilly, so you will get knee pain if you are not used to walking ;)
Kids dressed like locals from rental shop there. So we came outside to find our car not there. We called the driver , seems like he had parked in a different place to avoid held up in traffic.
In the lane down the zoo, there was a line of shops selling spices. We didn't buy it since we did not know it was original or not. We did miss the rope way. Our driver took us to some tea estate where we can buy darjeeling tea. But there were lots of stalls there giving samples of tea to tourists and we have to buy from the same shop the driver halts us. We did not quite like the idea and did not buy anything. On the way back he showed us a famous college in Darjeeling where some film shootings have taken place. Films like Main Hoon Na and Yaariyan have been shot there.
He then took us to a place called the rock garden. This place was quite faraway from the town. I think around 10 km. the roads were really steep and very sharp bends. This place had a stream surrounded by rock walls cut at various heights. This rock garden and the zoo were the only places we liked on the whole!
It was well past lunch time and we wanted a good vegetarian hotel to calm our stomach after all that walking up and down. It was very hard to find a vegetarian restaurant here and that too most of them had bars in it! So we simply asked the driver to take us to one and he took us to such a place.Though the place was not quite tidy and it was well past lunch time. We ordered some momos,rice and dal. So it was tasty afterall but i don't remember the name of this place now :( Other than this time all our food was at The Swiss Hotel all the time and it was delicious like simple home-made food which chef Krishna and his team served us. Momos,noodles,dal,rice and once we had kichdi, for breakfast it was bread toast and puris with aloo masala. Some more dishes added to the menu will make it more good!
So after having this light meal the driver left us back in the resort. We freshened up and got ready for shopping. There's no fun without shopping in any place!
So we walked all the way to the Mall Road and Chowrasta, the heart of Darjeeling. Kids enjoyed ride on a horse. The whole place was crowded and it was quite windy and cloudy. Our shopping was for some shoes, hand gloves in woollen,nose guards, jerkins,mufflers.All for the trip to Yumthang and Lachung in Gangtok. Seeing the climate here, we could somewhat anticipate the weather in higher altitudes :)
It was lightly drizzling and so wound up our shopping soon and returned to the resort. Also we need to wake up early the next day to see the sunrise at the Tiger Hills. We need to be ready by 3:30 AM so that we can catch up the sunrise at 4:30 AM. Waking up so early in the cold weather was too much.So we were debating whether to go or not, but glad we could make it and that too on time! So we had an early dinner that day!
Day 4
So we were all ready by 3:30, our driver came sharp 3:30AM and we had our uphill drive for another 45 min to reach Tiger Hills. So when we reached the road to board our car we could already see so many cars buzzing ahead. So we could imagine the traffic pileup ahead. Also it was somewhat a clear day. So the driver took us in a somewhat different route to take us to the top on time ahead of the traffic. But the road was bad and he also said that it was part of a Tiger reservoir. So we were there on time and yes the weather was so chilly that literally everyone of us were dancing, even after having so much of protection. So the sunrise happened around 4:30 and we stayed there for 10 min. After this our driver took us to some Botanical garden with some viewpoints shown from telescope, The old Darjeeling palace and some other places.By that time it was already 7:30 Am and we drank some tea and had some momos there.
So we came back to our rooms. It was time to bid good bye to Darjeeling. We left the place after we had our lunch by 12:30 pm. Though it was with heavy heart that we did leave the place , our minds were waiting for the onward journey especially to Lachung and Yumthang and the snow there!
We did start our journey around 2pm after the driver came and took us to the taxi stand. So for Pelling drop we had a different driver. The distance is around 108 km .It takes around 2-3hrs because of the road conditions. West Bengal side of the route is so bad compared to Sikkim side.So we reached there around 4pm with a stopover nearly 30 min before the destination for restroom.
