Getting ready for Holi

The central purpose of our trip is to experience Holi and to do this we need to get into preparation mode, so I brought a cheap pair of sunglasses and a spare pair of sandals, as the powder dyes things. Also got a pristine white top for the festivities. 

How did you find out about that?

On a recommendation from lonely planet we go on a walking tour of Delhi old town run by a former street child. He ran away from Lucknow when he was 7 after his parents died and he was mistreated by his aunt. He stowed on a train to Delhi and was soon living in the station, working as a garbage picker and luckily got referred to a local charity which has supported him ever since. Great tour of the city, ending with a rooftop view of Delhi and then on to one of the homes the charity supports. As always there's an eclectic mix of person people in the group and one American woman continually asked us "how did you find out about that?'. Linked to the roof top restaurant, I replied I looked up in the street, and everything else i replied just research and asking people! She was quite odd, but funny and has now provided a new saying when we see something new!

The courage to go on

Incredible recommendation found in trip advisor to visit India's only cafe run by survivors of horrific acid attacks. These wonderful women did nothing wrong, just for giving birth to a girl, or not doing house work on time they were so wrongfully punished in such a cruel and sadistic way. But now through this cafe they are empowered to take control of their lives and are united with survivors across India to stand up for justice and be a strong voice.

Short changed

You've always got to keep your wits about you when you travel. As India approaches the hot season there are fewer tourists, so less opportunity to make money, so the business model seems to be 'let's make more money then'. So the ice cream seller forgot the extra change, then handed it over swiftly when asked, the rickshaw driver was stalling when asked for change, and the most annoying of all, drivers who take you to the wrong place, then ask for more money to actually take you to your desired destination. This happens all over the world. I remember being in Bangkok at a small temple in the centre of the city and a tuk tuk driver was taking some tourists around, but to all the wrong sights. It's such a shame when you spend so much getting somewhere then it is made tricky to sight see just by the greed of the drivers. Am glad to report that being taking to the wrong side of New Delhi station just meant that we had a longer walk home! 

Can you give us a lift?

As always when you you get out your city map, you underestimate the distances to travel. Despite the heat of the midday sun, and I have gained 20 degrees, from 7 to 27, we walk to India Gate, taking in the sights and sounds of street life along the way. At what seems a just round the corner extension to the walk to get to the Craft Village Museum we get chatting to some older policemen to check we are heading in the right direction. I cheekily ask if they will give us a lift, and we are then ushered into the police car, and duly dropped off at the museum, much to the wonderment of all passers by who saw us laughing and joking in the police car on the way. I was only kidding when I asked for the lift, so be careful what you wish for! Only in India! 

Farewell Again

Incredible India, thank you again for making me so welcome again, it was a dream trip to travel through such spectacular landscape and meet some amazing people. 

Is this hotel like India?

Back to Kolkatta for one last night and stay in a high end newly refurbished hotel. The rooms are spacious and modern, there's a TVs in the bathroom and the breakfast is great.  But outside the central streets have herds of goats, wonderful chai wallers and homeless sleeping in the pavements. The reception staff ask "is this hotel like India?" And I reply yes, you can shelter away from the harsh reality of the lives of the street people, you can buy grandeur but poverty is just s few steps away. 

Local gig

There's a famous band in town, putting on a concerts for the locals, we firstly hear them in the lodge, then head out to the temple in the village. We sit with the women and enjoy the music, the singer is great and her guitarist is fantastic, along with a flutist and the village band. There's a lot of present giving, as it's the end of Durga Puga. And then there's fabulous music, dancing and we're the only westerners there. Luckily the band do some translating for us, but it's an absolute privilege and highlight to be part of something that is so special. 

Super Sunderbans

Our eco-tour of the Sunderbans is just that. We snooze on the scenic three hour drive down, enjoying chai breaks along the way. We pass the Kolkata dump, which provides thousands of people with a living, sifting through the rubbish and recycling. This huge mound looks like a hill on the horizon, forever increasing in height as the rubbish increases. We then are treated to a flat landscape, which is a sheer novelty. On this trip we travel like locals, we take the local boats and auto rickshaws to get to our island, and then begin with a walking your of the village. 

This Eco-lodge has been well established with buy in from the local community, and it's fascinating to walk around. After watching a beautiful sunset we then go and listen to a local band, playing traditional music.  After dinner we take up the opportunity to walk guided by the moonlight to a locals home, where we sit and drink rice wine, talking of the devastation of the cyclone and tiger attacks. 

The next morning we are on the boat all day, spotting wildlife, walking in the fenced in section of the tiger reserve and enjoying the relaxing scenery, sitting on the top deck of the boat. The group of friends travelling from Kolkata have  peaked early and overdid the rice wine and rum and are sleeping it off in the deck below. Sadly the only tigers that we saw were those printed on a tourists shirt, but at the second and best tiger lookout all the Indian tourists were so loud, that they would have frightened away anything! 

