The drive from Bagdogra to Darjeeling Hill Station was fantastic, A winding little road in fairly rough condition with plenty of switchbacks and washouts. It was a pleasure to be slowly leaving the oppressive heat and humidity of the Indian Lowlands as we gained altitude. I hired a taxi from the Airport to travel the 75 Km to Darjeeling as the hotel had vehicle problems and was unable to pick me up. The taxi seemed in good shape and the driver was excellent, he honked the horn tenaciously at every blind corner to warn approaching vehicles and we really only had one close encounter with and Army Lorry. He handled it perfectly so I was happy to have the opportunity to relax for a few moments. In keeping with my adventures thus far it should be obvious something interesting was about to happen.
As we gained altitude the villages became more and more similar to the Himalayan towns we had grown accustomed to in Nepal.It was like a 20 year flashback, other than the prevalence of satellite dishes on the roofs the ubiquitous cell phones and newer vehicles (yet still in crappy shape for the most part) it was amazing just how much things have remained the same.
The vegetable and fruit street vendors use the same hand held scales and meat is displayed out in the open either hanging or flayed out on tables. OH YEAH, now I remember,,I went vegetarian last time I was here....
We had travelled approximate 2/3 of the way to Darjeeling when the vehicle I was in snapped a front suspension rod. There was a loud crack and the front end dropped. So I had to jump into a local mini bus for the last 22 km. Now I really felt the flashback people, jammed into every conceivable space in the vehicle. My luggage was on the roof but as always I kept my camera equip pelican case on my lap. This was unpopular because I am sure they expected to squeeze in another person in that space.
The Hotel Dekeling http://dekeling.com/ is very nice, the Tibetan family that runs it are very kind and the rooms are excellent, and the woodwork is outstanding. I walked through the center markets and along a viewpoint road to get my bearings. The town is at 7000 feet so acclimation to the oxygen levels is the order of the day, I was not walking up the hills anywhere near the pace at home.
There was a long march of Tibetans lead by Monks who were protesting the occupation of Tibet in the early evening. I settled into my room, typical for Himalayan rooms, no heat but copious blankets. The shower was brief to say the least :).
