Summer in Sikkim-way to Pelling
Table of contents for Summer in Sikkim
So finally we will be visiting Sikkim. It seems in Manish’s office this is a “To Visit” place. When I started to read about Sikkim, there were many surprises in store. How less I knew about my own country? Sikkim was a separate country till 1975 and then in the 1975 referendum, 97% of the electorate voted for it to be transformed from a Protectorate to an associate state of India. Sikkim is not dogged with the social and economic problems like casteism, child labor, begging and discrimination against women. The crime rate is negligible and the state is not troubled with insurgency.
We booked our tickets well two months in advance, but we started planning and hotel booking only one two weeks before. I always swear that I will never do it like that, but then always get attracted to “The Charms of Laziness”, making trivial things like booking a hotel, an adventure, a suspense.
After surfing, reading & getting some good suggestions, we settled for West Sikkim- Pelling, Yuksom and Biksthang. Manish’s Manager advised us to not go to Gangtok at all unless there is a plan for North Sikkim. Thank God we did so! BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
From Bagdogra Airport (in W. Bengal) we hired a van for Pelling from the pre-paid counter. Our driver was Mr. Aaroop Dutt. I would have taken him as a co-passenger, a nice looking gentleman, very jovial, stylish and intelligent too.
You could feel the communist influence on him. I think this is present in most of the Bengalis whether or not they are supporters of communism. A mineral water bottle: Please don’t buy it from the petrol pump, that guy is anyway rich enough. Please buy it from a nearby shop and help them to earn a little, was his suggestion.
A few vocabularies we picked from him: “Sukh-tak” Happy days, “Dukh-tak” bad days and the real gem “Tuk-tak” for our “theek-thak”. So imagine someone asking you, how are you and you impressing him with your “Tuk-tak.”
In the start of the trip itself, there was an important instruction for us. Aaroop told us that during the journey it would not be possible for him to stop more than 3-4 times. After leaving us at Pelling he had to start immediately for Gangtok, where he can expect a passenger in the morning. And he wanted to reach Gangtok before sunset. Oh so we have to limit our photo clicking, too bad.
First came the trading town of Siliguri. And then there came the place where narrow gauge track was passing in vicinity of broad gauge track. Rachit ( he is now 5+) was observing everything keenly. Pat came his question- “What is this? The train track is so narrow!” We explained him that it is a narrow gauge train track that goes to Darjeeling on which runs a Toy Train. “A Toy Train! Why are we not going there?” As ever, he was a good boy. We explained and he tried to understand— This time Successfully.
