After coming back from the Kuari Pass Trek in June, 2006 I was restless as to where would we go in December. When a colleague suggested Sikkim, I liked the idea and when I told him, so did Sesha. We did check out a few packages for Sikkim Tourism but in the end we decided to…
It Rains Almost Everyday in Gangtok, Sikkim
MG Road, Gangtok, after a Shower: It Rains Almost Every Day I was quite apprehensive about going to Sikkim in December because I do not enjoy cold weather. Well, the lower regions like Gangtok and Pelling were not that cold for me after I wrapped myself up in a thick jacket. However, in Gangtok, almost…
Nathu-La, India-China Border, Sikkim
Nathu-La, India-China Border, Sikkim: Also Known as the Old Silk Route Nathu-La the India-China Border, also known as the old silk route, was on my agenda when I went to Sikkim in the last week of December. The place and my trip is still itched in my memory and I have so many photographs from…
A Walk to Sangacholing Monastery, Pelling, Sikkim
Sangacholing Monastery Premises, Pelling, Sikkim There are two monasteries (also known as Gompas) in Pelling, Sangacholing and Pemayangtse. As of now to reach Sangacholing, one has to walk. As Sesha and I love to walk, it was the first place we visited in Pelling. While we were going up, two couples were coming down. At…
Retiring to the Hills in India?
How many times have you come across a beautiful place and thought, “Oh! I could build a house nearby and retire here?” I must have done it every two kilometers in North Sikkim, it looks so bewitchingly beautiful and so utterly, truly and completely green. My husband, more often than not, nods his head in…
Border Roads Organization (BRO): I am a Fan
Border Roads Organization (BRO) Signboard: Yumthang Valley, Sikkim I am a big fan Border Roads Organization (BRO). What do they do? As the name suggests, they maintain the roads that are on the border that India has with other countries. And that means tough job. With a humble beginning, with just two Projects – Project…
Hotels, Restaurants and the Like
A Hotel Door (Pelling, Sikkim, India) I was reading The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai on the trip to Sikkim. A paragraph where she is talking about Biju, an illegal immegrant in US working in a restaurant, caught my attention. The sound of their fight had traveled up the flight of steps and struck…
India’s Highest ATM at Thegu (Sikkim, India)?
Just a little before Nathu-La (India-China border in Sikkim), at a small place called Thegu, I saw a sign saying “High Altitude ATM.” It belongs to UTI Bank(Unit Trust of India) and my hunch is that the people from the Indian army are its only users. The sign gave the height of the spot as…
Shops in Pelling (West Sikkim)
A Small Shop Selling Tea and Eatables at Night Shops in Pelling are small and colorful. They mostly sell local goods, I saw no branded outlets there (but there are a few in Gangtok). The highest numbers of shops are obviously travel related. Next comes the corner liquor shops of Pelling. The corner liquor shops…
Sikkim Redefines Green for Me
Khang-Chen-Dzon Ga (Kanchanjunga) A few months back I was inviting suggestions and when a colleague talked about a visit to Sikkim in December, I was intrigued but apprehensive at the same time. He assured me it would not be very cold. But cold can mean different things to different people. When folks have yet to…