Days 8 & 9. Siri Khola to Darjeeling to Hyderabad

Day 8: 22/10/2011

Siri Khola to Rimbik & Darjeeling.

Day 9: 23/10/2011

Darjeeling to Hyderabad

Leisurely morning at Siri Khola. Another lovely day in the Himalaya. Most of the trekkers at the Hut were slow to get going. I went to the stream for a wash. It is the last chance to feel the cool water. Then a stroll on the Bridge. We were here 5 days ago, setting out on our small adventure. Now we are at the last stage. It is just a 2 hour walk to Rimbick. The path to Rimbick will soon be a road. Already Seppi, half way between Rimbick & Siri Khola, is motorable. Progress will bring the road & commerce to Siri Khola. This lovely junction of streams might soon become a village & a town. But, today is the chance to enjoy the sights & sounds & the swaying of the bridge.

The Guides also were in a good mood. It was the end of the work week for them too. Pratap, our guide, had made our trip a pleasant one. We hadn't wanted a guide & we had not been sure if Pratap was the right person. But he had done everything to make our trip a success. Cheerful throughout, he had been eager to please. He was justly proud of the trek & all its attractions & he made sure we enjoyed it. He paced the walk such that I wouldn't be troubled & at the same time we reached the destinations in good time. He was sure footed & he knew every path, & importantly, every person. Once at the Hut, he made sure we were comfortable, that we got our Tea and our hot meals. But he never intruded. At Gorkhey he even went out of the way in helping with the meals. He even cleaned out the toilet before we used it. He is a good guy & good guide & we had enjoyed his company.

How about the trip? For me it was an adventure. Having been used to the comfort of home & the 3 ready meals everyday this trip was a perfect adventure.

It was not too difficult. Just difficult enough to get us to the Hut at the end of the day with tired muscles.

It was not too remote. Sandakphu & Phalut were lonely places, but we were always near people.

We were not really roughing it, but it was enough to give me a sense of what it could be. At every place there is a comfortable Hut and a warm meal.

It was not too cold. Sandakphu & Phalut brought the chills but that too was an experience.

And for all that we had some of the best walking, some of the best scenery, some of the best sounds, some of the best smells, some of the best people that I could imagine. I couldn't have asked for more.

I got to visit a corner of our country, I have never been to before. I got to see a different culture, a different lifestyle, a different environment. The Singalila Ridge Trek is a happy trek which can be done with your family with a little bit of training.

I could have enjoyed it more if I had known more about trees and some botany, if I could have identified some of the lovely trees and flowers in the forest. I should have known the names of the mountains I was going to see. I could have been fitter & not struggled at a few spots. But, there is always a next time & there will be. I want to get closer to these mighty mountains.

We were in Rimbick by 11:00 & we marched into the Green Hill restaurant to get a taste of the great Chow Mein & Corn Soup. The Tata Sumo took us by to Darjeeling as taxis here do, with the the additional incident being a flat tire.

I had one more memorable scene that day. As I walked towards the Chowrastha, the Tibetans were taking out a Candle-light march protesting about immolation in Tibet. There must have been a few hundreds & they were led by School Girls in Uniform. The girls were chanting rhythmically & loudly. It is a haunting memory.

Breakfast in Darjeeling on a terrace. We said farewell to Kanchenjunga. It is as majestic here as it was in Phalut, but the Buddha was not sleeping. Kumbhakarna presents a different angle here.

Ramesh, our driver to Bagdogra, came with the news that a bridge in Bhijen Bari had collapsed killing tens of people & that some of his family was involved. He took our permission to hand over the driving duties to a nephew while he went to Bhijen Bari. We reached Bagdogra well in time & were in Hyderabad by 9:00 pm.

Day 7: Gorkhey to Siri Khola

Day 7: 21/10/2011

Gorkhey to Siri Khola

Woke up leisurely & found the first cloudy day of the trip. Went for a walk to the waterfalls. We were ready to set out after breakfast, but it started raining. We spent the time in our room with Darjeeling tea & did some reading. Bhalu, the black dog, gave us company. There was not much going on in the farm either. Around noon, the rain stopped. We said our farewell & set out for Siri Khola via Rmaban. It was to be an easy trek with no climbing.

We crossed the river & entered the pine forest. The walk was on a carpet of pine needles. A dog accompanied us. Pratap encouraged it with a promise of Buiscuits. Dogs here are pleasant creatures. They are all extra furry & I guess they need to be in these parts. They are friendly & happy to accompany you on your trek.

