Oct 23

North-East Trip – Day 7

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Dzongri Base Camp to Dzongri Peak
Distance: 2 Kms
Height: 4200 mts
Date: 6-Oct-09

Dzongri peak gives the best view of Mount Kanchenjunga, but to see it we had to reach there before sunrise.  After previous day’s high altitude sickness, I woke up fresh in the morning. Anything after midnight is morning, though it was still dark outside. At 4 AM in the morning, all I could hear was the occasional sound of yaks & horses and the stream flowing next to our tent.

We (Vishal & me) started moving uphill. On our way we found Maurice & Kim (trekkers from Singapore). It took us more than an hour to reach on the top. By the time we reached, dawn was just breaking. There was thick blanket of fog, which we expected to shed soon.

We waited patiently for sun to come out. As the time passed we realized that the fog was there to stay and all our hopes of seeing the mighty Kanchenjunga may not be fulfilled. At around 7 am fog slowly started to move away and we could see Mt Black Kabaru. On its left was Mt. Pandim, and on its right was only the faint trace of Mt. Kanchenjunga.

After waiting there for another hour, we realized that we may have to finally return back without seeing Kanchenjunga so we started back for our base camp. We spent some time there on the locals, who stay there for only two months during the trekking season.

We started back from Dzongri to Tshokha at around 11 am. I realized that climbing up was tiring but going down was painful. This realization is going to last for another 2 days… and probably for rest of the life.

Maurice & Kim stayed back that day as they had to go to Goechala which was further up at a height of 5000 mtrs. Later they sent pictures of Mt. Kanchenjunga from Singapore.

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Oct 16

Sikkim Trip – Day 6

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Tshokha to Dzongri
Distance: 9 Kms
Height: 14000 ft
Date: 5-Oct-09

The day started on a good note. After last night rains, the morning was bright & sunny. It is said that at high altitudes weather is best at early morning between 5 to 9 am. This is also the time to have the best view on the mountains, which are otherwise hidden behind fog & mist.

Even after not sleeping previous night, I felt fresh in the morning. Probably that was due to the surroundings. The first thing we did was to spread our cloths to get dry.

There are times when you feel like living in a place like this, but then I guess it is a momentarily feeling as it is really hard to live at high altitudes. Anyhow, sometime I wish few moments could last forever and that morning was one such moment. Right after stepping out of the tent, we could see the magnificent peaks of Himalayan range. Mt. Pandim was very prominent.

 

First day of camp, breakfast was served right under the sky with Himalayas towering from behind. Nothing could have been better. It was an awesome site and experience.

We resumed our trek at around 0830 hrs for Dzongri. It was difficult then the previous day trek from Yuksam to Tshokha. In fact, I felt like I was in a fairytale, going to a dangerous place to rescue a Princess…. Someone like Sindbad – the sailor. J

V as usual was ahead of us… he covered the trek in 3 hrs 15 min. I was the snail, walking slow and stopping at every possible opportunity. At around 1300 hrs it started drizzling. We reached Dzongri at around 2 PM. I had slight headache and a nausea, so I was given hot garlic soup. The weather has not improved till then and all people were in there sleeping bags.

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Oct 14

North-East Trip – Day 5

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Trek from Yuksam to Tshokha
Distance: 12 Kms
Height: 10000 ft
Date: 4-Oct-09

The day started early for us, as we had to get ready to start our trek. It was the bright sunny day and that reflected in my mood too. I was full of energy and ready to conquer the peak. On the way we had to register at the police check post. This has to be done by all the trekkers. On the outskirts of the city (Yuksam) was the last tea stall, where we stopped to meet Subba’s girl friend.

Starting few kilometers were fine, with not much slope but as the time passed the distance started looking longer and the slopes steeper.

At around 1200 hrs, I was too tired to carry my bag so I handed it over to Subba. Later we stopped at Sajang for lunch.

We resumed on the trek at around 1330 hours. Fresh cooked food and rest had given enough energy to my legs to carry my load further. After walking for another couple of hours we reached Bakhim. Vishal didn’t stopped for a break at Bakhim, but I was too tired to go any further without taking a break. I had some tea and took some rest.

I don’t think that I can walk again like this. After Bakhim, it was still a couple of hours more to reach our night camp Tshokha. By the time we reached there it was too foggy and I was almost dead. Vishal was nowhere to be found. After Subba setup the tent, I went in for rest and he went to look for him only to return back with his bag. He was still to be found.

He came back and took to to a local shop for trying the local brew called Jaard. It is made of fermented millets, served with hot water in a tumbler and a straw made of bamboo. While we were still enjoying our drinks, it started raining heavily. We came back all drenched, water started seeping in the tent.  Couldn’t sleep that night due to heavy thunder and occasional sounds of horses and yaks. Everything was wet by morning.

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Oct 12

Sikkim Trip – Day 4

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Yuksam
Height: 5000 ft.
Date: 3-Oct-09

Yuksom is around 138 kms from Gangtok. We started from Gangtok at around 0900 hrs. Our guide, Lalang Subba, came in morning to pick us from our hotel. The Jeep was loaded with the food ration for the next 1 week. On the way, we stopped at Ravangla at 1215 hrs for lunch. We were really hungry by the time we reached there so ordered lots of stuff… we ate gyathuk (another form of Thupka), fried rice, chicken momos, and local favorite wai-wai noodles in lunch. It was too much for both of us, but we anyway finished it.

From Ravangla we resumed further at around 1300 hrs. On the way we stopped at Phamrong Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in West Sikkim. It presents a magnificent scenario especially during monsoon. A gentle footpath takes one to a viewpoint for a closer view of this mighty discharge of water.