So if i need to tell about Pelling in short, it's a place in West Sikkim which could be easily called a town. And we could easily see that the number of lodges or resorts were way more than the total population. Clearly tourism and agriculture were the only job activities here. And the whole town shuts down early around 7pm. So it would be wise if u can find a place to stay that has a well maintained and run restaurant. Ours was something sort of a home stay with a very small kitchen. But the location was very good. It is situated in Lower Pelling away from all the maddening crowd. The place iam talking about is Himalayan Retreat. This place is very near to Chumbi Valley resort. At 2500/- per day we could have taken any other place as well. But since the construction was new we had no issues with bed and bath. Only food was the problem to us. But i can say that any other place in Middle or Upper Pelling can give you a better view. We had booked 3 rooms here. One was without any view. And i can say that when we went there all the rooms(8) were full. So if you are not bothered about food and dont have any elders and can really walk up for some good food then you can go here!
So we had some disappointment that day with regard to food but had a nice stay in the cosy place.
We had booked two rooms in The Swiss Hotel. One a cottage and the other a suite, Tenzing Norgay suite which was in first floor. The suites are located at separate building and one can have the view of the snow clad Kanchenjunga from there on a clear day. There is a point in the hotel with the latitude and longitude markings of the mountain. both the cottage and the suite were spacious. But unfortunately when we visited it was cloudy and we were not able to have the view. In the reception there are pics of old Darjeeling and to note that The Swiss Hotel was constructed in British era and all there was only muddy roads in the terrain. But you have to visit the place now to see the structures developed there. Even the roads are narrow and if you get caught in a traffic jam, that's all, you need to wait for minimum 2 hours :(
The driver came to the hotel after inquiring with us sharp on time. His name was Mr.Prashant. He told us that he was driving there for around 5 years and belongs to Nepal. In fact most of the locals were Nepalis who knew Hindi. And the locals preferred walking and they climbed up and down the mountains to reach their homes. And the main source of income was tourism and related activities here!
So first we visited the Peace Pagoda or the Japanese temple. It was a beautiful place with wonderful views. Next we went to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo. The specialty here was various wild cats. And yes the terrain is hilly, so you will get knee pain if you are not used to walking ;)
Kids dressed like locals from rental shop there. So we came outside to find our car not there. We called the driver , seems like he had parked in a different place to avoid held up in traffic.
In the lane down the zoo, there was a line of shops selling spices. We didn't buy it since we did not know it was original or not. We did miss the rope way. Our driver took us to some tea estate where we can buy darjeeling tea. But there were lots of stalls there giving samples of tea to tourists and we have to buy from the same shop the driver halts us. We did not quite like the idea and did not buy anything. On the way back he showed us a famous college in Darjeeling where some film shootings have taken place. Films like Main Hoon Na and Yaariyan have been shot there.
He then took us to a place called the rock garden. This place was quite faraway from the town. I think around 10 km. the roads were really steep and very sharp bends. This place had a stream surrounded by rock walls cut at various heights. This rock garden and the zoo were the only places we liked on the whole!
It was well past lunch time and we wanted a good vegetarian hotel to calm our stomach after all that walking up and down. It was very hard to find a vegetarian restaurant here and that too most of them had bars in it! So we simply asked the driver to take us to one and he took us to such a place.Though the place was not quite tidy and it was well past lunch time. We ordered some momos,rice and dal. So it was tasty afterall but i don't remember the name of this place now :( Other than this time all our food was at The Swiss Hotel all the time and it was delicious like simple home-made food which chef Krishna and his team served us. Momos,noodles,dal,rice and once we had kichdi, for breakfast it was bread toast and puris with aloo masala. Some more dishes added to the menu will make it more good!
So after having this light meal the driver left us back in the resort. We freshened up and got ready for shopping. There's no fun without shopping in any place!