A climb and a short while later we came to Samanden. Pratap had called it a second Switzerland, but I found it be the poorest village in these parts. The primary school was on & I found the kids were poorly dressed. Some had runny noses. But the kids were full of beans. I gave out some of my candy as we took some pictures.

We climbed a bit above the village & we were back in the forest of Oak, Cypress & Fern. The Pine forest ended. Met a couple with a baby. They were coming back after vaccinating the baby. Imagine walking hours for just getting a vaccination.

The trek from Samanden to Ramban was the best walk in the entire trip. The forest with the streams & the soft path was exhilarating. The rain had softened everything. There was little mist. As we gaze across the valley, we can see the clouds climbing the hills to find a way across. We had short cuts through water channels. Flowers adding colour. Suddenly we came across the loveliest of scents. It would bring life back to a dead body. Which tree was emitting the scent? In this thick forest, there is no way of knowing. No wonder Hanuman had to bring the whole mountain for Laksmana. What wonders are hidden in these forests! I enjoyed the sights, sounds & smells in every step.

The setting for Rambam Higher Secondary School could not be any better. Set on the ridge overlooking the valley, it had views of the mountains in Sikkim. This was the first high school we had seen & the classes were all busy. There was a teacher in each class & I was impressed with their professionalism. The great thing about all these schools was the Teacher-Student ratio. Vasu had every one lined up in the corridor for a picture. The teachers were obliging.

The Ramban Monastery is owned by the people at the Ramban Trekkers' Hut. A young boy with a round face, a sweet smile & pink cheeks opened the Monastery for me. Talk about being apple-cheeked. The family which ran the Trekkers' Hut at Sandakphu ran the Hut here in Ramban. Apparently it was home away from home for Pratap. We were welcomed like family. It was around 2:30 & not having had lunch, we were hungry. We had noodles & tea. We also tasted Rice Wine. It was fiery on the insides. There were 2 other boys at the Hut beside the apple-cheeked one. Pratap said they were all orphans from Darjeeling being cared for by the family here. I gave out the last of the Orange Candy. I was concerned about these kids who seemed to be doing all the work here.

Ramban to Siri Khola had a lot of habitation. Pratap seemed to know everyone here. The trek was ending & he was slowly unwinding. The path also had a bit of Porter & Kacchra traffic. Smuggling Rum? View of Darjeeling in the distance. We are certainly getting closer to the end of our trip!

We saw 3 people handling a huge log. Apparently they had brought the log up from the side of the cliff through heavy vegetation. Amazing.

We rested at a point & looked at the mountains on the other side. 4 Days ago on the first day of the trek we had been on the other side looking at this side. Again, we heard commentary floating in. Football? but the cadence was different. It was Tambola. Somewhere, Friday night was already on! The last part of the trek was steep descent along a path with loose rocks. It was getting dark & I was anxious. We reached the Hut at Siri Khola at 5:30 & it was dark. Apparently it was not too late for some guides who brought a couple at 7:00 using torches.

The Trekkers' Hut at Siri Khola was humming. There was a bunch of youngsters returning from Sandakphu & they were in party mood. There was a French Couple with an older Guide also coming from Sandakphu. Like the English couple earlier, the French Couple also was on an extended vacation after leaving their jobs. And I thought Europe was in recession! With the end of the trip the Guides were letting their hair down. The talk was about Gorkhaland & which would happen first Telangana or Gorkhaland. It was a pleasant evening over dinner & sleep was to the sound of the Siri Khola bubbling along.

Day 6: Phalut to Gorkhey

Day 6: 20/10/2011

Phalut to Gorkhey

Phalut is the most beautiful place in the whole trek. When we stepped out of the Hut at dawn & climbed the nearby hill, the vista was the highlight of our trip. The valley below us on one side filled with clouds. The sun peeped through the clouds as more cloud flowing into the Valley, like a river, down & around a hill. Cresting the hill, there was our friend, Kanchenjunga, almost close enough to touch. Kumbhakarna still sleeping. The Everest trio still lording it over from a distance. The grass on the hill a bright russet with a few Kacchras grazing peacefully. Flags flapping at a ruined Stupa. No person to be seen anywhere; the whole creation to ourselves. Wow! This was beautiful beyond expectations. Something to treasure. Forget the geography, it was so peaceful. How would it be in winter, with the snow! Just sat around & absorbed the place.