We reached Yuksam at around 1600 hrs, got fresh, and then got out of hotel the local view. Yuksam was a small town, beautiful people, their livelihood mainly depend on tourists and trekkers. I also realized that unlike rest of India the favorite sport there is football. It was great… calm, peaceful and good food & beer! J

We slept early that night, as there was no TV and anyway we were tired of all day travel & had to start our trek next day early morning. Sometimes it’s good to be away from the maddening crowd & chaos of the city life.

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Oct 11

North-East Trip – Day 3

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Gangtok, Sikkim

Date: 2-Oct-09

We started for Gangtok at around 0800 hrs. The highway was bad, in fact too bad to be called even roads and that’s the state of roads I observed in most of northern part of West Bengal. On the way we stopped at an arc-bridge (one of its kind in India) over river Teesta.


We reached Gangtok at around 1400 hrs and checked in Hotel Mayur. At around 1600 hrs we met our trek organizer from Sikkim Tours & Travels.

For rest of the evening Vishal & I roamed on MG Road, had our dinner at Karoke restaurant and returned back to our hotel at around 2300 hrs.

I know 2300 hrs is to early to return, but then it was 2nd-Oct… A DRY DAY!!

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Oct 03

North-East Trip – Day 2

Posted in: Travel Experiences

Location: Binnaguri Cantt, West Bengal

Date: 01-Oct-09

This was a very exciting day… woke up early and then later went to the firing range where all the officers and their teams were practicing for a competition to be held in UK next year. I was taught finer details of firing a Light Machine Gun (LMG) and the Indian version of AK47 called INSAS 5.56 mm rifle. Some good learning & fun!!!

Later we went to Fhuntsoling, Bhutan, which is a border town near Binnaguri, West Bengal. Had Thupka in our lunch at Hotel Durk, and then went to a nearby Dumpa. On the way to Bhutan we had an excellent view of women plucking tea leaves.

The road from Binnaguri till Indo-Bhutan border was really bad, so bad that it was as good as not having any road at all. Good thing of reaching Bhutan was that India look really beautiful from there; anyway one can’t see roads from so far… J

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Sep 30

North-East Trip – Day 1

Posted in: My Life, Travel Experiences

Date: 30-09-09
Day start at 0300 hrs

0500 hrs – Wow! What a start for the trip. Its pouring cats & dogs today. Low visibility from my home to airport, thanks to express highway i reached on time.

Its 0530 hrs and I m on board on Indigo flight to Delhi. Both air hostess, Jaspreet & Manisha, are beautiful. This is a good start for the day!

1000 hrs – Boarded Kingfisher flight to Bagdogra. Sonia, the air hostess is good, she smiles.

1230 hrs – Reached Bagdogra. Maj. V is waiting. After collecting my baggage, we head to a restaurant for some fuel refill forthe body. Drank Dansburg beer. Danny Denzongpa owns the distillery. It is good, I think better than Budwiser.

1430 hrs – Starts our journey in army jeep to Binnaguri, WB. It’s been along time since I have traveled by road, over it the road is full of potholes in which I will sink.

1730 hrs – reached Binnaguri cantonment. Took some refreshments in the mess.

1830 hrs – V & I had a long discussion on life, friends, and other philosophies.

2030 hrs – Heading to mess for dinner.

2400 hrs – It was fun to meet all the officers at the mess. Eat & drunk a lot!

Have to go to firing range tomorrow…

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Jun 09

Railway station is a happening place

Posted in: Random Thoughts, Travel Experiences

Yesterday I went to Universal Studio, Los Angeles. LA is 2:30 hour by train from Santa Barbara. I had taken an early morning train, so most of the time I spent sleeping while going. There was a Chinese guy sitting next to me. We didn’t talk with each other, and we both kept listing to our individual ipods. The only thing I remember asking was “How far are we from LA?” He just replied that it was the next station.

Rest of day I spent in Universal City. My return train was at 7 PM, but I reached the station at around 5 PM. Since I was tired, I spent rest of the time in the waiting room.

While waiting and listening to my ipod, I kept watching and observing people crossing by of different shape, sizes, and personalities. A girl passed by, with a warm and delicate smile. I saw her for few seconds and then went back at looking at other travelers. Time passed by and I in the mean time drank one cold coffee and an orangeade (similar to lemonade).  Then I walked to sit somewhere else, close to boarding place. A girl came by and sat beside me. She was wearing a pajama and a t-shirt. A weird combination to travel in, but I guess everything works here. She looked liked an Indian but only till she started speaking to someone sitting next to her.

When the time came, I went to stand in the boarding queue. There was a guy standing ahead of me nicely dressed. I think he was not an american (I m yet to see a guy dressed well in US).  Behind me was girl on a bicycle in small shorts. After few minutes she just stepped out of the queue and walked somewhere else, I didn’t followed.

Now the girl standing next to me was the same I saw with a warm and gentle smile, we shared a glance and then I kept looking ahead waiting for the announcement of arrival of the train. And she does arrive after couple of minutes on track 9B.  Everyone rushed towards the track.

I took my seat in the train, but when the train started moving I realized that I was sitting in the opposite direction of the movement and that makes me dizzy.  So I decided to find another seat that faces the direction of the moving train. And I noticed that girl at the end of the train, so I moved to her seat and asked if I can sit with her. She removed the bag from the seat and I then sat there. That smile on her face left a long lasting impression so I choose to sit with her instead of the other good looking passengers.

Her name was Cristina. She was very friendly; we talked a lot for next 2 hours. The time just flew, otherwise which would have been so boring. Then her station came and she left with a warm hug. Sometimes I wonder that we make friends at most unlikely of the places.

This train journey will be remembered for a long time!

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