Days 7 - 10 in India

With the exception of early on day7, Darjeeling has been engulfed in cloud, so no mountains. The last few days have been uneventful, I have just been hanging out drinking chai and eating lots of curry and street food. I very nearly joined a 7 day trek to the base of Khangchendzonga, but it was too soon and too expensive and as it happens Kerry has been ill, so it was a good call. Today, Thursday, Kerry and I should have left to go trekking, but as Kerry is not 100%, we'll go tomorrow. Darjeeling has really grown on me and you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The town is mainly on the west facing slopes but it creeps up and over a ridge and this is where I've been hanging out, listening to the distant sound of the traffic. Looking east the mountain falls away into a deep valley and at night it is like seeing a stary sky below which merges with the sky above, its a surreal sight.
Connection or coincidence?
I was sitting in bar here in Darjeeling, drinking coffee by the way and I saw something strange. A local poured himself a beer, took a pinch of the frothy head and put it in his pocket, strange hey? I was quite shocked to see this as its not the first time I've seen it. A similar thing takes place in Bolivia, when the person with the biggest head on their beer, takes a pinch and pockets it thus preventing bad luck. I questioned the local but he was too drunk to explain and simply stated it was his style.
Another thing happened too, you'll often hear the local women singing around Darjeeling and I did infact hear them singing a song to the tune of 'Blowing in the wind' by Bob Dylan. Once again this isn't the first time I've heard this sung with a religious connection. The other time was at mass in the highlands of Guatemala, strange but true.

Day 6

At 5am I was sure the room was getting lighter, I got up and creeped outside, I was wrong, it was still pitch black and fog was all around, gutted. At 6am without much hope I checked again, and there they were. The Himalayas and Khangchendzonga the third highest mountain in the world standing at 8598m, it was a sight to behold and I stood mesmorised by it.

I have just realised that my love for the mountains started almost exactly 10years ago. It was March 2000 and I was trekking along the Overland route in Tasmania. A recommended side trip was to climb Mt Ossa, which was the highest point in Tasmania. It was tough and relatively dangerous for a complete novice to the hills like myself. Upon reaching the top I remember being slightly overwhelmed. The 360 views were unforgettable and the feeling of being out there in the wild, days from civilisation must have stirred something inside me. I shared the moment with Jay, a welsh lad I was travelling with and an older Ozzy bloke. He informed us that in all his years as a keen hiker, he'd never been to such a ruggedly beautiful place. We shared a hip flask of whiskey and headed back down. Summer 2003, on top of Mount Snowdon in Wales, a break in the clouds revealed the world below and suddenly I felt the need to climb a big mountain. I was with my mate Ste on Snowdon, and whether or he was feeling the same as me, he came along for the ride. Jan 2004, in wintry conditions, myself, Ste and our guide stood on top of Ben Nevis, kitted out in crampons, ice axes, harness, rope etc this was real mountaineering, I loved it. July 2004, I attempted to climb Mount Blanc(4808m), the biggest in western Europe, with Ste. Altitude sickness and poor weather conditions denied us, but I'd had a taste of mountaineering in the Alps and knew I would return. July 2005, unguided and against the odds, along with Ste and new team memeber Gary, I stood on top of Europe. Jagged peaks all around reached for the sky but none higher than me, I was so exhausted the moment almost passed me by, but reliving that moment again now, I realise it didn't pass me by at all. June 2008, Peruvian Andes. Sunrise, in an area desribed as the greatest mountain range outside of the Himalaya, I reached high and smashed my ice axe into the face. I hauled myself onto the summit plateau and rolled away from the edge. All alone I stood on top of Nevado Pisco (5752m). There was no feeling quite like it and getting there and more importantly getting back down alive is the greatest achievement of my life. So, a decade later I find myself starring at the Himalayas and wonder if fate has lead me here. I know for sure its not my time to climb a big mountain, but there is a chance I could climb a 6000m plus peak. For now, I'm happy to admire from afar but for how long?

Day 5

The overnight journey to New Jaipalguri was an easy one. My sleeper class bunk cost 260Rs(4quid) and was really quite comfy. I shared my compartment with Kerry, a Slovakian girl called Katarina and an Indian family of eight sharing five bunks. From the train station it was a further 3hours by jeep (120Rs) to Darjeeling with our new friend Katarina. On first sight, Darjeeling is a little on the ugly side and not the mountain retreat I had imagined.After a bit of a hike and viewing a couple of shitholes, Kerry and I, both short of breath, found 'The Grace Inn' and dumped our bags. By this time it was early afteroon and Darjeeling was well and truly in the clouds. It was frustrating not being able to see the mountains but it gave me chance to see the town. After the heat of Kolkata, Darjeeling felt freezing, and so drinking chai is what people do here. Up above the ugliness of the main through road is a pedestrianised square, where locals sit on benches, chat and drink chai, it's just perfect.