So we walked all the way to the Mall Road and Chowrasta, the heart of Darjeeling. Kids enjoyed ride on a horse. The whole place was crowded and it was quite windy and cloudy. Our shopping was for some shoes, hand gloves in woollen,nose guards, jerkins,mufflers.All for the trip to Yumthang and Lachung in Gangtok. Seeing the climate here, we could somewhat anticipate the weather in higher altitudes :)
It was lightly drizzling and so wound up our shopping soon and returned to the resort. Also we need to wake up early the next day to see the sunrise at the Tiger Hills. We need to be ready by 3:30 AM so that we can catch up the sunrise at 4:30 AM. Waking up so early in the cold weather was too much.So we were debating whether to go or not, but glad we could make it and that too on time! So we had an early dinner that day!
Day 4
So we were all ready by 3:30, our driver came sharp 3:30AM and we had our uphill drive for another 45 min to reach Tiger Hills. So when we reached the road to board our car we could already see so many cars buzzing ahead. So we could imagine the traffic pileup ahead. Also it was somewhat a clear day. So the driver took us in a somewhat different route to take us to the top on time ahead of the traffic. But the road was bad and he also said that it was part of a Tiger reservoir. So we were there on time and yes the weather was so chilly that literally everyone of us were dancing, even after having so much of protection. So the sunrise happened around 4:30 and we stayed there for 10 min. After this our driver took us to some Botanical garden with some viewpoints shown from telescope, The old Darjeeling palace and some other places.By that time it was already 7:30 Am and we drank some tea and had some momos there.
So we came back to our rooms. It was time to bid good bye to Darjeeling. We left the place after we had our lunch by 12:30 pm. Though it was with heavy heart that we did leave the place , our minds were waiting for the onward journey especially to Lachung and Yumthang and the snow there!
We did start our journey around 2pm after the driver came and took us to the taxi stand. So for Pelling drop we had a different driver. The distance is around 108 km .It takes around 2-3hrs because of the road conditions. West Bengal side of the route is so bad compared to Sikkim side.So we reached there around 4pm with a stopover nearly 30 min before the destination for restroom.
So if i need to tell about Pelling in short, it's a place in West Sikkim which could be easily called a town. And we could easily see that the number of lodges or resorts were way more than the total population. Clearly tourism and agriculture were the only job activities here. And the whole town shuts down early around 7pm. So it would be wise if u can find a place to stay that has a well maintained and run restaurant. Ours was something sort of a home stay with a very small kitchen. But the location was very good. It is situated in Lower Pelling away from all the maddening crowd. The place iam talking about is Himalayan Retreat. This place is very near to Chumbi Valley resort. At 2500/- per day we could have taken any other place as well. But since the construction was new we had no issues with bed and bath. Only food was the problem to us. But i can say that any other place in Middle or Upper Pelling can give you a better view. We had booked 3 rooms here. One was without any view. And i can say that when we went there all the rooms(8) were full. So if you are not bothered about food and dont have any elders and can really walk up for some good food then you can go here!
So we had some disappointment that day with regard to food but had a nice stay in the cosy place.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Movies seen in 2014
I am taking a break from the previous post to update about the list of movies seen last year. Why, because I think I've seen a lot of movies compared to past years. Yes,after having kids the time taken to movies was less. But now both of them have grownup and they too lookout for movie outings!
So the list for 2014 not in any order:
How to train your dragon 2
Rio2
The amazingspiderman 2
Cuckoo
Jeeva
Interstellar
Thegidi
Seval
Sadhuranga vettai
Velai illa pattadhari
I also want to record here that the first movie for Vinay was Imsai arasan 23rd pulikesi and for Prithvi it was Dasavathaaram. Prithvi As a baby was afraid of darkness and sound in the theatres. When we take him to theatres it was usually outstanding watching for his dad, means he has to stand outside and watch it ;) while me and EO used to sit inside. After a couple of years he used to sit till interval without any fuss and get his popcorn. After the popcorn gets over he would start asking when the film will be over or when he can go home,haha.
So now we go to movies they recommend us after hearing from their friends :)
So now the problem is little less, I can say!
In fact I was surprised that they can sit for long movies such as amazing Spider-Man and interstellar.
They had lot of questions to ask after watching Interstellar!!!