After gorging on the sight for more than an hour, we went down to the Hut to prepare for our departure. We could see the SRT runners approaching from afar. They had to walk up the final slope & as they approached the Aid-station at the Hut, they were breathing like the Darjeeling Steam Engine. Today's stage was 42Kms from Sandakphu to Phalut, Molley & Rimbick.

We started out at 9:00 for the descent into Gorkhey. Farewell to Kanchenjunga & Everest. Kanchenjunga we would see again in Darjeeling, but not Everest.

Went past the SSD outpost here & soon we were in the forest. The trek today was a nice easy walk through thick bamboo forest. There was also Oak & Rhododendron forest. Several places where we could take short-cuts through water channels, stepping on the roots of the trees. Several places the path was dug like a gully through the Bamboo bush. Many places the path was paved with wooden logs. Some places with stones, but the path was mostly soft with padding of Horse Dung. We crossed several small streams. I was hoping to sight a Red Panda & looked intently into the bamboo bush. No luck.

This path seems to be a smugglers route into Nepal. Saw a family going upwards. Pratap said they were going into Nepal. To our left somewhere was the Ramban River, which forms the border with Sikkim. Our direction was mostly South-West. Along the way Pratap pointed a meadow below. Samanden, he said, a second Switzerland.

After 3 hours, the path became steeper & I noticed pine needles on the ground. Looking up, I was surprised to see that the trees were all Pine. I had not seen pine anywhere in the trek thus far. In a short while were looking down on a village. We had arrived at Gorkhey. A busy village of 30 families. The Gorkhey Khola running right to left below us to meet the Ramban River. Pine forest all around.

The room in our hut was a surprise. It looked like a kids room with calendars, table cloth, garlands, narrow beds. Indeed, I found a few school reports. The reports were for a school in Sikkim. We had reached our destination early today & we had a hot lunch for the first time: Maggi Noodles. We also had a hot bath.

The extended family of our Landlords consisted of 5 Daughters & 3 Sons. The first son was letting out our room & the second had a pair of twins: a boy & a girl, 3 months old. One of the daughters had married a German & immigrated to Germany, where they divorced after a few years. Remarkably, the German was visiting his ex-in-laws. The farm seemed prosperous. I saw Maize, Pumpkin, Turnip. There was cattle & poultry & a friendly black dog, Bhalu.

I walked down to the River after lunch & sat down on a rock to write the diary. Gorkhey is idyllic. The busy villagers tending to their farms, the beautiful valley, the river with the streams, the pine forest. Like Shangri La

I spotted this bird busy on the rocks in the river: White Capped Redstart. The photo is courtesy Wikipedia.

Dinner was in the kitchen as we talked with the hosts about the life here. It was another lovely day.

Day 5: Sandakphu to Phalut

Day 5: 19/11/2011

Sandakphu to Phalut

Dawn was scheduled for 5:00 & I scramble dout of bed at 4:30. As I stepped out of the Hut with all my warm wear I looked up at the sky anxiously. Thank God, I could see stars & the morning promised to be clear. As I scrambled up the rock which is the favoured view point here, Banerjee & I were the first to arrive for the show. A grand Sound & Light Show. The sound was provided by the the wind rushing through the valley & the Sun provided the Spot Light.

In the cold morning, the white mountains slowly emerged from the darkness as silhouettes. With the soft light of dawn, as the mountains took shape, they looked like they were made of cotton. As the sun rose, the shadows highlighted the sharp ridges & the mountains took on character.

Kanchenjunga was massive & with Kumbhakarna, dominated the panorama to the north. I read later that Kanchenjunga is the largest mountain in the world & it fills the panorama not only because of its proximity but also because of it sheer expanse.

Kumbhakarna, also known as Jannu, gives character to the Kanchenjunga range. The range presents us the Sleeping Buddha formation with Kumbhakarna forming the head, Kanchanjunga the torso & two other peaks forming the feet. Kumbhakarna is aptly named. The shadows on Kumbhakarna create the appearance of a closed eye between the its two peaks which form the forehead & the nose. Kanchenjunga was with us for the next 30 hours & whenever I looked at Kumbhakarna, I marveled at the eerie resemblance to a shut-eye.

As we look left & West, Makalu dominates the view. To its left is Lhotse & between & behind the two is Everest. These three are the fifth, fourth & the highest peaks in the world. From here Makalu appears like an icy throne. You can just imagine a God reigning from up there.

