Random

I'm finally back home! Too lazy to pen a proper post but I think these things are brilliant:

1. If you're at the Delhi airport T3 and sick of Indian food, check out Smoke House. Had a really yummy smoked tomato and brie sandwich and pretty decent mojitos there. Do not bother with Indian wines (they suck).

2. Have 3 drinks and pop a melatonin and you'll conk out during the flight. Best combo ever.

3. Ear plugs. Oh my, why haven't I discovered these before? Especially useful because flights to and from India are usually SO noisy. While I could still hear the high pitched shrieking of Indian girls laughing and chatting across the aisle, the ear plugs managed to reduce quite a fair bit of the noise.

4. If you're a parent, seat your children together and then take your own seat 10 rows behind. You don't need to look after the buggers but yet you're close enough if there's an emergency,

Stuff no one talks about:

1. OMG the pong. I didn't realise how badly I reeked till I landed in Singapore and was waiting for LGG to buy breakfast. I do not look forward to opening my backpack.

2. Hello, Sasquatch. Being all bundled up during winter and taking 2 minute long showers means that you tend to neglect certain grooming habits.

3. Airplanes have really, really dry air. I think my throat got dried out during the flight and now I'm coughing. Drinking two bottles of water during the flight apparently wasn't enough.

..

Anyway I'm lying strarkers in bed and trying to muster up the energy to get changed for work. 2 more working days till the new year!

Welcome to Delhi

After spending three idyllic days in a tea plantation off Siliguri (which shall remain unnamed to keep the place a secret), we are now back in Delhi. Ugh.

After the pristine, clean air that surrounded the tea plantation and the rejuvenating silence and peacefulness away from the hustle and bustle of the city, we are now surrounded by smog and the incessant honking and noises of Delhi.

One huge difference is that my snot is now specked with black. Gross.

The tea plantation was amazing, and if I had the chance to go back again, I would. What made it so special was that we went during low season, so we had the entire bungalow to ourselves. I'm not sure if our experience would have been so good if there were other guests in the house (probably not).

We spent our breakfasts in the garden, lying on the grass after, just basking in the sun. The only time we were actually hot in winter. Lol. I found a sofa in the house by the bay windows, where sunlight was streaming in, and that became one of my favourite spots.

When the day became cool, we proceeded to the living room, armed with blankets, books and hot tea. We read and watched tv and napped.

Our meals were all provided and we had the most amazing Indian food, probably the healthiest that any of us have ever had in India. Low salt, low fat, and yet still exceptionally tasty. How awesome is that?

We've now a couple more days to go before heading home, so gotta plan where and what to do. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

It's A Balmy Day

Who woulda thunk that we'd be using the word "balmy" to describe the 7 degree temperature in Delhi right now? Lol.

"It's -4 now, but a balmy 7 degrees in Delhi now." Lol.

Well I guess we are getting used to the cold.

So Cold

We got back from Pelling today and are back in Darjeeling, sitting in the dining room and watching the fire burn in the fireplace.

It's so cold. One night the temperature went down to -14 degrees celcius. But thank god for fireplaces, heaters, fleeces and sleeping bags.

Pelling was a little bit of a letdown. There weren't as much to do as we thought but we did get a spectacular sunrise view of Kangchendzonga from our room.

We also discovered chaang aka tongba- the local moonshine that was made by pouring hot water into fermented millet and drinking it through a bamboo straw.

Did a day tour around to various sights, and then headed back to Darjeeling today.

Waiting for dinner and then off to bed.

To Pelling

One of the downsides to traveling the way we do from town to town is having to pack up and travel to the next place. We're off to Pelling today, and apparently it's a 5-6 hour drive from here.

Better pee before we leave. Lol.

Day Two

Or is it day three already? It's so easy to lose track of time when you're in a place like Darjeeling.

Spent the evening yesterday in the dining room of our hotel where we had a lovely fireplace up. Plus, there was free wifi, so all of us managed to get our internet fix.

Didn't seem like we did all that much today but time just seemed to pass so fast. Took the joyride on the toy train to Ghum / Ghoom and back, went to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and had tea at the Windemere Hotel.

And that's about it. Bought a shawl from a tout at the train station who was trying to sell them at 8000 rupees. I told her I'd buy it for 150 rupees and ta ma de, eventually she agreed. So I had to buy it even though I don't need a shawl, and found out later that you could buy the same shawl at the market for 90 rupees. Ta ma de.

Ah well.

Off to Pelling tomorrow!

Darjeeling

Ok I know we're here during winter but it is so cold here in Darjeeling. OMG.

Was on the road yesterday, flying from Singapore to Delhi, and then from Delhi to Bagdobra. Then it was a good 6 hour and really bumpy car ride to Darjeeling.

Have I mentioned that it's cold? (It's really cold.)

Spent this morning unwilling to get out of the warm coccoon of the sleeping bag that we thankfully brought along. Walked around the bazaar, bought tickets for the toy train ride, got our permits for Sikkim, checked out the bookstore, had breakfast and lunch at Hasty Tasty and bought gloves and beanies.

Still deciding what to do for the rest of the trip but it's been chill (haha) so far. Probably will head up to Peling and do some trekking. But it's so cold. Lol.