Day 74 Wed 15 November 2006, Siliguri to Darjeeling, India

After filling the car with expensive Indian petrol, at least its unleaded, we continue our new found quest to visit world heritage sites (we really must get a list as so far we keep stumbling across them by chance) we run along side the Darjeeling “toy train” railway which links Siliguri with Darjeeling via some 500 bridges, climbing over 2000m as it twists and turns up the mountain. The road runs along side the track, crossing it frequently and in some places is the track, particularly in the little towns which cling to the hillside, where the main street is the rail line. The 1890s steam train takes 9hrs to make the 70km journey but seems somehow much safer than the road which is full of cowboy jeeps who ply the route carrying 10 pax a time and who complete fiercely to get there first. The scary road is punctuated by unheeded signs which say things like “If you are married divorce speed”, Drive like Hell and you will soon be there” and our favourite “Hurry Burry spoils the Curry”.

It’s a very pretty drive, nonetheless, if you have your eyes open through tea plantations just like in the adverts and jungle, and we reach Darjeeling by mid day, in time to see the little train setting off on the downward journey. Darjeeling is set on a ridge with precipitous sides covered in manicured tea plantations and buildings spilling down the sides. Why anyone would chose to build a town here defies logic but it seems to exist quite happily. It’s full of Nepalis, Tibetans, Gurkhas and all sorts of ethnic groups, including Lepchas and Bhutias making it quite exotic.

We check into the time-warped Elgin Hotel, something out of the raj with sepoy waiters and etchings of Clive. Its all very genteel and we have tea on the sunny terrace surrounded by potted marigolds and chrysanthemums, before adjourning for lunch. All meals are provided and there are coal fires, marble halls and lots of chintz. Still its efficient, has internet and somewhere to park the car, which is being washed as soon as we get the bags out.

A postprandial stroll around the town, up to the Mall (all hill stations have the Mall as their main street) and the look out where we gaze at Sikkim and Gantok in the distance (our next destination) and Kanchanjanga/Kanchenzonga, the world’s third highest mountain which appears to be hanging in the air above the clouds at a totally unnecessary height. It plays hide and seek for a while and then as the sun starts to set we see the top which is at an even sillier height, with ranges and valleys spread out before us in shadow. We continue the perambulation feeling exhausted at the thought of climbing it (and nauseous at the sight of the roads we have to travel to get to Gantok ), drop by a souvenir shop to buy a thanka – they don’t seem to want to bargain here but hopefully we’ll have forgotten the price before the credit card bill arrives, then its back to the Elgin to dress for dinner (are you supposed to wear your sword on the left or the right and will two strings of pearls be a bit ostentatious?)

Weather 29C Sunny
Distance today: 495km
Distance from start: 14,735km