Before traveling to a new country, we like to play a little game where Ryan looks up the temperature so we can get a glimpse of our future. As we were anticipating our trip to India, Ryan read off temperatures that were around 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. As we already felt like we were dying in the intense sun in Sri Lanka at a whopping 85-95 degrees . . . well, let's just say we tried not to think about it too hard. Luckily for us, our fiery fate was delayed by the glorious 60-65 degree temperatures in Darjeeling. You guys – I got to wear socks and leggings every night! We really, really liked it here for more than just the temperature, which really was great, but you get it and I'll move on . . .
Located in West Bengal, in the “Lesser Himalaya,” Darjeeling is a busy mountain town that provides incredible views of THE Himalayas; to be specific, Kanchenjunga (pictured – it's the third-highest mountain in the world!) and, if you're lucky, Mount Everest itself. Sadly, as is true with a lot of cities visited in off-season, some of the normal attractions tend to be unavailable. We had a very cloudy stay, so we spotted Kanchenjunga for a few moments at 5 AM from the front porch of our host’s house, and we didn't get a chance to take a “peak” at Everest (get it?). We weren't too concerned though, we'll see it one day. Our host used to lead treks to Everest Base Camp and gave us lots of good information.
While in Darjeeling, we enjoyed the incredible hospitality of our new friend Sanjay (previously referred to as “our host” - pictured above with his beautiful wife). They brought us tea every morning and provided us with great insights on what to do and how to get around the lovely town of “Darling.”
The day we arrived we had spent ~40 hours awake and traveling. You'd think it wouldn't take very long to get from Sri Lanka to India, but you'd be wrong. We did nothing after we arrived in Darling, other than enjoy the dinner provided by Sanjay and his wife, and then promptly fall asleep by 8:30 PM. The day after we arrived, after 12 hours of sleep and a nice hot cup of tea, we set out to breakfast at the famous Keventer's, which has been in business there for over 100 years. After some awesome coffee and egg sandwiches, we walked to the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, which also encompasses the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The institute houses some of the equipment and heroic, often tragic stories of the brave souls to attempt the daunting climb to Mount Everest and other Himalayas. We learned a lot and walked away with a hunger to learn more. Within the park perimeter is also the Bengal Natural History Museum, which as with most museums of its nature, is a taxidermist's dream and a taxidermiphobe's worst nightmare (the eyes . . . oh God, the eyes).
One of our favorite experiences in Darling was at the former Buddhist monastery, now the Mahakal Temple for the Lord Shiva. Lined with rows and rows of colorful prayer flags, this spot on Observatory Hill gave us chills. With the constant sound of ringing bells, smell of incense, and surrounding fog that comes with living in a cloud, it felt otherworldly. We loved it so much, we left and then decided we wanted to go back up one more time to soak it in a little longer.
We spent a lot of time just walking around, enjoying the sights of the homes, schools, and businesses all stacked up on top of one another, lining the hills around and below us. And a lot of time drinking tea; they do say that Darjeeling tea is the “champagne of teas.” I'm not entirely sure what that's supposed to mean, but it's really good. One particular place, called the Hot Stimulating Cafe (no, seriously), also had amazing steamed veggie momos, which are dumplings native to South Asia and very delicious. We even had a few opportunities to sit down and drink some beer in the area! Our favorite was Joey's Pub, which was playing Elvis and others the entire time and pleased my homesick-and-oldies-loving heart. The fusion of Indian, Tibetan, and Nepali food, the tea, the people – all worth the long journey and well worth going back for. Until next time, Darling!