This year started off well with watching PK and to remember that they enjoyed 3 idiots very well as kids. But they didn't understand quite a lot in PK;) thanks to the lingo and the concept.
So the list for 2014 not in any order:
How to train your dragon 2
Rio2
The amazingspiderman 2
Cuckoo
Jeeva
Interstellar
Thegidi
Seval
Sadhuranga vettai
Velai illa pattadhari
I also want to record here that the first movie for Vinay was Imsai arasan 23rd pulikesi and for Prithvi it was Dasavathaaram. Prithvi As a baby was afraid of darkness and sound in the theatres. When we take him to theatres it was usually outstanding watching for his dad, means he has to stand outside and watch it ;) while me and EO used to sit inside. After a couple of years he used to sit till interval without any fuss and get his popcorn. After the popcorn gets over he would start asking when the film will be over or when he can go home,haha.
So now we go to movies they recommend us after hearing from their friends :)
So now the problem is little less, I can say!
In fact I was surprised that they can sit for long movies such as amazing Spider-Man and interstellar.
They had lot of questions to ask after watching Interstellar!!!
This year started off well with watching PK and to remember that they enjoyed 3 idiots very well as kids. But they didn't understand quite a lot in PK;) thanks to the lingo and the concept.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Trip 2014- Darjeeling,Pelling,Gangtok
Hi my dear blog,
Sorry for not looking into you seriously.But when i opened the dashboard today, i saw i had posted 19 logs . Not bad , i said to myself!!!
So I want to write about the trip we went in May last year.It was a memorable one for everyone.We started planning very early for this trip as early as February,so we'll know how to go about everything. We didn't go for any package so that made the job even more tough.We had to look upon reviews for each and every hotel that came up in trip advisor.in. Also check for routes we need to cover on each day,no. of days needed in each place etc.. etc.. etc.. Have to thank Trip advisor website and its patrons a lot. Each day would start with Trip advisor and end with the same.
Looking back now it's almost an year ago!!!
Yesterday my husband was speaking with one of his close friend about how to go about the trip and he asked me for certain route we took for reaching Darjeeling from Siliguri. I couldn't remember the name of the place instantly and that is when i decided to write about the trip i here.Even though the place and the memories we had there would live with us forever, i thought writing here would help us in remembering even the minute details later on. Also i had written here about a previous trip we had in 2008.Every year we go on a trip and i think i should write here but that never happens.
Right from the beginning every one involved were so anxious and very much looking for to this trip.I am happy that we could end it perfetly!!!
So it was a family trip consisting of 9 members with 6 adults and 3 children. My mom,Mil,Fil,Sil and her daughter, We the 4 of us went together.
So now i am forgetting all the dates.We started by 19 May 2014,Monday and came back by 31 May 2014 Saturday.
The itinerary was like this:
Day1: Chennai-Kolkata. Take train from Sealdah to New Jalpaiguri(NJP)
Day2: Reach Darjeeling from Siliguri
Day 3: Darjeeling sight-seeing
Day 4:Reach Pelling from Darjeeling
Day 5:Pelling Sight-seeing
Day 6: Reach Gangtok from Pelling
Day 7:Gangtok sight-seeing
Day 8 :Reach Mangan from Gangtok
Day 9:Visit Lachung and Lachen and reach Gangtok
Day 10: Gangtok Sight-seeing
Day 11: Reach Siliguri from Gangtok.Take overnight train to Kolkata.
Day 12: Reach Kolkata and sigt-seeing .Reach Chennai by night
DAY 1:
Let me go straight into trip details.We took a 7:55 am flight from Chennai airport to reach Kolkata 10:10 am .This was a first flight experience for me, my kids, Sil and her daughter. so we were all pretty excited and anxious about how it will be. We booked our tickets in Indigo airlines and our check-in at airport was quite smooth.We landed at Kolkata around 10:30 after taking our baggage. Have to mention about the food that we ate at the airport here.Since my mom had to take medication she had to eat her breakfast and we spotted an outlet with some Idli name in it there. Surprised we went there to eat,ordered idli and uthappam.Being a hardcore south-indian, we were happy to spot a place like that in Kolkata but it was a total disaster! I have tasted nothing bad like that in my life, atleast a idly cannot made in such a way was my thought. Lesser said now :-(
We had an issue with the pick up car we had booked. We wanted to have a Tata Winger to accomodate the whole family for KolKata sight-seeing.But the one operator who had promised could not arrange one for us.So we took a lot of time in finding another one. So we waited till 12:00pm for the car.Alas, not a good start for a great trip i would say.
