The Picture Perfect Darjeeling
To read all posts on Darjeeling [All About Darjeeling]
My Travel Video Darjeeling Part 1 Darjeeling Part 2
/*Dear Friends,
I have decided to make my previous posts more interactive,so I am adding pictures I missed last time and also adding info on where to stay for cheap etc in next posts.And hopefully your journey to Darjeeling is more smooth and carefree.If there is anything you would like to ask me,you already know I am right here :) */
Darjeeling,as sweet as Ranbir's Barfi
Why Darjeeling?
A place closest to my heart.Darjeeling is where the sweetness of people is blended perfectly with the Victorian style homes.The narrow roads pave way for the near perfect curves,those curves the toy train makes 360 degrees.Unlike what a small city should be,Darjeeling is different than Ooty.Ooty is different than Darjeeling.The only similarity are the toy trains and the tea plantations.When I said that,who can forget the yummilicious home made chocolates in Ooty,but can you forget sipping Hot Chocolate with the view of snow clad Kunchenjunga in Darjeeling?Impossible,there's magic in the air,the romance bubbling as Ranbir's barfi or the mystery of Ranveer's Lootera in the uphills of Darjeeling.Crowded yet virgin.Virgin yet overwhelming.Darjeeling is just as beautiful as the "ye Hawaaiyen" from Parineeta,it needs no introduction.
And as for adventure sports : "It's been 4 years we are into paragliding and 2 years into hot air ballooning in Darjeeling" says Off Road Adventures,Darjeeling.We already know Darjeeling is a mecca for rock-climbers and many sports.
One day I'll write a book and you will be my story
If ever,I suffer from Writer's Block,I have a place in mind.May be that place is Darjeeling.I know the poet in me will melt in the peace of ,Darjeeling has to offer.Such simple people,you wouldn't find anywhere else.Such magic,can only create epic writers,or inspire one to be one.
So let's listen to this sweet song from Barfi,before I take you to a beautiful journey of Darjeeling:
Darjeeling - Travelled When?
May 1st week,2012
Darjeeling - Travelled for how many days?
4
Chennai-Darjeeling(NJP) Train Journey
The nearest railway station for Darjeeling is NJP(New Jalpaiguri) and the nearest airport is Bagdogra.
Considering the steep price rise of the planes thanks to kingfisher chaos and thanks to the more recent Air India Strikes,travel by air can be now said to be for the privileged few,we decided to get our train tickets done.No matter how convenient these big carriers are,there's no guarantee that it'll land at the right place,at the right time and with the same cost.And comparing the domestic and international carriers is a bigger mistake,Malaysia would be cheaper than NJP..that ways.We knew a journey of 2 days by train would be pain in the ass,but we were firm to not spend a single extra penny.
Call it my good luck or bad,I got the middle birth of AC 3.I am not sure how many people love the middlies we get,but nether less a seat is always better than "no seat".The upper birth is my favourite,when you can just go right there and never come back,when even the pantry car boys delivers the food at the highest seat,and all you got to do is watch.The lower birth is from where you get to see the views,but then everyone is there on your seat right from the waiting lists to the reserved ones.And then there's this middle one,where you are stuck.I preferred to sleep for next 2 days with occasional breaks for lunch,dinner and breakfast,pretending to be "not so obvious" about the inconvenience of the ones on lower birth.
Musings of the locals@Train
For a view like this,a journey of two days was every penny worth !
My beauty sleep was slowly accustomed to the "Jhalmuri Jhalmuri","Sonpapdi Sonpapdi" until "Gancher pata taka keno hoe na" happened.Two Locals(the kind of ones who sing in train),with their high pitched vocals started singing the incredible piece of words which meant "Why doesn't the leaves of trees give money",it was amusing to see the tone and the lyrics match so well with the ghungroos they had in their hands.Sometimes,I wonder if I start writing stories of my journey by train,I can release a whole book about secrets to daily life to songs invented and reinvented to controversies to a whole lot of interesting stuff.But for now,let's listen to their jingle...
Next came,the request for chanda of their gaan,quite obvious,though we gave them the 10Rs we had for the song,and believe me the song of 3 para was well worth it!Then came the Magician,the Bedsheet seller,the Jhaduwala,the Paper soap wala,the Hijras etc etc.The best part about travel in train is the entertainment free of cost and that's why I love it.
NJP was "HOT"
Contrary to what I had expected,when we reached NJP in the evening,the place was hot and humid.As we were tired(with high doses of interrupted sleep in train),we decided to have a peaceful sleep at NJP and move on further to Darjeeling the next morning.
NJP To Darjeeling via Mirik,Lepchajagat
We had decided to leave NJP by around 07:30 am in the morning and go via the route of Mirik and Lepchajagat forest reserve.We thought of returning via the Kurseong route on day 4,which is considered shorter.The moment we boarded the car,the driver carefully looking at my attire said "Mam tomake thonda lagbe,Darjeeling will be cold".Within 15 minutes of our drive,the little rain droplets started pouring in...
To watch videos of Darjeeling,and know the journey more,read the article next Monday :)
To read all posts on Darjeeling [All About Darjeeling]
My Travel Video Darjeeling Part 1 Darjeeling Part 2
/*Dear Friends,
I have decided to make my previous posts more interactive,so I am adding pictures I missed last time and also adding info on where to stay for cheap etc in next posts.And hopefully your journey to Darjeeling is more smooth and carefree.If there is anything you would like to ask me,you already know I am right here :) */
Why Darjeeling?