The mountains rise from the west & the Yak shaped Chamlang is the first of the high mountains on view. The peaks then rise to Lhotse, Everest, Makalu & Chomo Lonso. Then the procession of peaks descends & climbs again into the Kumbhakarna-Kanchenjunga range. After the K-K range the peaks decrease in size eastwards.

I sat for an hour and absorbed the scene. Sandapkphu, and later Phalut, must be unique in presenting such a wide uninterrupted panorama. Hopefully, one day, I would get closer to these grand peaks. The HRT runners clambered up & set up their tripods. I wandered to other places to get an uninterrupted view.

Around 7:30 the HRT runners set off for the day's Stage. It was a 32 KM stage which will take them 3/4 of the way to Phalut & back. So we would be meeting them later on. Most of the runners were Westerners with a couple of orientals & South Asians. Many carried a pair of metal poles which I was told were trekking poles. They looked like Ski Poles. I suppose trekking is similar to Cross-country Skiing.

Breakfast was the same as last night's dinner. Banerjee was going back to Siliguri via Manney Bhanjang & we said farewell. We had enjoyed his company.

The day promised to be lovely as we set off at around 8:30 for the 22 KM trek to Phalut. Phalut is at the same elevation as Sandakphu so I did not expect continuous climbing.

We set off in the NW direction so the view was of the Everest trio & as we changed direction northwards we walked towards Kanchenjunga. We are now on the actual Singalila Ridge Trek. The last two days was in the forest climbing up to the Ridge. On the ridge we had Valleys on both side. The entire route is along the Indo-Nepal border with Nepal to the left & India to the right. There are several Border stones along the way. The Valley on the Nepali side was wide & long & we could occasionally see habitation. The Indian side was a narrower valley with no sight of any habitation.

Vegetation on the Nepali side was mostly scrub & meadow while the Indian side had some trees, although it was sparse. Could it be that we were above the tree line? Along the way on the the right we went through groves of Rhododendrons. The valley is reputed to bloom with Red Rhodendrons in March & April. It should be quite a sight. This season they gave us occasional shade along the route. We also came across Oak groves. Stems of blue flowers stood along the way like distance markers. A stream tumbled downhill, but we could hear it but not see it.

The path is motorable by Land Rovers. Many places it is paved by large boulders. It was easy walking but one needed to watch ones foot on the stones. It could not have been easy for the HRT runners.

There were sections where the ridge was quite narrow; like a bridge. It had been fortified by masonry on both sides. There was another outpost of the Sashastra Seema Dal & clicked a few pictures.

We met the first of the runners returning around 10:00. The leader was a man in his 30s & was going strong. Surprisingly, the next two were older runners around my age & were struggling a bit. But they were game. A woman from UK was the first among the ladies & going uphill with a strong gait. The rest were taking it easy & enjoying the view. At one point we went down a steep hill with switch-backs. I looked back & the slope was incredible. I can just imagine the look on a tired runner who comes to the hill at the 25th KM.

As the day progressed the clouds raised the curtain on most of the mountains. Only Makalu on one side & Kumbhakarna & Kanchenjunga on the other rose above the clouds. Lunch at a meadow overlooking Nepal. We polished off the last of the Theplas & munched some nuts. It has been an enjoyable walk. Besides the HRT runners, we met only one bunch of trekkers going to Sandakphu. One of them was wearing a Shirt with a picture of Ho Chi Minh. Must be from Bengal. We did not meet any others the rest of the trip.

The cloud came in fully around 2:00 & it became chilly.

We saw some cattle & so we must be getting closer.

The last 3 KMs was a climb. I was getting tired. Pratap pointed to a hut high up in the distance. Phalut. I despaired. It seemed far away. But it was closer than I feared & at 3:30 we came up to the Phalut Trekker's Hut. It was a solitary structure & a lovely sight, not only because I was tired. Made of stones with large windows & a red sloping roof, it was a pretty sight on the hill-top.

However, that was not our destination. Our Hut was just out of sight, below the edge of the hill. Only two Huts here. That is all there is to Phalut. Nothing else in sight except the valley below. We were also the only trekkers in either of the Huts. We were in a truly lonesome place.

It was cold here but without the biting wind as in Sandakphu, although we were closer to Kanchenjunga. There is a stream here, but electricity is from an Inverter to light a dim bulb each in the kitchen & our room for 2 hours. Our room was luxurious; we had an attached bathroom!

