Turquoise rivers flowing along pebbled banks, snaking their way through the misty mountains, towering conifers,snow capped peaks, the faint chill in the air, chirping birds, the breath of fresh air that fills your lungs, the numb fingers tucked into pockets, the piping hot momos , the happy go life around you & the beautiful heartwarming people, all these & more awaits you in the beautiful land of sikkim.
Packing my bags back in Bangalore, i had no idea what to expect in Sikkim. All i had were the apprehensions people readily gave me for travelling alone all the way to the other corner of the country. But as somebody said,everything you want is on the other side of fear.
The view from my aerial window
As if to wash away my apprehensions the sun put on a impressive show painting the sky in hues i cant even name. After witnessing the glorious sunset from my window I landed in Bagadogra airport at about 6. It was already dark.(in the north east dusk comes at 5.00 pm!).I took a 5 hour shared cab ride to Gangtok. By the time i reached my drop point it was almost midnight.With my next to nothing knowledge of the city i could hardly navigate to my hotel in broad daylight let alone in the pitch dark. My cab driver came to the rescue & graciously called on a taxi to drop me at my hotel, gave the directions & made sure to check that i reached safe! This was my first encounter with the Sikkimese hospitality in the string of more to come!
I confess i am not an early riser but being in Sikkim i had to absolutely catch the glorious sunrise which bathes the snow dressed Kanchenjunga peak in a golden glow. This my friends is the perfect way to start your day.
You can go around Gangtok city & nearby tourist spots on a day tour. I decided to take a tour to Tsomgo lake & Nathula pass in the hope of catching some snow & being 2 feet away from china!
Packed in layers of winter wear i left my hotel to catch the jeep which was to take me & 8 others up to Nathula. It is always safer & much more fun to take a shared tour. After all travel is all about places you go, people you meet, stories you share & memories you make for a lifetime. Needless to say we left as 9 strangers from different parts of the country on a single mission to get lost in the gorgeous views that was on offer & ended up inviting each other to our hometowns for more travel stories to be weaved.
it is an enthralling one hour ride uphill to Tsomgo lake. Roll the window down & enjoy the changing landscapes from green pastures to rolling hills to deep gorges to towering rugged mountains. all the time the jeep is spearing through the cold winds ,at times precariously zipping through verges. As you climb further the road ahead seems to pass through fluffs of clouds. Vehicles on the higher passes look the size of matchsticks. This is a humbling experience as you comprehend the scale of nature in front of your eyes. You cant pass without wondering at the exceptional skill & dedication the Indian army has put up at building these roads in such difficult terrain, with the frosting cold as a constant companion.
En-route Tsomgo Lake
After the thrilling ride we reach the much instagrammed ( synonym for ‘much acclaimed’ nowadays!) Tsomgo lake. Tsomgo lake reminds you of a magical snow globe, with sparkling turquoise waters circled by snow powdered mountains. Faraway from the hustle bustle of human habitation,this has to be clearest deep blue water i have laid my eyes upon. Part of the lake was frozen solid with a thick sheet of glistening ice.
The icy blue waters of Tsomgo
This is the kind of place where you would want to throw all your worries away & just stare out the infinite expanse of pure beauty that surrounds you. And that is what i set out to do but that wasn’t meant to happen as a group of young boys with their yaks raided in offering a yak ride around the lake. After much persuasion they finally got me to say yes. I got to ride this beautifully being with its not so friendly horns & i am guessing it took an instant dislike to me ( In my defense, i dint even boo!) The ride turned out to be less of a pleasure trip & more of hanging onto dear life as the dear thing kept running off course threatening to toss me into the frozen lake!
That ride surely shook me out of my reverie & the natural call of hunger took over. We stopped over at a little shop by the road to have steaming cup of coffee & snacks. What an perfect setting for a coffee, we sat there for a while, our numb fingers wrapped around the coffee cup, feasting our eyes on the enchanting setting, trying to shut out our ears to the almost threatening calls of our driver to resume the journey onward to Nathula.
Catch the next blog where i take you with me on my journey to the rugged terrain of India- China border, climb up a frozen waterfalls & share with you an amazing story of an Indian Army Officer whose spirit still guards the border!