here's the really long.
long overdue post.

i want to run away to sikkim.
and open a potti kadai in lachung.
and if i make plans to do so.
i'm sure 2 other souls
by the names of apurva and padmini.
will follow ensuite.

the only difficulty right now.
is the finance issue.
my parents insist it is only right that i start earning.
and then move there with my own money.
somehow. i don't know why.
i don't agree with them.
that's a super slow process.
sigh.

i miss kanchenjzonga.
sounds cool right?!
heh.
that's the 3rd highest mountain in the world.
and we saw it practically every single day.
from an elevation of 5000 feet.
from hotel tibet gallery in gangtok (state capital).
every beautiful morning.

but you know.
as the cliched cliche goes.
words can't describe it.
so i'll try sikkim's charm on you.
with photos.

departed. december 23rd 7pm.
SQ 516

here's to hotel akash ganga.
in calcutta. (:
that's meself (go deutschland),
apurva, manju aunty, padmini,
and my sis in pink.
donch mind my sleepy eye.
i was awake watching chelsea vs. aston villa.
way into the night.
(:


victoria memorial, calcutta.
marble people! cool. (:
at this point, i'd like to say.
the roads in calcutta are fantastic.
and this main area. is damn clean and beautiful.
calcutta's really cleaning up.
one of the more well managed cities
and airports in yindia.




the iconic. howrah bridge!


woohooo! i lowe domestic airports.
you get a bus ride. and this! (:
flight to bagdogra, west bengal.


calcutta (:


first view of kanchenjzonga.
from flight!


on arriving.
gopal chetri. of akash tours.
presents velvetty scarf thingys.
6 hour journey to gangtok, sikkim state capital.
begins from bagdogra in west bengal.
this airport was the cutest.
we walked down the tarmac into the small terminal!
((:


on our way.
with UT (short for upsa-stg, tha-sthg bhutia).
our wonderful. mee siam looking guide!
[mee siam is code for chinese,
mee goreng - malay,
curry - yindian.
sushi - jap,
pasta - vella karan] (:
so instead of shouting "he looks chinese".
we shouted "avan migavum mee siam-aaga irrukiran".

it turns pitch black at 5pm.
and since there are no road lights.
the mountains aren't visible.
everything's black.
except for the house lights.
which look like stars.
it's beautiful!


next day. dressed in traditional sikkimese clothes!


at a monastry in gangtok.
me dad and me.
spinning the prayer wheels.
which have a sloka in sanskrit.
proving beyond a doubt.
the link btw buddhism and yindia.


at rumtek monastry. a bit further away.


close up on the pillar.
and my first look at tibetian!
the style is like sanskrit!
SEE. tibet is linked more with yindia than china i feel.


wonderful breakfast at hotel tibet gallery, gangtok.
gobi + aloo parathas + dum aloo + sandwiches + masala tea.


on our way to tsongo lake.
leaving gangtok.
this is the gangtok prison.
what a beautiful place!
i hear apurva go "hare bhapre!"
[the hindi omg kind of thing]


since this is a border area.
loads of army camps.
like this.
thanks to them.
the roads are fantastic! (:
and all over the place. you can see signs that go -
DO NOT GOSSIP, LET HIM DRIVE.
SPEED THRILLS BUT KILLS.
BE MR. LATE THAN LATE MR.
LIFE IS SHORT. DON'T MAKE IT SHORTER.

sikkim govt. is adorable (:


on our way.
first sight of snow on ground! (:
with UT and our driver to the right.
so mee siam right!!!


nathula pass has recently been open for border trade.
it was 4km away from tsongo.
but it was closed on that day!
):


tsongo lake. 12 700 feet above sea level.
divide that by 3 roughly for km.
and you'll see.
we're 1/2 way up everest!!!


yak safari!
THE YAKS ARE SUPER CUTE!
i hear apurva go "hare bhapre!"



tsongo lake from a height.


kanchenjzonga on our climb from tsongo. (:

at this point. i'd like to mention.
that kanchenjzonga was across sikkim.
quite a few hundred kilometres away from our spot.
and i thought it was right behind that ickle mound!


baba mandir. at 13 700 feet.
built for a soldier who was missing in action.
his friend had a dream of him
instructing a mandir to be built.
yindian ghost story! (:


a frozen lake. near the mandir!
woohoo! (:
i hear apurva go "hare bhapre!"


we were above the clouds people.
it was clear blue sky above.
this is to prove it.


and the road goes on.
this place. proved india's potential.
this ain't cameroon highlands.
this is the himalaya.
and we've conquered it!


next day.
trip to lachung, in north sikkim.
teesta river.


amitabh bachan falls.
HAHA. that's what they call this.
cause it's quite high. and thin.
hahaha.


it was dark when we reached the tiny hotel.
in this tiny village.
i could hardly sleep.
sub zero temperature.
and the heater did not work!