Dinner was in the cozy kitchen at a small table. Daal & Potatoes with Rice & an Omelet. Hot tea to close. We talked to the landlady. They are from Gorkhey, the nearest village & our next destination. They have a farm there. Their sons are in high school in Darjeeling.

It had been 3 days of trekking & as I reached the destination each of the days, I was bushed. But each day had been an adventure & I had enjoyed every bit if it. What made it easier was also the comfortable Hut at each destination with hot food. Had been camping, things would have been harder. That is a different story.

The difficult part of the trekking is done. Tomorrow we descend into the valley.

Day 4: Gurdum to Sandakphu

Day 4: 18/10/2011

Gurdum to Sandakphu

We woke up at dawn to another clear lovely day. I went for a small walk to breath in the freshness. I checked out the nearby Chortem & the mountain stream. Naturally most of these Huts are near water sources. I then marveled at the Prayer flags which were strung from the tallest trees. Who climbed to the top of those trees? I sat down to listen to the birds hoping to catch sight of a few. The music was good, but no luck with the sightings.

The Hut provided a half-bucket of hot water for a refreshing bath. Talking of water, the taps in the bathroom in most of these huts are always open. They cannot be closed. They run a pipe from the stream into the hut for its kitchen & bathroom. Essentially, a small part of the stream is diverted into the hut where some human ingredients are added before the water is united with the main stream further down. So, the Mountain streams are great up here, but they add a little something for the villages downstream. Remember this when you feel like filling you water bottle at a pleasant stream! We used Vasu's water purifier on a bucket of stream water to fill up our water bottles.

Breakfast was a warm Tibetan Bread with Jam, Boiled Eggs & Darjeeling Tea. Tibetan bread is like a large fluffy Doughnut. We reluctantly said farewell to the friendly hosts. I liked Gurdum. One can spend a few days here just breathing.

Banerjee joined us on this day’s trek & so we set off up the hill. Gurdum is at an elevation of 2300 M & Sandakphu at 3650 M. It was a warm morning at 8:30 & we had a tough trek ahead. Most trekkers use the Sandakphu, Gurdum, Sirikhola route to descend rather than to climb because of the steepness of the path. We were going against the traffic.

We started climbing & I did not find it as tough as yesterday. Maybe I was getting used to the altitude. The waning moon hung in the sky for us until 10:00. As we climbed up we came to an area which was bare of trees. A forest fire had cleared the area some years ago. The Forest department had planted saplings. However the clear patch gave us great view of 360 deg. of the mountains & valleys. Wonderful!

A big black rock. It is revered as the Siva Rock. There was park bench nearby & we watched a bunch of Kacchras going up hill. They were going to Manney Bhanjang to be used as rides for some tourists. We met a bunch of Bengali Trekkers going down, as well as an Italian Couple. They told us it was steep further up.

Indeed the path was steep. The vegetation was mostly Bamboo. I picked up a bamboo to use as a walking stick. It was long & I used it like a barge pole. It helped. We came across another bunch of youngsters coming down & we exchanged pleasantries with them while the Guides chatted.

Gradually the vegetation changed from Bamboo to more woodier trees & it was getting cooler. Nowhere in the forest did we see a single animal. The only sounds were from an occasional bird.

Lunch was at noon at a meadow. Apparently it was a designated lunch spot because there was some litter & remains of a plum cake. This route is not used by villagers & so the litter is from trekkers. It is good to see all these youngsters doing the trek, but somebody needs to crack the whip on littering. Our lunch was Theplas, Almonds, Cashew & Kismis which we had brought from Hyderabad. It was washed down with Fresh Himalayan Water & Gatorade. I lay down for a few minutes. Too good.

Up here clouds start coming in by noon & accordingly it got cooler. The vegetation also changed. There were trees with fall couloring. Shades of red & yellow areas were added to the green. There was also a few bright flowers which stood out against the green undergrowth. I saw the beginning of rhododendron trees. We had the whole place to ourselves. We did not meet anyone going down & the only the Kachhras & their keepers had passed us & that was ages ago.

For the next hour or so the climb was steep & we were also at higher altitudes. The going got tough. We had to pause more frequently. Around 2:30, Pratap pointed a structure high on the peak. Sandakphu. Do we have to climb that high! I was aghast, but laboured on.