No chance

 

So of course there's one more wait list challenge for our train travel. We have booked two trains to get us back down to Kolkata, but we are still on wait list for both! So expectantly we head to NJ P station and check online and we are on RAI cancellation for all for tickets on our best option for the return journey. So we head to the station masters office and he trawls through the paper print outs and we have two confirmed seats - brilliant news as it's still peak time on the trains with Durga Puga just finishing. So we wait patiently for the slightly delayed train, and are helped by some fellow passengers to leg it down the platform, as the direction of the train has changed from the previous one and our A1 carriage is at the opposite end. Then we squeeze all of our bags on and get comfortable on our two births, when the ticket inspector comes round and we ask if there's any spare births he replies "no chance" and we make the most of the space that we have, relieved that we have got a place on the train. 

Puke!

When I travelled in Tibet I went up to over 14,000 feet, so heading to the Yumtang Valley at a lower height I did not anticipate any problems. However despite the distracting beautiful vistas of snow capped mountains and Mount kunganjuna in a dizzy spell I puked and had to lay down. Altitude sickness had kicked in. On returning to the car I even turned down the offer of steamed momo's, so I must have been ill! In the afternoon we descended the mountains and crossed the Teeta River to stay in a fantastic homestay in Junga, surrounded by lush vegetation. Descending the steps from the road finished me off and I headed to bed, perhaps sleeping the same room as Prince of Noway, who brought his family here, to explore Sikkim.

Cheeky Monks

We head to Rumtek Monastery as the light fades and the rain pours down. There's armed guards everywhere as this is a highly significant monastery which has been invaded by other monks, attempting to take over the home in exile of the black hat monks.  Here cheeky boy monks play roughly with each other, scampering around the monastery courtyard and ducking out of the rain, whilst the guards stand on ceremony, guns in ha

Just don't ask!

So our grand tour of Sikkim begins and we are picked up by our driver and guide and start to climb up the mountains on the roads clinging to the sides, heading up into the clouds. There are so many heart pounding moments, when you squeeze past another vehicle, with inches of crumbling road on your side and then thousands of feet sheer drop. You do slowly get used to the extreme height, but the bumpy road adds to the thrill of the ride as you cling on to the edges, passing children walking on the extreme ledge. Our guide is not so much of an informative guide and as a young student he has a lot to learn but it's fun to see how much is lost in translation. At one point I am sure he said he wanted to vomit, but just went off to show our permits. 

Beef or buff?

Our tour of Sikkim begins in the central town of Gangtok, where were have climbed up bumpy roads to our first destination. Eager to have lunch the chef comes up with the menu and announces that we can have beef or buff? Confused we ask again, and then realise the option is beef to buffalo! 

Don't look down!

As we leave Darjeeling for our six day trip in Sikkim, we are now climbing in altitude on roads clinging to the hillside. As always there's an administration nightmare, and we need permits to enter, but don't have any photo copies of our visas and passport, so we rush round the border town of Rampong in search of a shop with a photocopier, and then head back to get our permits. Loved the fact that we were just allowed to enter illegally to head to the shops, but this is India! Then we continue weaving up dusty single track roads 

Up at dawn 

One of the must see things is to head to Tiger Hill to see dawn over the Himalaya's. One the last day of Durga Purga it's a bustling crowded experience, with hundreds of cars climbing the steep hill. We had to get out of the car and walk up the last part, as time was counting down quickly for sunrise. Joining the cries on the top we all waited patiently for the clouds to lift as the chinks of light of the rising sun gave a silver lining to the clouds. Then there was a mutual gasp as the sun was just about to appear on this auspicious day, then a sigh of dismay as the mist descended  and the whole scene disappeared. Slowly the crowds went and we headed to the other side of the hill top and wat

The magic cardigan

When travelling in India there's always restrictions on alcohol consumption. Throughout Durga Puga you are not allowed to drink after 5, but undeterred Ella and Tom go in search of a bar in the centre of Darjeeling. They bump into a small group of gay guys, who then take us to a small bar, where on request the woman gets you a beer and produces it from her cardigan and plonks it down on your table. We then have to leave as there is the potential for a police raid, as this speakeasy has not got a licence, but it was great meeting such a fun and open group of guys, when being gay in India is a challenge. 

The best views are on your left

There are three hill station railways  in India, two n the north, to Shimla and to Darjeeling and one in the south to Ooty. At Christmas I travelled through Tamil Nadu and took the steam train to Oooty and it was incredible. I was so excited to get us first class tickets on the train and we had to leave Mirik at 4am, go down one mountain and then up another to get to Kurseong where the train starts.

Luckily we were told that the best views were on the left hand side, so for three hours we slowly creeped up the hill towards the bustling town of Darjeeling. The tiny train clings to the roadside and the shop keepers and shoppers have to squeeze in as the train goes past, bringing all the traffic to a standstill.