Atlast when the car arrived , everyone was in the mood, ' Chalo,let's explore the city now!',haha
We first wanted to visit the Dakshina Kali Temple and headed there straight. It was around 16 km distance and took one hour to reach there.When we reached there our stomachs were grumbling and we decided to have lunch first.We enquired some locals about the options available.Some of them did mention about Pooris being given as Prashad at temple.Our bad we should have taken their word and should have gone for it.But went to a little hotel according to some people's directions in a quaint little street. And to our dismay they did not have lunch and had only dosas ( not again :().Since we were late that was the only option and we ordered that.It was ok kind of stuff.So within this time our minds changed and we decided to visit the Kalighat temple.The city of Kolkata has got its name after this deity and its on the banks of a river.
When we reached Kalighat the temple was closed and there was nearly half an hour time.On our way to hte temple we spotted the trams and wanted to get in that.So took time off to get inside a tram and clicked pictures merrily. The tram was so old.And it was very slow that people alighted on the run.We got down at next stopping and took our ride back to temple.Even though there was no rush inside the temple premises, we could not have a quick darshan of the deity.We came out of the temple and headed towards the bank of river Hooghly. The sight was so very disgusting. The water was not flowing but stagnated and we could see so many people bathing and doing other things as well.So we came out of the place. We then went to boating in Hooghly river We could spot the Eden Garden cricket stadium nearby.I actually liked the many transport facilities this city had, the trams, the waterways, metro,buses, not to mention the other options. We wanted to go in metro too but were running out of time! Outside near the banks things were made ready for the evening aarthi. We wanted to see it and waited there.From around 5:30 to nearly 6:30 we waited there.But it was taking time.
So we visited Indian railway museum situated nearby and passed our time seeing all the models kept there.The kids were enjoying the place very much. We had to take the Darjeeling Mail train from Sealdah station at 10:05 pm. We decided to have some chats as we did not have anything solid.We took the option of going to Haldirams to have some amazing chats.In the entire day that was the proper meal for us and we all gorged like there was no other day.We supposedly ordered what all we could find on the menu card along with steaming hot cuppa coffee.Our stomachs were thanking us!!!
We reached the station around 9 pm and were waiting for the train.We bought some dinner from a shop at the station, some rotis and plain chawal with dal. We boarded the train and slept heartily waiting for the next day with so much enthusiasm!!!
DAY 2:
Reached NJP by 8:00 am.We had booked a cab from there for the whole trip.It happened to be that we cannot travel in a single cab the whole trip because the entire journey was in two states and each has travels that can run cabs in their own territory, meaning one driver can drive in a single route only. So we wanted the travels to speak with agents in other routes as well .They have a network among themselves so that was not a problem. The pricing and the routes we wanted to take everything was mentioned clearly and decided. While my husband and my Sil was doing this, all others had to take breakfast in the hotels that were available there.
The usual route to Darjeeling from Siliguri is through Kurseong but we wanted to go through Mirik. Even though distance(116 km) would increase the travelling time,it'd be very good both for the eyes and the back. Around 10:30 am we started our journey to Darjeeling.Would like to mention here that if you are taking this route siliguri to Darjeeling do eat @ Gopala Gopala restaurant. We had some food here on our way back and it was good.The route through Mirik was so scenic.There was some tea estates and it was fully covered with fog.In one place there was a huge play ground fully covered with mist. We asked the driver to stop the vehicle and played hide and seek through the mist. It was a lifetime experience for us.We reached Mirik and there was a park there around a small lake. We had a stroll there to stretch our legs. We tasted the lychee there.