I thought I heard some cries. Was it wild dogs, I wondered aloud. Vasu corrected me. There was the Himalayn Run & Trek underway in the Singalila area. It is a 100 Mile, 5 day Stage race & today's destination was Sandakphu. The cries we heard was the cheering for incoming runners. We must be getting closer. 15 minutes later we crested the hill & the first thing we saw was the finish line for the day's stage. It was 38.6 Km from Manney Bhanjang to Sandakphu via Bhikey. We forgot our tiredness to cheer in a few finishers. They were breathing hard. I could empathise. I had found it tough walking up the 16 odd KMs.

Wow! We were at Sandakphu, the highest point of our trek. Sandakphu is not a village. It is a point on the Indo-Nepal border with a collection of Trekker's Huts on either side of the border. The Sherpa Chalet, a Trekerrs Hut, has a branch on both sides. There is also a camp of the Sashastra Seema Dal.

We dumped our things in our comfortable room & ventured out to try & make phone call home. Signal here is patchy & everyone was looking for points where the signal could be reached. We found a spot from where we could send an SMS home. Sandakphu has no water source nearby. It has to be fetched on a Sherpa back from a Spring a KM away. Firewood has to be smuggled because it was in the middle of a designated forest. Electricity is from a generator for two hours & phone charging is payable as an extra.

I climbed a rock which serves as the observation point hoping to glimpse the mountains between the clouds. I have to be careful with sudden exertion here. I felt breathless & the heart raced. Brrr. It is cold here. There is nothing between Sandakphu & Kanchenjunga & the wind is biting. I had to wear all my warm clothes from top to toe. There were many westerners here as part of the HRT & they were also shivering as well. No luck with sighting the mountains. The clouds refused to part & I had to wait for the morning.

Dinner was basic. Maida Rotis & Aloo. Darjeeling tea to close the meal. But it was hot. It was more than we could expect at this lonely place. Dawn was at 5.00. We had to catch the sunrise for the best view of the mountains. When I tried to sleep, the 2 razaais were not enough to keep me from shivering. I had to snuggle into the sleeping bag with the razaais on top. Sleep took over.

Day 3: Darjeeling to Gurdum

Day 3: 17/10/2011

Darjeeling to Gurdum

This was a long day & the Log is equally long. We started the day with a long drive which was an event by itself & by the end of the day we had a day's worth of the Himalayan Trek experience.

Pratap arrived punctually & we reached the Taxi stand. We were to drive to Rimbik which is a 3-4 hour journey from Darjeeling & one of the staging points for the Singalila Trek. The other, more popular staging point, is Manney Bhanjang. The fare to Rimbik is around Rs. 150/-.

As I had mentioned earlier, the Shared Taxi is the life-line of the Darjeeling district. There is a Taxi Association which manages the logistics & so it is not a free-for-all that you would expect. There is a system to the whole thing which includes reserving a spot on the journey a day or two in advance.The taxi is usually a hulking 4-WD, a large Mahindra or Tata vehicle, with at least 3 rows of seats plus the benches at the back in some vehicles. Our vehicle carried 16 people at some point in the journey with 4 in each row. That includes the Drivers seat. Sometimes a young man hitches a ride on the ladder at the back or on the luggage rack. The driver has to lean on his door & the Gear Stick is between the legs of a passenger.

Once off the main road, the drive is along a path motorable only by a 4-WD. The path runs along mountain ridge looking down on the Ramban River Valley. At several spots the path is just boulders & there are spots with mountain streams crossing the road. Fog, mist & rain could add to the experience. Both the vehicle & the driver have to be rugged & fit. Ours were. The driver was also very skillful.

The people who got in at different points were like commuters in an urban car-pool. They seemed to know one another as they said their morning greetings. Being a Monday, it looks as if they are setting out for the weekday stay at their work places before returning to Darjeeling for the weekend. Besides passengers, the Taxi picked up letters, newspapers & parcels along the way.

Our jouney started at 7:00 a.m & took us down the Ramban River valley to Phulbazar. Along the way were several small settlements with terrace farming. The valley is wide & you get large vistas. The houses face the valley & are built from the street level down. People spend a lot of time at the street level & you see their life-style.

We could see the Ramban Hydro-electric project down below. Phulbazaar is a small market town & the residents waved to the Driver & its occupants. There seemed to be a couple of schools in the town & neatly dressed kids were walking to school in their uniforms.

