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Sunrise in Darjeeling
Need an editable PowerPoint map of North East India It seemed daft on my part to dream of a holiday in the hills in early January, what with every prospect of being greeted by nothing but king-size blankets of snow. My friends weren’t sure I would survive the brutal cold of a typical winter that you experience in places where the absolutely breathtaking Kanchenjunga is the view from your hotel room window. Well, where there’s a will, there’s (always) a way, wouldn’t you say?
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely certain myself if almost four years in a house with the conspicuous absence of an air conditioner was ideal preparation for such a break. Four years in this city to amplify the point. My doubts set aside, my co-pilgrim and I finally landed in a fascinating hill station called Darjeeling with two knapsacks and huge amounts of self-deprecating humor. A place as familiar as Darjeeling needs little description, even if some of us haven’t been there. Carpets of luscious green tea plantations, winding rivers, rolling hills, many a picturesque village, trees and shrubs spouting cascades of gorgeous orchids in full bloom, the appetizing aroma of steamed dumplings, the demonstrably warm and genial Nepalese people, and of course the lofty Himalayas. You ask yourself if paradise is a bit like this town!
Here’s how you can find yourself in Darjeeling. If you prefer to fly from here, arrive at Bagdogra and proceed to Darjeeling by taxi. The 100-kilometre journey is a joy in itself. The smell of pines waft through the mist even before you actually see that you are flanked on both sides by miles of pines, and you can sniff a hint of citric fruitiness in the air. This lovely place has so much for the keen tourist or even the new settler. One such place not to be missed is a sunrise on Tiger Hills. A sunrise on a beach is quite a spectacle but try one on a hilltop at 2,585 meters above sea level where the maximum temperatures are 4 degrees centigrade. And then there’s the Kanchenjunga waiting in the dark to come alive with the first rays of the sun. You’ll forgive yourself for the loud teeth-chattering gasps, and for your face going purple in the bitterly cold of the wee hours of the morning. The night before “the sunrise day” seemed long even when we knew we had to be up at 3 am. The gentle hum of the room heater reminded us that we had an enormously important appointment in the hours that followed. It was as good as any other ebony night when we got to the hilltop a little before 4 o’clock. The glorious silence of Tiger Hills was shattered by people who began to fill the place. Very soon, people were seen huddling in groups in anticipation of yet another beautiful dawn.
The lot of us that turned up for the morning were not more than 30 in all, enough to stand there comfortably. We were advised by the local coffee-selling ladies to keep moving our limbs just so we didn’t go numb. The minutes seemed like eternity in the freezing cold whilst we waited for the sun to show up on the horizon. We were ready with our cameras for the moment to catch the first smattering of orange in the sky even before the sun rose. We hoped that the mist wouldn’t spoil the view, and in our case, a rare chance. The local taxi drivers had tried to deter us from going to Tiger Hills lest the mist marred the thrill of the experience. I’m glad I remained determined to be there, for as luck would have it, it was a perfect day for a wondrous sunrise. As soon as we saw the night sky turn pale orange in the distance in a very small streak, we turned towards the Kanchenjunga (black all this while) to find a few peaks slowly transform into a faint golden yellow. It was a little past 6 now. Cameras could be heard clicking away already, gasps of utter disbelief and whoops of a few children added to the sounds.
As minutes passed, the sun finally rose from its slumber, steadily, silently. With the sky changing colors now, we could see the snow-capped mountains standing majestically. The peaks appeared to be adorned with glittery gold foils. It was a piece of reality extraordinaire. We were absolutely blown away. We looked around us, drank in the beauty, mindless of the fact that there was a world below. But for the silence that was broken, it was a time second to none. It didn’t matter that our toes hurt and nearly froze. It was more than worth the wait. It was more than a tequila sunrise. I’d like to think Robert Plant was here in the winter of 1970 for the inspiration he needed to write a song with an unforgettable riff called ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. One can never tell….
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. More on Chillibreeze.comRelated links: Darjeeling’s Attraction is Timeless and Appeals to Both Children and Adults Other popular articles on Chillibreeze: Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns
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