Pelling, September 14
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Rick
14 September 2012 | India, Pelling
Last week was spent travelling around southern Sikkim, hoping for a clear view of snowy mountains, that never came. There is only one way of public transport here: shared jeep. These jeeps are fully packed and find their way through the jungles of the Eastern Himalayas, green mountains surrounded by mist and clouds. Small villages along the roads look similar to their counterparts in Nepal, but in general better developed. The people live in colourful houses with mud walls, but this colourfulness cannot eradicate the gloom that grey clouds are constantly bringing over the landscape.
I thought the monsoon was over (it should be over in the middle of September), but it is back with a vengeance. It has now rained for over 50 hours non-stop. Sometimes the rain is a drizzle, sometimes a downpoor, but it was never dry. The Himalaya acts like a giant sponge, but the steep slopes of the mountains don't always support all the moisture: landslides can block roads for hours or days. I saw a mudslide streaming off a cultivated mountain slope this morning, taking everything in its path with it: trees, rocks and bamboo fences. It also blocked the road and all traffic had to wait a couple of hours until a bulldozer had cleared the way.
Pelling, the collection of hotels on top of a mountain ridge where I am currently staying, has supposedly the best view over the white peaks of Khanchendzonga and other giant mountains. However, all I have seen are clouds, clouds, clouds. And rain. There were, I have to admit, a couple of better days about a week ago. But I was not in places where you can see the mountains then.
Fortunately I had good company in the form of two German girls from Austria, who travelled with me for a week, from Darjeeling onward. They went to Calcutta without me, to catch a plane to Goa (sun, palm trees and beaches - I envy them!). After they left I accompanied a Portuguese couple on a jeep ride to the village of Yuksam, where we visited the ancient coronation site of the chogyals (kings) of Sikkim. The holy lake of Keochapalri was a nice stop on the way, but the woods surrounding this serene patch of water were infested with leeches, so we decided against a stroll.
In Yuksam, we met Brazilian and British backpackers who were stranded there, waiting for their guide on a trek in the Khangchendzonga National Park to arrive. The guide had failed to turn up for three days in a row and the guys were getting anxious that their tour agent was cheating them. Their situation added to the gloom, but in Yuksam, there is a small eatery along the road, optimistically called the Gupta Restaurant. In front of it stands a bamboo shed. Although not entirely the same as Goa, it made some sort of stand-in for a beach hut. The road was covered by small rivers, so with a little phantasy we could imagine having a shoreline. And the shed is, amazingly, water proof, so it made a nice hangout while the rain kept pooring down. We amused ourselves by ordering almost the entire menu, testing the products of Sikkimese breweries and taking turns at telling stories. It was a nice evening, but not what I came to Sikkim for of course. Please let the monsoon end soon...
I thought the monsoon was over (it should be over in the middle of September), but it is back with a vengeance. It has now rained for over 50 hours non-stop. Sometimes the rain is a drizzle, sometimes a downpoor, but it was never dry. The Himalaya acts like a giant sponge, but the steep slopes of the mountains don't always support all the moisture: landslides can block roads for hours or days. I saw a mudslide streaming off a cultivated mountain slope this morning, taking everything in its path with it: trees, rocks and bamboo fences. It also blocked the road and all traffic had to wait a couple of hours until a bulldozer had cleared the way.
Pelling, the collection of hotels on top of a mountain ridge where I am currently staying, has supposedly the best view over the white peaks of Khanchendzonga and other giant mountains. However, all I have seen are clouds, clouds, clouds. And rain. There were, I have to admit, a couple of better days about a week ago. But I was not in places where you can see the mountains then.
Fortunately I had good company in the form of two German girls from Austria, who travelled with me for a week, from Darjeeling onward. They went to Calcutta without me, to catch a plane to Goa (sun, palm trees and beaches - I envy them!). After they left I accompanied a Portuguese couple on a jeep ride to the village of Yuksam, where we visited the ancient coronation site of the chogyals (kings) of Sikkim. The holy lake of Keochapalri was a nice stop on the way, but the woods surrounding this serene patch of water were infested with leeches, so we decided against a stroll.
In Yuksam, we met Brazilian and British backpackers who were stranded there, waiting for their guide on a trek in the Khangchendzonga National Park to arrive. The guide had failed to turn up for three days in a row and the guys were getting anxious that their tour agent was cheating them. Their situation added to the gloom, but in Yuksam, there is a small eatery along the road, optimistically called the Gupta Restaurant. In front of it stands a bamboo shed. Although not entirely the same as Goa, it made some sort of stand-in for a beach hut. The road was covered by small rivers, so with a little phantasy we could imagine having a shoreline. And the shed is, amazingly, water proof, so it made a nice hangout while the rain kept pooring down. We amused ourselves by ordering almost the entire menu, testing the products of Sikkimese breweries and taking turns at telling stories. It was a nice evening, but not what I came to Sikkim for of course. Please let the monsoon end soon...
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14 September 2012 - 18:39
Hanny:
ah, Rik, goed weer wat te horen, ook al klinkt het vreselijk NAT! -
14 September 2012 - 18:39
Hanny:
ah, Rik, goed weer wat te horen, ook al klinkt het vreselijk NAT! -
17 September 2012 - 22:46
Minny:
hier moet ik vreselijk van plassen...
groetjes -
20 September 2012 - 00:19
Hanny:
Hi Rik! Je hebt hem gezien????!!!! de Khangchendzonga! Mooi mooi mooi. heel veel liefs van iedereen hier. Tucje is nog bij me. Tuin is mooi zegt iedereen
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