Is There an End to Nature?

chillibreeze writer — Nalini Pradhan

No matter how many words you use to describe the hills of the North East, you feel there is something still lacking.

The serenity and the calmness, the majestic mountains covered with lush green, the snow- capped hills, well one could go on and on. When you think about the beauty of the hill stations, there is one name that springs into our minds: Darjeeling – The Queen of Hills.

However, this time we decided to break the norm and satisfy our visual greed by feasting on some of the most pristine places that are great for weekends. These places are not as popular, but it comes without the heavy influx of tourists that vandalize the very essence of a quiet weekend.

Having being born and brought up in Darjeeling, the basic traveling guide was a piece of cake. However, for the first-timers there are flights from your city to Bagdogra airport from where you can conveniently rent a car of your choice at the taxi booth. But hey! Don’t forget to bargain (you can always save some money). Me.? I prefer the more relaxed and the long enduring journey on a train, savoring and enjoying every bit of that wonderful view, trying to capture and save enough to satisfy my future greed.

We (along with some of my friends) gathered at the Sealdah station, Kolkata, half an hour before departure time which was 8.10p.m. (Darjeeling mail). Armed with all our gears, we were ready to let down our hair and dirty our feet. We reached the New Jalpaiguri station after a long 12-hour journey. We wasted no time in renting a taxi after some serious haggling, which, finally turned to cajoling. In the end, we were all happy.

The road trip to Loleygaon left us all awestruck; it was like looking at a picture postcard: lovely view of the mountains laden with all kinds of flowers, the winding roads passing through the mountains…

Did I say winding roads? Well! For some that might sound like an ordeal (that includes me), I carry some medicines to avoid the aftermath and so should you.

We passed several tea estates on our way. We decided to grab something to eat and made a quick stop at a small tea-stall run by a local family. The food was great (hot momos served with spicy chutney left me feeling nostalgic). It was nearing evening; the sky was transformed into a vast canvas with bold colors splashed all over, preparing for the spectacular sunset. We decided to stop and watch the drama unfold.

We reached Loleygaon towards nightfall. After covering a distance of 136km, we were shaken up pretty rough. We had booked a cottage and it was quite late; so, we all scurried into our rooms and snuggled up under the warm blankets.

The next morning we were all set to see the sunrise at the nearby hilltop ‘Jhandi Dara.’ Contrary to our expectations, the place was infested with tourists. They were all over the place beaming with excitement, ready with their cameras to capture the sight of their lifetime. The sunrise over the snow ridges was a view unlike anything I had ever seen before.

On our return to the cottage, one of the employees introduced us to his young son, who was to be our guide. Though we did not need one, it was a kind gesture.

We spent the rest of the day loitering in the local market, sampling the local fares and walking through the vast reserve of oaks, firs and other beautiful trees that are a part of their heritage. We were quite tired by the evening and the chilly weather forcing us to retreat, we decided to call it a day. Having a local help does make things easier.

On the next day, which was to be our last day, we decided to head towards “lava” a quaint village situated 12Km from Loleygaon. Our first stop was at a wonderful monastery nestling in the hills amidst verdant greenery. The view of the Kanchanjunga from this vantage point is absolutely stunning. However, we could not visit the Neora Valley National park, though we did manage to get a wonderful glimpse of the Jelep La and Rechi La pass just before heavy clouds descended from the sky and spoilt the fun. The temperature was dropping quickly, announcing the arrival of light showers any minute.

The weather deprived us of the pleasure of enjoying our last view of the wonderful sunset. I guess, even nature is jealous of too much contentment!

The next day, we were ready to trace our steps backwards, carrying with us the wonderful memories of a weekend which could not have been any better. We thanked everyone for their friendly hospitality and, of course, the little boy without whom our weekend would have been futile.

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Nalini says, "I take what life dishes out to me. I love having fun..and fun..and lots of fun.."

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