For whatever reason, we have not really been able to get out "on the land" this trip. But today, we took a nice walk through the rural landscape of Sikkim. Because of last night's gentle rain, the morning dawned cool and damp. We walked for only an hour or so, and covered maybe three kilometers, but it felt nice just to walk ! We visited a nice private Christian school, watched Gail take on a bull ( all for photography, of course! ), meandered past simple, lovely farmsteads, even watched man plough his field with oxen. Then, another bumpy bus ride out of Sikkim back into West Bengal to the bustling little town of Kalimpong. Our accommodation is another beautiful relic of the British raj, the Himalayan Hotel. Some of us took another evening stroll into the centre of town, under neon and Christmas-like lights, into the hustle and bustle of a lively Indian town. We are getting used to the smells, the jostling and the endless noise of people and car horns. The horns are not even really registering anymore. The day was capped off by the most convivial evening of the trip, with pre-dinner drinks ( the Indian whisky was not bad ! ) , good food, and Subash telling a couple of his death-defying climbing stories. And so, to bed !
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| Lou at Martam with huge poinsettia tree |
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| Morning hike ... Jo and Gail |
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| Morning hike ... Lou in Sikkim |
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| Best beer in Sikkim |
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| Ploughing with oxen in Sikkim |
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| St. Joseph's private school in Martam |
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| Group at Himalayan Hotel, Kalimpong |
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