One hell of a tour
"I will hold the rains for you tomorrow", said the old man sitting beside me. I was stunned by his claim, but I definitely wished that his claims come true. I was sitting in the rain, in front of a Gurudwara in Chumthang village of north Sikkim. The old man was the owner of a small grocery shop, and was advising tourists, not to go forward and spend the night in Chumthang. I was not alone. About 300 tourists were stuck in between two landslides and were spending the night in the Gurudwara with us.
A few months ago, my dad called me up and said,"I am retiring this year son, lets go on a tour to Kerala before that." That's it. I began to research about Kerala, the weather, suitable visiting season, must go places there and all those things. It all went into waste when mom called and said,"Kerala is too hot in summer, lets go to Gangtok." Nobody dared to challenge her and so, the research started again. Soon, flight bookings were done, hotel bookings were done, shopping was done and then came the big day, news flash, Earthquake in Nepal. Panic attack to the whole family. Gangtok tour was jinxed for our family. We had already canceled a North-East tour once, a few years ago, at the last minute due to some problem. I was determined to go there this time. All efforts were made by me and dad, to convince mom that Sikkim is safe after the earthquake. Then came the second big day, news flash, again earthquake in Nepal. This time, nobody went into panic state and we were on the flight to Kolkata.
Kolkata, where me and dad would never want to visit again, in the summers. Handkerchief was of no use there, you will need a towel to control the sweat. Extremely humid city and definitely beats Mumbai at it. The only two things that I enjoyed in Kolkata were the IPL final match and misti dahi. Next stop was Darjeeling but the trip was not at all easy. The train ticket that we booked were at the top of the waiting list on the day of our journey, flight was way too costly and thus, we had to take a 14hr taxi from Kolkata to Siliguri in the scorching heat. But, it was not the end of the day. We took another 3hr taxi from Siliguri to Darjeeling late at night. This was the scariest ride of all, as it was pitch black outside and we took around 50-60 hairpin turns in the maruti Omni to reach Darjeeling. We left Kolkata at 6 in the morning and reached Darjeeling at 12 in the night, what a day that was!
Next morning we started our tour with sight seeing in Darjeeling but, as we had lost a day in reaching Darjeeling, there was not much time left for us to stay. Darjeeling was nice. Most of our friends had suggested that Gangtok is better than Darjeeling and thus, after seeing Darjeeling our expectation were really high regarding Sikkim. Without wasting much time we left for Sikkim after just one day of stay.
Our first stop in Sikkim was Pelling. It was simply breath taking. Even the road from Darjeeling to Pelling was full of scenic beauty. Pelling had some real nice waterfalls, 2nd Highest bridge in Asia, a beautiful monastery and much more. Our very first experience of Sikkim was perfect and after the Kolkata's heat and the 18 hr journey to Darjeeling, Pelling was a big boost for the rest of the tour.
Next stop, Gangtok. Mom was super excited about shopping in Gangtok and thus we paid a quick visit to MG Road on the very first night. Mom enjoyed the street, but I felt that the street was a little over rated. I was more interested in the Nathu La Pass of east Sikkim which was our first stop near Gangtok. Nathu La pass in the last post of Indian Army on the Indo-China border. The temperature was -7°C near the gates on the border. All day long tourists would come and go but, the people who did not budge from there, even in the worst weather were the Indian Army. When we reached there, I wanted to salute every soldier standing there, for their bravery and love for the country. We even shook hands with the Chinese soldiers and did not feel any difference between them and us.
After the best experience of the tour we shifted our course to North Sikkim. North Sikkim is said to be the most beautiful part of Sikkim, but it is also the most dangerous one. North Sikkim was famous for Zero point, where the temperature went below 0 and natural ice besides the road was a very common view. But, for the past few days the roads of North Sikkim were closed due to some landslidings. We felt very lucky when our hotel manager informed us that the roads of North Sikkim has been opened for tourists. We did not waste any more time and booked a 2 day 1 night tour of North Sikkim and left the hotel early morning next day for the same.