At Pulbazaar, the road approached the river & road took a sharp turn into a suspension bridge with a narrow entrance & wooden planks. The driver took the turn & went through the entrance without missing a beat of the engine. There was just a few of inches to spare between the jeep & the columns holding the cables. I would never have thought that heavy vehicles use the bridge. On the day we were making the return journey a week later a similar bridge nearby in Bhajanbari collapsed killing 30 people. Of course that bridge was over-crowded because of a Mela being held nearby.

From Pulbazar, we started climbing again along the river & reached Rimbik around 11:00. Rimbik Bazar (Elev: 2500 M) is the market area & the biggest town for all the surrounding villages many walking hours away. We went into the Green Hill Hotel, a Trekking Lodge & restaurant ruin by a friendly Tibetan Family. One clue in identifying Tibetans is the poster of Lhasa on the walls. I never found pictures of the Dalai Lama anywhere, although several cars had pictures of the Panchen Lama who is based in Sikkim. I had Veg. Chow Mein made from home-made noodles. The landlady said that it would be better than any 5-star variety & I found no exaggeration in that.

Our plan was to set out from Rimbik to a Forest Camp in the Singalila Forest for the first night. The second day was to take us to Bhikey Bhanjang on the Singalila Ridge. The third day was for the small trek from Bhikey Bhanjang to Sandakphu which is the highest point of the trek. On the fourth day we were to take the long trek from Sandakphu along the Singalila ridge to Phalut at the same elevation with views of the high mountains all along. From Phalut we were to descend to Rambam in the Singalila Forest on the fifth day & finish at Rimbik on the Sixth day. The plan was based on the Bible of Trekkers, the Lonely Planet Guide. Pratap, our guide, had agreed to this plan in Darjeeling & we had set out from Darjeeling with this itinerary in mind.

But now that we were in Rimbik, Pratap put a new spin on the plan. He said that based on his 20 years of trekking these mountains he knew of no Forest Camp on the route to Bhikey Bhanjang. We had an argument, but the locals agreed with Pratap. In that case, could we skip the Forest Camp & go directly to Bhikey Bhanjang today, we asked. Did we have enough time? Could I, a 52 year old, do it? It was a 16km climb to Bhikey Bhanjang. Pratap said we could & we set out on the more ambitious target on the very first day.

No respite for me. We started climbing right away up the hill above Rimbik. The steps were steep & relentless. Rimbik is a Buddhist Village. We walked past houses & farms with Chortems (Stupas) & Buddhist Prayer Flags. The Prayer Flags are either vertical ones on poles or small rectangular one strung on a rope. The rope is usually strung across two of the tallest trees in the neighbourhood. This public display adds colour to the entire area. The houses all have gardens in their front yard with the largest, brightest flowers I have ever seen.

Was Pratap setting too fast a pace because of our ambitious target? Was it the steep climb? The backpack? The altitude? Or simply my age? I was feeling tired after every fifty steps. There were several paths & Pratap seemed to be choosing the steepest. I had to stop ever so often to admire the view & catch my breath. Pratap was encouraging. Daddy, there is no hurry! Nice walk no?

Ever since we had arrived at Rimbik there was loud music blaring. As we climbed above the village the music got nearer. Now we saw the reason behind it. There was a football tournament in progress for the surrounding villages. The music was audible for the next few hours. Even though we walked several KMs, the crow flies shorter & sound travels farther. We also several boys coming in for their matches all along the way. Football is popular in Bengal, but it seemed to be a passion in Gorkhaland. Baichung Bhutia is from neighbouring Sikkim & Sunil Chetri plays for Mohan Bagan & India. Several cars in Darjeeling had banners of EPL teams. People here are certainly hardy & should make good football players.

The Rimbick Governement Primary School. What a lovely sight. Neat playground in front. Classes 1 to 4 with about 7-8 neat kids in each class. There was a teacher & a Principal.

Just outside the settled area was the Santem Monastery. It was locked & perhaps the caretakers were at the football match. I peeped in through the windows to gaze at Buddha & his Companions, then walked upstairs to turn all the Prayer Wheels.

Just about now Pratap started a new tune. He said we were going too slow (he pointed at me!) to reach Bhikey Bhanjang before dark & we should go to Gurdum instead. We demurred. We had torches & we were not afraid of the dark. Pratap said there is nothing much in Bhikey & Gurdum was much nicer. Fortunately, before the discussion got heated, we came to a Forest Office. We put the whole story of the Forest Camp & Bhikey to them. Yes, they said, there was once a Forest Camp on the way to Bhikey, but it had been burnt a few years ago by the Gorkhaland agitators. That settled that. What about the walk to Bhikey? The advise was that it was too far & we should go to Gurdum. That settled that also. Pratap' route change happened. I could not make out where the route was changed from Bhikey to Gurdum as we entered the Singalila Forest.

