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 :)
No comments:
Post a Comment