but the morning, was a beautiful surprise.
look out the window. and mountains.

lachung. at 9800 feet. was brilliant!


sun rising over the mountains.


a visit to lachungchu river.
cutting through small lachung.
it was quite a job getting to where we were sitting!
i hear apurva go "hare bhapre!"


yumthang valley. at 12 000 feet.
snow again!
fresh snow! it had snowed the night it seems!


snow! and me pinky sis.


we'd reached the heavens.


the foggy way back.
but who cares?
SNOW.


the 3 of us. enjoyed ourselves.
we climbed up the hill. and had a snowball fight!
until then. snow was but a distant word!


back at gangtok.
with the mee siam looking bhaiya. aka. driver.

ooh. the 3 of us got into the back of the car the previous day.
and started off with the "avan migavum meesiam..." thing.
later. pachu uncle got the talking with him.
and he said he visits mysore often. his bro lives there.
and that he understands kannada and tamil a bit.

we were like. "OH MY SHIT".
and apurva went "hare bhapre!"


view from gangtok hotel, east sikkim.
khanchenjzonga again!


AAAW. leaving hotel tibet gallery.
we'll always miss the wonderful rooms.
and beautiful food. cooked by the mee siam people!
and the sincerity. of tibet gallery!


snack on the way to pelling!
vegetable momos!
with hot chilli sauce.
it's like. vege dumplings.


we met UT's daughter dhawa at geyzing.
she was leaving the boarding sch for home
for a few days.
she takes central board exams.
english medium.
she's in 11th. and she's taking arts.
fantastic.
the 3 of us went "this is the sch for us".


ancient capital of sikkim.
Rabdentse.


here's where. we were going "yah lah. thx lah".
and UT walked up to us and went "what lah. can hor".
and we were like "hare bhapre! how dyou know?".
and he was like "a sch. from s'pore was here."
we asked which sch.
and he said "rj".
i was like. "whoa".


view from hotel. next day.
pelling. west sikkim.
the closest you get to khanchenjzonga.
by means other than foot.


left for darjeeling.
which is nearby but across the state border.
we met dhawa's friends. gave them a lift.
super sweet girls.
all 11th. doing arts.


crossed border to west bengal.


WHITE WATER RAFTING. river teesta.


apurva and i sat upfront.
and we got soaked in cold water.
the rapids were big. and cold. brilliant.
IT WAS COOL MAN.


next day.
atop tiger hill in darjeeling.
known for it's picturesque sunrise.
and this is the extent yindians would go to see it.




they say mt. everest is visible on a clear day.
we weren't blessed with that.
'lil 'ol khanchenjzonga was all we had.


red panda. state animal of sikkim
darjeeling zoo.
CUTEY.


himalayan mountaineering institute.


tenzing norgay's samadhi! ooooh.


darjeeling toy train. for joy rides.
miniature living model of the real trains.
one of two in the world.
other's in austria.


yit was cute. but crowded.


apu and pammi. tea leaf pluckers!


new year's day.
calcutta. after leaving the mountains.
with a sigh.
haldiram's factory cum outlet! HUGE.
for dinner. before flight.


from left.
dhokla, dhahi chaat, bhattura.
yumm.


MASSIVE. all your yummy dreams come alive!


and with that.
tata. yindia.
i miss you so.

we are still not back to singapore mode.
every morning. i hear the mention of tibet gallery's
ALOO PARATHAS! ((:
and lachung comes up alot.
it was beautiful mann. just amazing.

i miss the cold. the altitude.
the winding roads.
the meesiam people. who are so nice.
i miss sikkim like hell.

maybe that was because sikkim was so not typical india.
or maybe because i miss the north.
or maybe it was because of apurva and pammi.

whatever the case.
i'm telling you.
i'm going back to sikkim.
someday.

hmm...

orientation is over.
it was ohkay i guess.
but i sortof prefer it over.
for now that is.

ooh.
my ogl and her friend.
both know about yanni! and marching season (:
until day before yesterday.
i was so sure i was the only one who knew that song.
i feel so touched!

ooh. and today.
i went down to rg.
[oh boy do i miss rg too].
and i timed myself so that it'll be lunch break.
and i can meet nikhita without hassle in the foyer.
and i can avoid aasiriyar at all costs.

unfortunately.
no.1
nikhita didn't go down to lunch
switched off her phone...
and
no.2
aasiriyar was in the foyer when i arrived.

haha.

priya. if you're reading this.
he wants us to come up with a "nalla padaipu".
"nalanju photosa choose panni. 10R le print panni
antha farzanavaiyum priyavaiyum thara sollu.
displayku podanum".
i just nodded and agreed. heh.
he's so cute though.
he asked like 10 times. if i wanted to eat sthg.
haha (:

i miss aasiriyar's BADABONG. and jiggles. toooo. ))):

and here's to a tmrw full of stoning.
and note. i might not update for years after this one!
radhika.