A place closest to my heart.Darjeeling is where the sweetness of people is blended perfectly with the Victorian style homes.The narrow roads pave way for the near perfect curves,those curves the toy train makes 360 degrees.Unlike what a small city should be,Darjeeling is different than Ooty.Ooty is different than Darjeeling.The only similarity are the toy trains and the tea plantations.When I said that,who can forget the yummilicious home made chocolates in Ooty,but can you forget sipping Hot Chocolate with the view of snow clad Kunchenjunga in Darjeeling?Impossible,there's magic in the air,the romance bubbling as Ranbir's barfi or the mystery of Ranveer's Lootera in the uphills of Darjeeling.Crowded yet virgin.Virgin yet overwhelming.Darjeeling is just as beautiful as the "ye Hawaaiyen" from Parineeta,it needs no introduction.
And as for adventure sports : "It's been 4 years we are into paragliding and 2 years into hot air ballooning in Darjeeling" says Off Road Adventures,Darjeeling.We already know Darjeeling is a mecca for rock-climbers and many sports.
If ever,I suffer from Writer's Block,I have a place in mind.May be that place is Darjeeling.I know the poet in me will melt in the peace of ,Darjeeling has to offer.Such simple people,you wouldn't find anywhere else.Such magic,can only create epic writers,or inspire one to be one.
So let's listen to this sweet song from Barfi,before I take you to a beautiful journey of Darjeeling:
Darjeeling - Travelled When?
May 1st week,2012
Darjeeling - Travelled for how many days?
4
Chennai-Darjeeling(NJP) Train Journey
The nearest railway station for Darjeeling is NJP(New Jalpaiguri) and the nearest airport is Bagdogra.
Considering the steep price rise of the planes thanks to kingfisher chaos and thanks to the more recent Air India Strikes,travel by air can be now said to be for the privileged few,we decided to get our train tickets done.No matter how convenient these big carriers are,there's no guarantee that it'll land at the right place,at the right time and with the same cost.And comparing the domestic and international carriers is a bigger mistake,Malaysia would be cheaper than NJP..that ways.We knew a journey of 2 days by train would be pain in the ass,but we were firm to not spend a single extra penny.
Call it my good luck or bad,I got the middle birth of AC 3.I am not sure how many people love the middlies we get,but nether less a seat is always better than "no seat".The upper birth is my favourite,when you can just go right there and never come back,when even the pantry car boys delivers the food at the highest seat,and all you got to do is watch.The lower birth is from where you get to see the views,but then everyone is there on your seat right from the waiting lists to the reserved ones.And then there's this middle one,where you are stuck.I preferred to sleep for next 2 days with occasional breaks for lunch,dinner and breakfast,pretending to be "not so obvious" about the inconvenience of the ones on lower birth.
Musings of the locals@Train
My beauty sleep was slowly accustomed to the "Jhalmuri Jhalmuri","Sonpapdi Sonpapdi" until "Gancher pata taka keno hoe na" happened.Two Locals(the kind of ones who sing in train),with their high pitched vocals started singing the incredible piece of words which meant "Why doesn't the leaves of trees give money",it was amusing to see the tone and the lyrics match so well with the ghungroos they had in their hands.Sometimes,I wonder if I start writing stories of my journey by train,I can release a whole book about secrets to daily life to songs invented and reinvented to controversies to a whole lot of interesting stuff.But for now,let's listen to their jingle...
Next came,the request for chanda of their gaan,quite obvious,though we gave them the 10Rs we had for the song,and believe me the song of 3 para was well worth it!Then came the Magician,the Bedsheet seller,the Jhaduwala,the Paper soap wala,the Hijras etc etc.The best part about travel in train is the entertainment free of cost and that's why I love it.
NJP was "HOT"
Contrary to what I had expected,when we reached NJP in the evening,the place was hot and humid.As we were tired(with high doses of interrupted sleep in train),we decided to have a peaceful sleep at NJP and move on further to Darjeeling the next morning.
NJP To Darjeeling via Mirik,Lepchajagat
We had decided to leave NJP by around 07:30 am in the morning and go via the route of Mirik and Lepchajagat forest reserve.We thought of returning via the Kurseong route on day 4,which is considered shorter.The moment we boarded the car,the driver carefully looking at my attire said "Mam tomake thonda lagbe,Darjeeling will be cold".Within 15 minutes of our drive,the little rain droplets started pouring in...
To watch videos of Darjeeling,and know the journey more,read the article next Monday :)
On small screens, such as laptops and Ipads, the left part of your blog gets covered with a rectangle asking readers to share, like, etc. so that it is difficult to read. Please consider shifting that rectangle to the right or the bottom.
ReplyDelete@Sunil : Will try to improve on that..thanks for the feedback :)
ReplyDeleteI have been to Darjeeling and I want to go there again..This is such a lovely Palce to visit.. :D
ReplyDeleteThe Toy Train reminds me of--Mere Sapno ki Rani kab aayege tu.. :D
@Allresourceupdates:Yes,I know.I just feel like going there more often.One of the best places in India for that hot chocolate at Keventers and lovely people..
ReplyDelete