I must admit that I was looking at the BBC news this morning before the power cut stopped my viewing. Talk of a hung parliament, people not able to vote, high turnouts, atleast I got my neighbour to cast my vote, as every one counts. I will have to wait until this evening, when power is back to see what has happened.
Before I head back to the heat of the lower plains of Varanasi I have moved to an amazing hotel and really feel like the Queen of the Raj. Staying at Cochrane Place in Kursoeng, again I seem to be the only foreigner, as this area is full of Indians escaping the heat of Calcutta and the south. I have an amazing room with views of tea plantations surrounding me along steep mountain sides and of course have just treated myself to a lovely cup of tea and banana cake.
Will visit one of the near by plantations tomorrow morning and hope to see some tea pickers in action and hope to taste the brew after wards.
Friday 7 May 2010
Wednesday 5 May 2010
Am I more interesting than a tiger?
Not a question that I have ever had to pose myself before and I can imagine your responses. However, I can confirm that in India I am infact more interesting than a tiger! Today at the zoo, despite the tiger pacing around its enclosure I can confirm that more people took photos of me, perhaps I should start charging!
I was up at 3.30 this morning and jeep bound for Tiger Hill to see the sunrise, which was great. When I headed back to town the clouds had cleared and I was able to see some of the Himalayan mountain range, which dominates the sky line here, so that was fantastic.
I am heading out of Darjeeling tomorrow to go to a lower hill station, as I must admit that the heights and drops here are mind blowing. It has been brilliant to visit here, great tea, and interesting sights. A Tibetan Refugge centre and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, where Sherpa Tenzing was cremated, as he spent most of his life here. Also I visited a very old monastery and there was a funeral going on - so that added to a cultural experience as well.
Will report back in when I am at my next destination of Kursoeng, surrounded by tea plantations, so I look forward to yet another good cuppa!
I was up at 3.30 this morning and jeep bound for Tiger Hill to see the sunrise, which was great. When I headed back to town the clouds had cleared and I was able to see some of the Himalayan mountain range, which dominates the sky line here, so that was fantastic.
I am heading out of Darjeeling tomorrow to go to a lower hill station, as I must admit that the heights and drops here are mind blowing. It has been brilliant to visit here, great tea, and interesting sights. A Tibetan Refugge centre and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, where Sherpa Tenzing was cremated, as he spent most of his life here. Also I visited a very old monastery and there was a funeral going on - so that added to a cultural experience as well.
Will report back in when I am at my next destination of Kursoeng, surrounded by tea plantations, so I look forward to yet another good cuppa!
Monday 3 May 2010
Up above the clouds....
A quick get away from Kathmandu was a good move as I have now seen on the BBC news that there are many demonstrations and a national strike.
So I made it across the border successfully, after a 40 min flight in the smallest plane I have ever been in - and of course not a tourist in sight, which was great as as always made me the talking and viewing point of the journey! I then headed up to the hills to a small town called Mirik and stayed there for three days. I even went to church yesterday, which was a most bizarre experience, as it was all conducted in Nepali, as we were only 10km from the Nepalese border. As always there was also a great Tibetan Monastery to visit and I hope that I captured some great photos of a monk cleaning the giant Buddha statue's face with a giant duster!
Had a bit of a nightmare journey up to Darjeeling today, as quite a lot of the journey was through the clouds, as we are so high, so visibility was not too good. I stuck in my ipod and closed my eyes for some of the journey as we sped around the hairpin bends with incredible views (sometimes) and huge drops (all the time). I have rewarded myself not with tea by reaching Darjeeling, but by having a lovely G&T!!!
So I am on the last leg of my trip, back in India now and I laughed at the poor attention to detail and timetables of my trip back to India. When I checked in at the domestic airport at Kathmandu they said that the plane left in ten minutes and I could board that earlier flight and they would wait for me - hurrah. Then when I went across the border I questioned whether I had wasted that day in the Visa Centre in Kathmandu to see the High Commission special permission required to return to India, as the man in his immigration office (shed) took three seconds to stamp it and wave me off!
So I made it across the border successfully, after a 40 min flight in the smallest plane I have ever been in - and of course not a tourist in sight, which was great as as always made me the talking and viewing point of the journey! I then headed up to the hills to a small town called Mirik and stayed there for three days. I even went to church yesterday, which was a most bizarre experience, as it was all conducted in Nepali, as we were only 10km from the Nepalese border. As always there was also a great Tibetan Monastery to visit and I hope that I captured some great photos of a monk cleaning the giant Buddha statue's face with a giant duster!
Had a bit of a nightmare journey up to Darjeeling today, as quite a lot of the journey was through the clouds, as we are so high, so visibility was not too good. I stuck in my ipod and closed my eyes for some of the journey as we sped around the hairpin bends with incredible views (sometimes) and huge drops (all the time). I have rewarded myself not with tea by reaching Darjeeling, but by having a lovely G&T!!!
So I am on the last leg of my trip, back in India now and I laughed at the poor attention to detail and timetables of my trip back to India. When I checked in at the domestic airport at Kathmandu they said that the plane left in ten minutes and I could board that earlier flight and they would wait for me - hurrah. Then when I went across the border I questioned whether I had wasted that day in the Visa Centre in Kathmandu to see the High Commission special permission required to return to India, as the man in his immigration office (shed) took three seconds to stamp it and wave me off!
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