Every second in North Sikkim was worth the money. The scenic beauty of Lachung and area around was the best that we had experienced in the tour. Even our hotel room in Lachung had a breath taking view of snow covered mountain and waterfall. On our first day we received a news that the road from Gangtok to Lachung was closed due to a landslide but we were assured buy our driver & hotel that the landslide was not big and roads will be clear by the other day. I was not at all interested in the landslide as all my attention was in zero point which were going to visit next day. Zero point was at a 3hr drive from Lachung. When we reached there, just the view of zero point was a treat to the eyes. Snow covered mountains all around a small valley which was also covered in snow. The temperature there was below what we expected and thus there were liqour stalls near the valley. I can't comment about what happened on these stalls but we played in the snow with some other tourists and also made our own ice slide. It was by far the best place we had visited while on tour.
On our way back to Lachung we got the worst news. The minor landlsides had now become huge and the road to Gangtok would not open until the next day. We were thus forced to stay in lachung for one more night. Next day we started early towards Gangtok but fate was not on our side. We came across a big landslide and it did not look like clearing for another 2-3 days. I started to get a little tense then as we had flight from Kolkata after 2 days and it was my idea to visit north sikkim even after knowing the risks. I felt responsible. We had already lost a day in Lachung and now this massive landslide would take another few of ours. Then our driver suggested that we should transit i.e cross the landslide on foot and reach the other side where we could get another taxi for Gangtok. I agreed instantly and we started on foot. The transit was not simple. The landslide had destroyed 3 roads, one above the other on the mountain. It was very difficult for my parents to walk such a long way down the mountain. We reached a good road after about 2 hours of continuous walking but, it was not over. People there told us that, there is another landslide ahead. We walked another 6-7 km to reach Chumthang village. I was so relieved that the we cleared the area and could get a easy ride ahead. We were exhausted, hungry and nervous about what would happen next. But, soon it started raining and another news came in. Two other landslides happened on the road ahead. There was no limit to my frustration that day. Landslide after landslide, as though the mountains were punishing us. But, we were not alone, the Chumthang village was filled with around 200 tourists stuck due to the landslides. Someone told us that the landslides ahead were the biggest one in North Sikkim and would not be cleared for couple of days.
Now the task at hand was to find a place to stay in chumthang and this is when we found the Gurudvara. As we entered, there were people all around inside.. Everyone looking as tensed as we were. The Gurudvara was full of tourists like us but still the authorities did not refuse any tourist and offered a bed to everyone. Everyone was in a panic state except the kids who were like always having a gala time.. All tourists had reservations of further journey from Gangtok and would face huge losses if were unable to reach Gangtok in next few hours. In this situation people of that Gurudvara exhibited a very high level of humanity by providing food and shelter to such a large number. The whole situation made me nervous though. Everyone was on a street outside the Gurudvara thinking and planing about what to do next. Everyone was helpless despite there riches and resources they could summon. By then I got a very clear idea of what is the power of nature. I could just sit and pray that somehow we could get out of all this. The old man from the store noticed my nervousness and started talking to me to make me feel better. In fact the old man became the sole source of information for the tourists to loath on. He told stories about previous landslides, his children, his life and somehow was able to calm the nervous crowd of the Guru Cara. His final suggestion was not to go ahead in the night and spend the night in Chumthang, after all he owned a lodge in town.
The next morning we started again towards the landslide. As our good luck, the first landslide was cleared when we reached there but the news was that a big rock has fallen near a village ahead and has blocked the whole road. When we reached that site, the work of cutting the rock was in progress and people were allowed to transit to the other side after particular intervals. But the transit was not simple. We were suppose to climb up the rock and go down to the other side. The task looked simple for me but for my parents, it was not easy. But it had to be done. We walked towards the rock with doubt in our minds, but as we approached the people there started to help us climb. Some of the guys picked our bags, some helped my dad and some helped my dad. It looked like a rescue operation of an earthquake. It took us around 15 mins to cross the rock but it felt like clearing the board exam. I thanked all people who helped us and called a taxi from Gangtok to take us further. We were so exhausted by the whole situation that we went straight to Silliguri, took a flight to Kolkata and then to Nagpur. When we reached home it was hard for us to believe that we came across such difficulties just a day before. The shivers of panic were still there. But all is well that ends. It did not end well for us though. As an icing on the cake, one of our bag got exchanged with someone else's at Nagpur airport. What can I say, it was one hell of a tour!