Hmm. The agricultural clearings were gone. This was forest. We were in the midst of thick vegetation. Tall Oak trees with heavy undergrowth. There was the occasional sound of birds chirping. Through some gaps in the vegetation we could see the hill on the other side of the valley.

We came across our first mountain stream, a small one. Soon there was a larger one fortified by walls & a small bridge to cross it. Lovely. Wasn't this what we came to see & feel. I had to fill my bottle with the cool water. For us city folk there is nothing more exhilarating than clean free flowing water.

In the forest too there was an occasional house. They piped water from the waterfall into the house. There was a contraption to produce enough electricity for a single bulb. The local Self Help Group had put some litter bins & benches along the route. Though the trek is a getaway for us, it is Main Street for the folk here. People use this path to go to Siri Khola & beyond. We came across a woman coming back from a funeral. School kids walk through the forest everyday. Some litter was apparently unavoidable.

After a while we started descending to the river below: the Siri Khola. Across the river, on the hill we could see a few houses with a Church at one end. Khola is river in Nepali. Th Siri Khola flows down towards Rimbik to meet the Rambam river. Siri Khola is also the name of the small village where there is a bridge across the river. From Rimbik we could have reached Siri Khola by walking along the river or taken the route high above through the forest as we did. The path down was steep & slippery at a few places, but as I stepped into firm ground & then onto the Suspension Bridge across the river, I felt the happiness brought about by the tiredness & the lovely surroundings. I plonked my back-pack & sat down on wooden planks with the Tibetan Prayer Flags waving above me. The bridge swayed as a bunch of Kachras (small local horses) crossed followed by a bunch of school girls.

There are a few Trekkers Huts at Siri Khola which is at a kind of junction for various paths. Down the river lay Rimbik & up the river Gurdum. Looking against the flow of the river, up the hill to the right lay Rambam & to the left from where we had come was Bhikey Bhanjang.

There were a bunch of youngsters at one of the Trekkers' Hut who seemed to be from the Youth Hostel Association. We had tea at another Hut where we were to stay on our return trip. It was a welcome break for me.

We now started climbing again, but now along the Siri river. The ridge ran high above the river & we saw a few Buddhist houses below close to the river. We met a few Trekkers coming down from Gurdum & one or two were limping. We crossed the river again & after a climb up we rested on a meadow. Gazing at the high mountains above us, we marveled at the rows of ridges & peaks with the the thick green cover & the clouds sliding through them. We could still hear snatches of the football commentary. After a further walk we came across a family with a few kids. I shared a few pieces of the Orange Candy I was carrying & they ran with me giggling as they showed me the path. I was tiring as Pratap pointed a Blue hut in the distance above us & said that was our destination. Distances have a different meaning here. With no reference to compare sizes, and with the height added to the equation, I have found it difficult to judge distances. But I eventually trudged up the last steps to the Hut. It was around 4:30 in the evening, the light was already dying & it became cold.

It was a long day & I was tired, but the Hut & the welcome we got was lovely. The muscles relaxed as I examined the surroundings. This was the first Hut we stepped into & it was a pleasant surprise. The Hut was made of wood as are most structures here. There was a small garden & the edge had bright flowers. The rooms were cozy & had a couple of comfortable beds with clean linen & 2 large razaais. The toilets were basic but clean. There was no electricity in the rooms, but we there was a bulb in the kitchen & we could charge our phones & Camera. The kitchen & dining area were a different structure. The kitchen fire kept the dining area warm. It was stocked with all the things a traveller would need: Toilet Paper, Mineral Water & plenty of extras like potato chips. There was a bench on a look-out towards the valley & we relaxed with Chai. As night fell, the stars came out & I saw the Milky Way after many years. I dont know what Bhikey would have been like but Gurdum was great.

We met Banerjee, a Technician with the IAF. He had started out from Rimbik as we got there. He had taken the shorter route to Siri Khola & was here much before us. He was travelling alone & he had embarked on the trek on a whim. He was going to Sandakphu as well. There was also a couple from UK who had come down from Sandakphu. The lady was limping; the steep descent had aggravated a knee injury. They were on a 3-month vacation after resigning their jobs! So we had good company to go along with the Soup & Fried Rice in the warm kitchen.