a reunion day - Blogabond

After nearly missing the train last night--I made it due to the small kindness of other travelers I was talking about as a British couple I'd approached briefly found me and led me to the train platform-- I got on the overnight (3AC) to NJP a station in Siliguri a town below Darjeeling.

There, I wandered about briefly until I figured out to find a share-jeep that would take me at last into the hills of the Himalayas. I got help again getthing there from a Scotsman who'd spent the last 9 monthes studying in monastries in Nepal.

After a beautiful, winding and cramped jeep ride up the hill for a few hours, I made it to my last major destination: the fine tea capital of the world. I can't gush enough about the quaintness of this old British hill station. This might as well be a different country. The people here look like Chinese in sarees. And indeed, they are mostly Nepali in origin and there's a movement to have their own Nepali speaking state called Ghorkaland. While here, we've seen a number of protest marches to that effect.

Right after arrival, my lone travels came to an end. I walked to a nearby hotel discussed earlier and met up with friends who had just arrived as well, easy as cake. Reunited with Meghan, Colleen, Emily, Erin, and Betsey (who flew in an hour later) we ate some tibetan food--namely momos which are fantastic little dumplings-- and reveled in the sweet cool air and beautiful sights of the green hills.

written by

Drie on April 28, 2008 from Darjiling, India

from the travel blog: Adventures in Hindustan

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