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Journey to Darjeeling
“Better late than dead.”
My sentiments exactly, I thought, as our jeep careened up the curvy mountain road that leads to Darjeeling. Whoever wrote that sign has a funny sense of humor and obviously appreciates the concept of comic relief. I was happy for the distraction from the swaying motion of the jeep at each hair-pin turn and the frequent “close calls” with oncoming traffic. The road was exceedingly narrow, forcing the driver to fold the jeep’s side mirror in to make room for passing vehicles. Like in Kolkata,traffic moved like an intricately choreographed dance, with everything just barely missing everything else, as if a cosmic force with a bent for suspense had planned it all out ahead of time.
The signage along the road is there to caution drivers, but it also entertains. Other signs read, “Hurry-Burry spoils the curry,” “Don’t gossip. Let him drive,” “Donate blood in the blood bank. Not on this road,” and, “Enjoy it, but not on wheels.”
I was excited to reach Darjeeling. From the road signs, it appeared that the town would be a mellow, happy-go-lucky sort of place, a contrast to the frenzied, serious, cheerless Kolkata.
When we arrived, a grueling 158 miles later, the fog had settled in, clinging to the mountainsides, and filling the vast basin below us. It was as if we’d landed not in India, but in a fairy tale kingdom built on top of clouds, lost to the rest of the world.
Situated in the heart of the Himalayas, Darjeeling does not feel like India at all. Enclosed by mountains, clinging to steep slopes at an altitude of 7,000 feet, Darjeeling is bordered by Bhutan to the East and Nepal to the West. The snow capped mountain peek of Khangchendzonga, India's tallest mountain and the third higest in the world, dominates the view when the fog lifts. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Everest.
Aside from a strong Nepalese and Tibetan influence, there are also traces of colonial England. The town was actually laid out by Lord Napier of the Royal Engineers back in the early/mid 1800s. The Brits built Darjeeling as an outpost, a place of R&R for weary soldiers. Later, the forests were cleared to make way for the tea plantations for which Darjeeling is known today.
My sentiments exactly, I thought, as our jeep careened up the curvy mountain road that leads to Darjeeling. Whoever wrote that sign has a funny sense of humor and obviously appreciates the concept of comic relief. I was happy for the distraction from the swaying motion of the jeep at each hair-pin turn and the frequent “close calls” with oncoming traffic. The road was exceedingly narrow, forcing the driver to fold the jeep’s side mirror in to make room for passing vehicles. Like in Kolkata,traffic moved like an intricately choreographed dance, with everything just barely missing everything else, as if a cosmic force with a bent for suspense had planned it all out ahead of time.
The signage along the road is there to caution drivers, but it also entertains. Other signs read, “Hurry-Burry spoils the curry,” “Don’t gossip. Let him drive,” “Donate blood in the blood bank. Not on this road,” and, “Enjoy it, but not on wheels.”
I was excited to reach Darjeeling. From the road signs, it appeared that the town would be a mellow, happy-go-lucky sort of place, a contrast to the frenzied, serious, cheerless Kolkata.
When we arrived, a grueling 158 miles later, the fog had settled in, clinging to the mountainsides, and filling the vast basin below us. It was as if we’d landed not in India, but in a fairy tale kingdom built on top of clouds, lost to the rest of the world.
Situated in the heart of the Himalayas, Darjeeling does not feel like India at all. Enclosed by mountains, clinging to steep slopes at an altitude of 7,000 feet, Darjeeling is bordered by Bhutan to the East and Nepal to the West. The snow capped mountain peek of Khangchendzonga, India's tallest mountain and the third higest in the world, dominates the view when the fog lifts. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Everest.
Aside from a strong Nepalese and Tibetan influence, there are also traces of colonial England. The town was actually laid out by Lord Napier of the Royal Engineers back in the early/mid 1800s. The Brits built Darjeeling as an outpost, a place of R&R for weary soldiers. Later, the forests were cleared to make way for the tea plantations for which Darjeeling is known today.
posted by Cheryn at 1:06 PM
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