A Sliver of Sikkim: A Travel Diary

chillibreeze writer — Sharmistha Dey

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It was a pleasant day on the fringe of summer that I set foot on Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim and one of North East India's most visited cities. A three-hour jeep drive from Jalpaiguri took me to this eponymous city. At first glance, it appeared chequered with tiny commercial establishments (particularly mobile service outlets rearing their heads in every corner of the city) and heritage buildings rehabilitated into tourist centers.

The roads were muddy because of the unremitting rains but a dip in temperature was welcoming for city dwellers like me desperately seeking a respite from rancid weather conditions. I decided to take a walk down the Mall but it was also necessary to dump the bags at some place. So I checked into a hotel that looked like it was just spiffed up (I could smell the paint actually!), and headed out. A cloud of mist blanketed the city in a very controlled manner. The locals walked by oblivious of the sun and rain tango, quite contrary to what I was experiencing. After all, not everyday do I get to observe such weather moods.

After a few exchanges with the travel agent guys, I booked a ride to Lachung Valley in North Sikkim. The alarm rang sharp at 6 am and I jaunted off to the stop where the jeep driver was waiting. The seven-hour long drive on the spiraling roads didn’t tire me out especially when I could partake of the most breathtaking view. The sun continued to play hide and seek with the clouds; the tall proud green mountains smiled at the onlookers, breaking this pattern at times, by cheerfully allowing the whiteness of the gushing waterfalls interfere with its greenness.

By the time I reached Lachung, it was dusk. The roaring sound of the Teesta river that traipsed by the mountains did not intervene with the serenity of the tiny sleepy town. Kids peered out of the windows curiously looking at the tourists while the women scurried to collect logs for the fire. The wooden houses shared a certain camaraderie with the towering pine trees and the occasional drizzle added a touch of romance—a perfect setting for poetry. With all the trappings of indolence, this hamlet induced everyone who set foot here to bask in its nothingness.

The cottage I was goaded to rested comfortably on the lap of a terrain; the stairs spiraled up to the mezzanine, with windows overlooking the Teesta. I slipped into a reverie and I didn’t want to break free of it. The housekeeper served a fantastic dinner (meals sans chicken and eggs are not considered complete in the east) at the patio downstairs; after a couple of insouciant exchanges with her, I was up for winks at the den.

The next two days were heavenly—the ride to Yumthang valley lined with pine trees dotted with snow seemed to me a painting that I desperately wanted to possess. The snow-clad mountains in Katao played the perfect host in an unfamiliar environment—Katao has no civilization except for a few Army camps. I was hoping to see the rapturous rhododendrons but it is only in the month of June that the Valley is rife with the effervescent blooms. Nevertheless, the starkness of the unending white interspersed with green was a memorable sliver that I carried with me from the vista. The rhododendrons still await me…

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Planning a trip to North East India? Learn more about this beautiful region:

• Look at our photo index that has some interesting pictures from the NE of India
• Go trout fishing in Meghalaya.
• Follow the Buddhist trail at Tawang.
• Get a glimpse of the paradise that Shillong, Meghalaya is

 

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—About our writer: Sharmistha writes for chillibreeze.

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