We had booked our rooms at The Swiss Hotel. We reached the place after a little bit enquiring.It was located off one of the main roads.We reached there around 2:00 pm. The hotel staff called up and confirmed our coming.After reaching there the first thing we did was to order for our lunch and checked into the rooms. We gave them just half an hour time for preparing our lunch.But it was so delicious!!!We took rest for some time and in the evening went for a walk till Mall Raod.Did some little shopping.
Wait for the next post for Darjeeling sight-seeing!!! Bye till then :)
Sorry for not looking into you seriously.But when i opened the dashboard today, i saw i had posted 19 logs . Not bad , i said to myself!!!
So I want to write about the trip we went in May last year.It was a memorable one for everyone.We started planning very early for this trip as early as February,so we'll know how to go about everything. We didn't go for any package so that made the job even more tough.We had to look upon reviews for each and every hotel that came up in trip advisor.in. Also check for routes we need to cover on each day,no. of days needed in each place etc.. etc.. etc.. Have to thank Trip advisor website and its patrons a lot. Each day would start with Trip advisor and end with the same.
Looking back now it's almost an year ago!!!
Yesterday my husband was speaking with one of his close friend about how to go about the trip and he asked me for certain route we took for reaching Darjeeling from Siliguri. I couldn't remember the name of the place instantly and that is when i decided to write about the trip i here.Even though the place and the memories we had there would live with us forever, i thought writing here would help us in remembering even the minute details later on. Also i had written here about a previous trip we had in 2008.Every year we go on a trip and i think i should write here but that never happens.
Right from the beginning every one involved were so anxious and very much looking for to this trip.I am happy that we could end it perfetly!!!
So it was a family trip consisting of 9 members with 6 adults and 3 children. My mom,Mil,Fil,Sil and her daughter, We the 4 of us went together.
So now i am forgetting all the dates.We started by 19 May 2014,Monday and came back by 31 May 2014 Saturday.
The itinerary was like this:
Day1: Chennai-Kolkata. Take train from Sealdah to New Jalpaiguri(NJP)
Day2: Reach Darjeeling from Siliguri
Day 3: Darjeeling sight-seeing
Day 4:Reach Pelling from Darjeeling
Day 5:Pelling Sight-seeing
Day 6: Reach Gangtok from Pelling
Day 7:Gangtok sight-seeing
Day 8 :Reach Mangan from Gangtok
Day 9:Visit Lachung and Lachen and reach Gangtok
Day 10: Gangtok Sight-seeing
Day 11: Reach Siliguri from Gangtok.Take overnight train to Kolkata.
Day 12: Reach Kolkata and sigt-seeing .Reach Chennai by night
DAY 1:
Let me go straight into trip details.We took a 7:55 am flight from Chennai airport to reach Kolkata 10:10 am .This was a first flight experience for me, my kids, Sil and her daughter. so we were all pretty excited and anxious about how it will be. We booked our tickets in Indigo airlines and our check-in at airport was quite smooth.We landed at Kolkata around 10:30 after taking our baggage. Have to mention about the food that we ate at the airport here.Since my mom had to take medication she had to eat her breakfast and we spotted an outlet with some Idli name in it there. Surprised we went there to eat,ordered idli and uthappam.Being a hardcore south-indian, we were happy to spot a place like that in Kolkata but it was a total disaster! I have tasted nothing bad like that in my life, atleast a idly cannot made in such a way was my thought. Lesser said now :-(
We had an issue with the pick up car we had booked. We wanted to have a Tata Winger to accomodate the whole family for KolKata sight-seeing.But the one operator who had promised could not arrange one for us.So we took a lot of time in finding another one. So we waited till 12:00pm for the car.Alas, not a good start for a great trip i would say.
