TTL: Darjeeling III

As my cellphone started playing the acoustic version of Coldplay’s Shiver, I woke up. Time on the clock..0330h. Nice! On time!

Got dressed up and ready and I met up with the rest of the cab-mates to the trip to Tiger Hill. The cab would take us to Ghoom, and back. I would get down at Ghoom and head back to my base camp, at Siliguri.

A point to note, if you are interested to go to the hill in the morning, you must book your cab the previous day evening. Normally, the hotel where you stay will assist. And yes, go early if you want a decent spot. It gets very crowded really soon.

Anyway, we made it there by around 0545, sun being scheduled to rise at 0600h. Clouds dominated the scene and disappointment loomed absolutely like the dark clouds.

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This is morning 0545h

I jostled around, trying to make a bit of space for myself, just in case the sun came up good and I managed some shots, just in case.

And then, the clouds moved away, just a bit though, but enough I feel.

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The sun!

 

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All wanted the sun!

 

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Loved the Phablet.

As for the sunrise, this is all you can see…and frankly, the “sunrise” didnt impress me much.

But this did!

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The Kanchenjunga, I think!

 

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Encore!

I loved the view of the mountains and the way the clouds moved about. Also, as an after thought, maybe visiting the Tiger Hill, a little later in the day, around 1000h, would have been better. The sun would be brighter, less crowed, and the reflections on the peaks much more clearer. Need to verify this idea actually.

On the way back, a few more shots which made me happy.

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Same peak, different Viewpoint

 

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The fence, and the peak

 

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Eventually, we reached Ghoom and I parted ways. Took a few shots at the Batasia Loop and then, flagged a taxi and slept in it till I reached Siliguri.

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Batasia Loop Memorial

 

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Shopping on the loop

 

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View from the loop

So, this is how my trip was of Darjeeling. I hope you liked the series. The rest are here – D1, Loco and D2.

Next trip?? Not sure yet, but I have a few plans 🙂

See you all back in TTL again soon.

Cheers!!

TTL: Darjeeling II

Hey there all…

Continuing from Darjeeling station now!
I walked towards the Mall. En route, I stopped for a cup of refreshing coffee at a shop just past Das Studios. If you want to buy old photos or anything related to photography, this place is a good place to start.

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Refreshing cup!

The road has shops lining it, selling woolens and other collectibles too.

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Finally, the Mall. In the nutshell, its an open meeting ground of sorts. A balcony of sorts on one side, normally  used as a Durga Puja Mandap or for delivering speeches is on one side. Shops line the other side. There are two paths leading to Mahakal temple and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Zoo. All three places are worth visiting. Bear in mind though, the HMI and Zoo follow a 1000h-1600h operating schedule.

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Street shops near the Mall

The Mahakal temple is situated after a climb, not a lot though. You will not get any mountain views from there, but its serene and peaceful, right within a jungle of tall trees. Be advised, there are lots of monkeys here. But normally, if you do not bother them, they will not bother you.

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Entrance to the Mahakal Temple

 

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Prayer wheels, Mahakal Temple

As I returned from the temple back to Mall, I noticed this certain kid, posing to his father. I couldnt resist taking a few shots. I sent them the photos once I returned back.

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 On the route to the HMI and Zoo, I came across some local flora. This certain flower, a variation of Bougainvillea, it seemed, looked native and abundant there.

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Local Flora, up close!

 

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Local Flora II

On the way back, I again stopped at a roadside cafe, had a cup of coffee, a plate of Momo. The view from there, had there been lesser clouds, would have been amazing, but I had to be content with shooting this windchime in the sun.

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Chime In!

Just before I left, I met with this local fauna! He was fluffy, and cute and was aptly named Bhaloo!

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Local Fauna: Bhaloo

 

On the way back, I had another cup of tea at a stall in the Mall, and loitered around there, checking out the local shops to buy anything interesting. Ended up buying some handmade incense sticks from a shop.

 

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Evening shopping spree

 

While coming back, I hit the Glenary’s. They serve awesome food in reasonable rates and is one of the best places to have a hearty meal. Do try it.

I returned back to the hotel, switched on the lights, and saw this, on the wall.

 

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The Lucky Wall

I dont mind the kisses, but I wish they werent just on the wall though.

Anyway, with a wake up call scheduled at 0330h, next morning, i retired for the day. You may ask, why so early? Well, I was going to Tiger Hill the next day. Do I make it on time, see the sunrise? Find out in the next post. Coming up soon!

Cheers!!