|
Gangtok
|
1st-2nd December 2004.
Gangtok is the modern capital of Sikkim. It lies about 5 hours in a jeep from Darjeeling. The scenery, (if you can ignore your racing jeep driver, and the drunk in the back who keeps breathing booze breath all over you), was stunning. Gangtok wasn't our favourite of places and we spent the whole time looking at each other and wondering why exactly we had bothered with the long drive.
|
 |
We got to see this lovely view of Khangchendzonga from our balcony, whilst we made porridge. (It's still very cold here.)
We both had a frustrating time here, you can usually tell how easy it will be to do anything by the tourist information. They were particularly bad here, (head down ignored us the three times that we went in there).
Jason really wanted to do a helicopter ride that was quite an investment. The only place to book it was the Tourist Office. There were four of us ready to part with our money, but the pilot couldn't work out what route he would take and then we saw the small print - no photography equipment is allowed on the flight due to national security. Forget it!
|
|
They had a stunning Namgyal Institute of Tibetology stock with huge number of books as some of the most interesting Buddhist relics we had ever seen.
|
 |
|
 |
Some of these men are really tough.
Similar to Darjeeling, the Nepalis arrive in droves to perform any menial task they can to get food for the evening.
|
|
It was a delight to see that Gangtok had been made a spit free zone. Though the sign doesn't seem to be adhered to.
|
 |
|
 |
The local cinema allows men and women to queue seperatly. How romantic.
|
|
It was a strange place, the highlight was a lovely meal with Monique and Dominque who joined us on our second day. Dominque was left nursing the porcelain, it seems that we are not the only people suffering from the Delhi Belly.
Gangtok is a stepping stone to the Tibetan culture of the monasteries and the walk to Khangchendzonga base camp. But we didn't have the time to do either as we had trains booked so we probably shouldn't have bothered.
|
 |
|