Atlast when the car arrived , everyone was in the mood, ' Chalo,let's explore the city now!',haha
We first wanted to visit the Dakshina Kali Temple and headed there straight. It was around 16 km distance and took one hour to reach there.When we reached there our stomachs were grumbling and we decided to have lunch first.We enquired some locals about the options available.Some of them did mention about Pooris being given as Prashad at temple.Our bad we should have taken their word and should have gone for it.But went to a little hotel according to some people's directions in a quaint little street. And to our dismay they did not have lunch and had only dosas ( not again :().Since we were late that was the only option and we ordered that.It was ok kind of stuff.So within this time our minds changed and we decided to visit the Kalighat temple.The city of Kolkata has got its name after this deity and its on the banks of a river.
When we reached Kalighat the temple was closed and there was nearly half an hour time.On our way to hte temple we spotted the trams and wanted to get in that.So took time off to get inside a tram and clicked pictures merrily. The tram was so old.And it was very slow that people alighted on the run.We got down at next stopping and took our ride back to temple.Even though there was no rush inside the temple premises, we could not have a quick darshan of the deity.We came out of the temple and headed towards the bank of river Hooghly. The sight was so very disgusting. The water was not flowing but stagnated and we could see so many people bathing and doing other things as well.So we came out of the place. We then went to boating in Hooghly river We could spot the Eden Garden cricket stadium nearby.I actually liked the many transport facilities this city had, the trams, the waterways, metro,buses, not to mention the other options. We wanted to go in metro too but were running out of time! Outside near the banks things were made ready for the evening aarthi. We wanted to see it and waited there.From around 5:30 to nearly 6:30 we waited there.But it was taking time.
So we visited Indian railway museum situated nearby and passed our time seeing all the models kept there.The kids were enjoying the place very much. We had to take the Darjeeling Mail train from Sealdah station at 10:05 pm. We decided to have some chats as we did not have anything solid.We took the option of going to Haldirams to have some amazing chats.In the entire day that was the proper meal for us and we all gorged like there was no other day.We supposedly ordered what all we could find on the menu card along with steaming hot cuppa coffee.Our stomachs were thanking us!!!
We reached the station around 9 pm and were waiting for the train.We bought some dinner from a shop at the station, some rotis and plain chawal with dal. We boarded the train and slept heartily waiting for the next day with so much enthusiasm!!!
DAY 2:
Reached NJP by 8:00 am.We had booked a cab from there for the whole trip.It happened to be that we cannot travel in a single cab the whole trip because the entire journey was in two states and each has travels that can run cabs in their own territory, meaning one driver can drive in a single route only. So we wanted the travels to speak with agents in other routes as well .They have a network among themselves so that was not a problem. The pricing and the routes we wanted to take everything was mentioned clearly and decided. While my husband and my Sil was doing this, all others had to take breakfast in the hotels that were available there.
The usual route to Darjeeling from Siliguri is through Kurseong but we wanted to go through Mirik. Even though distance(116 km) would increase the travelling time,it'd be very good both for the eyes and the back. Around 10:30 am we started our journey to Darjeeling.Would like to mention here that if you are taking this route siliguri to Darjeeling do eat @ Gopala Gopala restaurant. We had some food here on our way back and it was good.The route through Mirik was so scenic.There was some tea estates and it was fully covered with fog.In one place there was a huge play ground fully covered with mist. We asked the driver to stop the vehicle and played hide and seek through the mist. It was a lifetime experience for us.We reached Mirik and there was a park there around a small lake. We had a stroll there to stretch our legs. We tasted the lychee there.
We had booked our rooms at The Swiss Hotel. We reached the place after a little bit enquiring.It was located off one of the main roads.We reached there around 2:00 pm. The hotel staff called up and confirmed our coming.After reaching there the first thing we did was to order for our lunch and checked into the rooms. We gave them just half an hour time for preparing our lunch.But it was so delicious!!!We took rest for some time and in the evening went for a walk till Mall Raod.Did some little shopping.
Wait for the next post for Darjeeling sight-seeing!!! Bye till then :)
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