A few months ago, my dad called me up and said,"I am retiring this year son, lets go on a tour to Kerala before that." That's it. I began to research about Kerala, the weather, suitable visiting season, must go places there and all those things. It all went into waste when mom called and said,"Kerala is too hot in summer, lets go to Gangtok." Nobody dared to challenge her and so, the research started again. Soon, flight bookings were done, hotel bookings were done, shopping was done and then came the big day, news flash, Earthquake in Nepal. Panic attack to the whole family. Gangtok tour was jinxed for our family. We had already canceled a North-East tour once, a few years ago, at the last minute due to some problem. I was determined to go there this time. All efforts were made by me and dad, to convince mom that Sikkim is safe after the earthquake. Then came the second big day, news flash, again earthquake in Nepal. This time, nobody went into panic state and we were on the flight to Kolkata.
Kolkata, where me and dad would never want to visit again, in the summers. Handkerchief was of no use there, you will need a towel to control the sweat. Extremely humid city and definitely beats Mumbai at it. The only two things that I enjoyed in Kolkata were the IPL final match and misti dahi. Next stop was Darjeeling but the trip was not at all easy. The train ticket that we booked were at the top of the waiting list on the day of our journey, flight was way too costly and thus, we had to take a 14hr taxi from Kolkata to Siliguri in the scorching heat. But, it was not the end of the day. We took another 3hr taxi from Siliguri to Darjeeling late at night. This was the scariest ride of all, as it was pitch black outside and we took around 50-60 hairpin turns in the maruti Omni to reach Darjeeling. We left Kolkata at 6 in the morning and reached Darjeeling at 12 in the night, what a day that was!
Next morning we started our tour with sight seeing in Darjeeling but, as we had lost a day in reaching Darjeeling, there was not much time left for us to stay. Darjeeling was nice. Most of our friends had suggested that Gangtok is better than Darjeeling and thus, after seeing Darjeeling our expectation were really high regarding Sikkim. Without wasting much time we left for Sikkim after just one day of stay.
Our first stop in Sikkim was Pelling. It was simply breath taking. Even the road from Darjeeling to Pelling was full of scenic beauty. Pelling had some real nice waterfalls, 2nd Highest bridge in Asia, a beautiful monastery and much more. Our very first experience of Sikkim was perfect and after the Kolkata's heat and the 18 hr journey to Darjeeling, Pelling was a big boost for the rest of the tour.
Next stop, Gangtok. Mom was super excited about shopping in Gangtok and thus we paid a quick visit to MG Road on the very first night. Mom enjoyed the street, but I felt that the street was a little over rated. I was more interested in the Nathu La Pass of east Sikkim which was our first stop near Gangtok. Nathu La pass in the last post of Indian Army on the Indo-China border. The temperature was -7°C near the gates on the border. All day long tourists would come and go but, the people who did not budge from there, even in the worst weather were the Indian Army. When we reached there, I wanted to salute every soldier standing there, for their bravery and love for the country. We even shook hands with the Chinese soldiers and did not feel any difference between them and us.
After the best experience of the tour we shifted our course to North Sikkim. North Sikkim is said to be the most beautiful part of Sikkim, but it is also the most dangerous one. North Sikkim was famous for Zero point, where the temperature went below 0 and natural ice besides the road was a very common view. But, for the past few days the roads of North Sikkim were closed due to some landslidings. We felt very lucky when our hotel manager informed us that the roads of North Sikkim has been opened for tourists. We did not waste any more time and booked a 2 day 1 night tour of North Sikkim and left the hotel early morning next day for the same.
