Icy Cold Darjeeling Hills

October 28-30, 2009


From Sikkim’s breathtaking sights, soon my 2 little feet were itching to go to Darjeeling’s icy cold hills. We were able to leave Sikkim only in the late morning because there happens to be a jeep shortage. Most of the numerous jeeps piled in the terminal are going to Siliguri and somewhere else. So we waited for quite sometime sitting on the cold pavement beside the terminal booth until a man motioned us to come with him. They said it would take 3 hours from Sikkim to reach this icy cold hilly town.

Traveling up the steep, narrow and treacherous zigzag road to Darjeeling, has started in me a country side nostalgic feeling. Seeing the vast glittering green leaves of tea plantations on the sides of the hills in uniform slanting shapes and rows of pine trees gave me such a relaxing and melancholic mood just sitting and watching these spectacular images floated gracefully in front of my gaze. After 2 hours riding and gazing at my window side of the vehicle, I was surprised by the foggy scene appeared into my view. Fog coming out of the pine trees, embracing our vehicle and its icy dew touching my face, made me close the vehicle’s slide window quickly. Am I in a different planet? So this is Darjeeling! I thought. Great, early afternoon in Darjeeling is really a foggy sight! I think everyone is thinking what I was thinking because it was so quite inside the vehicle like everyone is holding each own breath due to the foggy and extraordinary scene outside or maybe because of the dangerous tricky road ahead, our lives were suddenly on the line. Anyhow, I have learned afterwards that the road coming up is different from the road going down. This makes sense because it is really a very narrow and steep road, it’s even not enough for one vehicle, I should say, considering the numerous zigzag bends and turns of the road. Now I know why there is a regular shortage of jeeps going up to Darjeeling, it’s because of this tricky road. As felt by the latitude and steepness of the road, I presume that Darjeeling is a higher plane than Siliguri and very much colder too.

Darjeeling hills

Finding Ali’s hotel was an exhausting task. We were dropped off by our driver on the main road near the Clock Tower where Ali said his hotel is just nearby. We never knew the ‘nearness’ meant having to climb long hilly and zigzag slopes towards the hotel. It looked like our climb is an endless trail. Finally at his hotel, out of breath and looking forward to lie down on a soft bed, we were told, “no more available room!” I almost fainted. Fine, after undergoing hardship in walking (almost crawling!) the endless trail up the hills, give me a break! Fortunately, the next door hotel called Broadway (minus the cabaret) was kind enough to invite us in. It was a huge room with a huge bathroom. The floor has velvet red carpet and the wall has a nice full length triangular mirror on the side. The bathroom is impressive with clean and pretty tiles, looks very new and shiny. All these with a price of 300 rupees a night, which Mabel and I shared so around 150 rupees each. Not bad! But it was like in a refrigerator when we went to sleep that night… soon we became nice frozen delights in the morning, two strawberry and chocolate flavored popcicles! Olalah!

Despite being frozen to death, I managed to take a nice long icy cold shower for our strolling in the plaza. Mabel requested for a bucket of hot water but it came an hour later. Lots of shops along the way going up to the plaza center (which I forgot the name, sounds like Chinese word), selling exquisitely designed shawls, makaibari tea, antique goods, paintings, and other stuff. Sitting on the bench with Ali, Noel and Mabel, sipping hot tea, looking up the frozen stars and moon and a little while we became frozen as well. Thus, we decided to go and find somewhere to eat and drink our icy night away. After scourging for a place to eat, we were in to some surprise… nobody will take our orders because dinner will start at 7:30pm and its still 6pm. Great, we are freezing and hungry to death and nobody is willing to give us food! And so be it.

Chowrasta center. sipping hot tea with Noel, Ali and Mabel..feeling icy cold night air

After finally having dinner at Ali’s grand country style hotel, we settled ourselves on the rooftop. Learned another “mixed drinks with no umbrellas” (oh no! this has became my favorite phrase), Ali gave us a raspberry brandy mixed with sprite, heavenly taste, gave us a little warmth in the freezing rooftop. Enjoyed our stay but we need to wake up early to see the famous, “Tiger Hills” and if we stay longer, we might die with hypothermia.

I have no idea why we are going up to tiger hills, and why do we have to go up there when we can see sunrise everywhere? Well, to assuage my curiosity and feed my greed for adventure, I went on with the other three frozen volunteers up to the controversial hills at 4am in the morning riding a mini van. Hundreds of people where there already like a pilgrimage, young and old, grandpa and grandma, sister and brother, toddler and all. This must be an extraordinary sunrise, maybe a smiling face appears on it when it slowly rises. Well, I really can’t express my thoughts upon seeing the amazing sunrise that launched hundreds of people every day to tiger hills but I’ve made a poem about it:

It was the day that yellow become so alive in my sleepy heart...

The day the sun shines yellow beneath the cloudy skies,
reflecting its rays upon your golden eyes.
Unusual as it seems, i was mesmerized by its dazzling hues
of yellow specs from your golden eyes.

Yellow, yellow...it was the day of all the days of my life...

The day an unexpected moment arrived upon the brightness of yellow sun,
My heart eagerly took refuge under the warmth of your golden eyes.
Little did I know such a golden moment would soon to end as the hill sets the sun,
Shall my heart yearn again for the warmth of your golden eyes?...