India 2012

Friday26October

First photos at Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi. After 8 hours of flying from Paris, we are waiting for our second plane to reach the Darjeeling region where we will stay for a week.

And here we are at the small Bagdogra airport, 1100 kilometers from the Indian capital.

We still have about sixty kilometers to cover to reach the small town of Ghoom, located near Darjeeling. After some negotiation, we board this yellow and blue taxi... Beware Himalayas, here we come!

Short stop at a gas station before hitting the road again

And here are the first moments in North India, amidst cars, trucks, horns, and sacred cows!

We quickly arrive in the first mountains. Ghoom is located at an altitude of 2,258 meters.

Here we are in Ghoom. A small room for the three of us with a kitchen! But we have nothing to cook... So we'll go to the hotel restaurant!

The first gastronomic photo of the trip! woohoo.gif

Saturday27October

Breakfast with a view of the Himalayan range.

The Sterling Resort hotel in Ghoom where we slept

And what do you find everywhere in India? Marigolds, of course!

And everywhere we will be able to admire the third highest peak on the planet: Kanchenjunga

Kanchenjunga is a mountain composed of 5 peaks, the highest of which measures 8,586 meters. It was considered the highest peak in the world until 1852. © wikipedia

We hit the road again to reach Darjeeling. Upon our arrival, we came across the "Toy Train", a small historic train of the region.

This small train is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We definitely plan to take a ride on it, but for now, we need to find a hotel!

The town's "Clubside" roundabout where I keep the luggage while my two companions look for a room for the night.

Darjeeling is located in Sikkim, an Indian region "stuck" between Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the east, and Tibet to the north. Looking at the faces we meet, we are truly at the crossroads of the Asian and Indian continents!

And here is the small street of the hotel where we will be staying (the Dekeling hotel).

Luggage dropped, we can finally enjoy a short walk in the city, starting with the Toy train.

Saint Columba's Church

Inside Saint Columba's Church

Watch your step, the pipes are exposed...  

The Clock Tower

Lunch break with chicken pieces, vegetables, and rice. This dish is not typical of the very spicy food we will try later in the trip!...

And here is our room with a view of Darjeeling and the valley.

A small traditional dance festival is taking place in Chowrasta Square.

Whoa, a wink! At 1.85 meters tall, the Westerner is quickly spotted...  

The statue of Bhanu Bhakta Acharya (1814-1868), one of the first Nepali poets.

The main goal of the day was to find a guide to take us into the mountains for a few days. This was done with a very small agency that will organize 4 days and 3 nights for us on the Singalila trail.

But night has already fallen. Just enough time for us to buy gloves and hats... Oh yes! We hadn't planned for it to be so cold! And tomorrow we leave for the trek. So it's high time to go to sleep!