Every second in North Sikkim was worth the money. The scenic beauty of Lachung and area around was the best that we had experienced in the tour. Even our hotel room in Lachung had a breath taking view of snow covered mountain and waterfall. On our first day we received a news that the road from Gangtok to Lachung was closed due to a landslide but we were assured buy our driver & hotel that the landslide was not big and roads will be clear by the other day. I was not at all interested in the landslide as all my attention was in zero point which were going to visit next day. Zero point was at a 3hr drive from Lachung. When we reached there, just the view of zero point was a treat to the eyes. Snow covered mountains all around a small valley which was also covered in snow. The temperature there was below what we expected and thus there were liqour stalls near the valley. I can't comment about what happened on these stalls but we played in the snow with some other tourists and also made our own ice slide. It was by far the best place we had visited while on tour.
On our way back to Lachung we got the worst news. The minor landlsides had now become huge and the road to Gangtok would not open until the next day. We were thus forced to stay in lachung for one more night. Next day we started early towards Gangtok but fate was not on our side. We came across a big landslide and it did not look like clearing for another 2-3 days. I started to get a little tense then as we had flight from Kolkata after 2 days and it was my idea to visit north sikkim even after knowing the risks. I felt responsible. We had already lost a day in Lachung and now this massive landslide would take another few of ours. Then our driver suggested that we should transit i.e cross the landslide on foot and reach the other side where we could get another taxi for Gangtok. I agreed instantly and we started on foot. The transit was not simple. The landslide had destroyed 3 roads, one above the other on the mountain. It was very difficult for my parents to walk such a long way down the mountain. We reached a good road after about 2 hours of continuous walking but, it was not over. People there told us that, there is another landslide ahead. We walked another 6-7 km to reach Chumthang village. I was so relieved that the we cleared the area and could get a easy ride ahead. We were exhausted, hungry and nervous about what would happen next. But, soon it started raining and another news came in. Two other landslides happened on the road ahead. There was no limit to my frustration that day. Landslide after landslide, as though the mountains were punishing us. But, we were not alone, the Chumthang village was filled with around 200 tourists stuck due to the landslides. Someone told us that the landslides ahead were the biggest one in North Sikkim and would not be cleared for couple of days.
Now the task at hand was to find a place to stay in chumthang and this is when we found the Gurudvara. As we entered, there were people all around inside.. Everyone looking as tensed as we were. The Gurudvara was full of tourists like us but still the authorities did not refuse any tourist and offered a bed to everyone. Everyone was in a panic state except the kids who were like always having a gala time.. All tourists had reservations of further journey from Gangtok and would face huge losses if were unable to reach Gangtok in next few hours. In this situation people of that Gurudvara exhibited a very high level of humanity by providing food and shelter to such a large number. The whole situation made me nervous though. Everyone was on a street outside the Gurudvara thinking and planing about what to do next. Everyone was helpless despite there riches and resources they could summon. By then I got a very clear idea of what is the power of nature. I could just sit and pray that somehow we could get out of all this. The old man from the store noticed my nervousness and started talking to me to make me feel better. In fact the old man became the sole source of information for the tourists to loath on. He told stories about previous landslides, his children, his life and somehow was able to calm the nervous crowd of the Guru Cara. His final suggestion was not to go ahead in the night and spend the night in Chumthang, after all he owned a lodge in town.
The next morning we started again towards the landslide. As our good luck, the first landslide was cleared when we reached there but the news was that a big rock has fallen near a village ahead and has blocked the whole road. When we reached that site, the work of cutting the rock was in progress and people were allowed to transit to the other side after particular intervals. But the transit was not simple. We were suppose to climb up the rock and go down to the other side. The task looked simple for me but for my parents, it was not easy. But it had to be done. We walked towards the rock with doubt in our minds, but as we approached the people there started to help us climb. Some of the guys picked our bags, some helped my dad and some helped my dad. It looked like a rescue operation of an earthquake. It took us around 15 mins to cross the rock but it felt like clearing the board exam. I thanked all people who helped us and called a taxi from Gangtok to take us further. We were so exhausted by the whole situation that we went straight to Silliguri, took a flight to Kolkata and then to Nagpur. When we reached home it was hard for us to believe that we came across such difficulties just a day before. The shivers of panic were still there. But all is well that ends. It did not end well for us though. As an icing on the cake, one of our bag got exchanged with someone else's at Nagpur airport. What can I say, it was one hell of a tour!
Comments