A short walk from here, past market stalls selling all the essential woolens, an enticing cafe called Hasty Tasty was having a magnetic effect on me. With large glass windows offering sweeping views of the valley and a menu full of the tempting unknown, I had a feeling i would be spending alot of time here. After a great meal and some more chai in the square,it seemed Darjeeling was heading to bed, so I followed suit. If the early bird catches the worm then the early Neil sees the mountains. I set my alarm for 6am, had a final look outside for the mountains, no show, and hit the hay.

Day 4

Having missed out on the flower market yesterday, I made an early start and along the way found a streetside tea and toast man. I was delighted for two reasons, the tea and toast was absolutely delicious and the price was 15p, at this early stage on my Indian adventure I'm quite sure this will turn out to be the cheapest place I've travelled around.
It seems the closer you get to the river in Kolkata, the poorer it is, and the flower market proved to be no exception, but I felt neither threatened or hassled. If India is colourful, then a flower market in India is like like looking inside Austin Powers' wardrobe on acid. The flower market exists purely because of the Hindu faith and the peoples desire to make an offering of flowers when visiting a temple. I think for this reason alone many thousands of Indians are able to eat each day. The flower market itself gets a bit overwhelming and it was a welcome sight to see an escape up onto the H Bridge, said to be the busiest in the world. As far as vehicle traffic goes I'm sure its no busier than any other city bridge, but pedestrians, well thats a different matter. I crossed the bridge going against the flow and from start to finish there were crowds of people crossing and all eyes were on me. On both sides of the river there are ghats, which are steps leading down to the river, where locals bath in the filthy brown water. Like the advert says, India really is incredible and Kolkata is at the heart of what India is about, both good and bad. It has an energy that just picks you up and carries you to somewhere new, a new stage where you can buy a cup of hot fresh chai and watch the show. During the interval follow your nose and discover the tastes of India and beyond. It doesn't matter if you cannot find your way back to your old seat because a new drama is unfolding before your very eyes and sometimes, you are the main character.
The day before I arrived in Kolkata, Monday, was Holi, a Hindu festival involving throwing powder bombs of colour around. Well now on the Saturday after this event, its funny to still see people and dogs still stained by the red dye. Its not just the odd person either, it seems like one in fifty. Another thing I have noticed is the amount of men here in comparison to women. I'd guess for every woman I have seen, I have seen a hundred men. Some of these men walk holding hands or arm in arm, a strange sight to see where homosexuality is both illegal and generally not accepted by society, so why? This I'm not sure of yet but endeavour to find out. Sadly, Kolkata is home to many homeless, an alarming amount. Even sadder to see is the amount of street children and babies that sleep on the streets. In a place where it costs so little to eat it is truely heart breaking to see. On my travels I have seen a huge amount of money being given to the church, wats, mosques, temples etc and cannot help but wonder if this money was given to those in need, then maybe it would go along way to solving this problem. Afterall, surely God would rather help the poor.
I caught a taxi to Sealdah train station, boarded the Darjeeling Mail and said farewell to this amazing city. I felt like a little boy on Xmas eve, tomorrow I would see the Himalayas, the greatest mountain range on the planet.

Day 3

After a fruit, muesli and yoghurt brekkie, I was heading on foot to the BBD neighbourhood, where colonial builings dominate the skyline, including the columns and domed roof of the immaculate white washed GPO and the spire of St Johns Church. I did have a purpose for being here, I was headed to the Houghly River and the flower market below the 'busiest bridge in the world', but first I had to buy a train ticket to Darjeeling. This was my first taste of Indian beaurocracy and the first time in 20 years I saw a BBc computer. I collected my number and sat waiting. Two of the three counters were open but that soon became one even though three operatives were there. Anyway an hour later and I had purchased two of the last three sleeper beds on the Darjeeling Mail leaving tomorrow night. I couldn't walk past the man selling dosa masala, a veg and potatoe mash served in a giant wrap/roti (15Rs) with three dips, I was happy again and washed it down with a sweet yoghurt drink called a 'lassi'. There was no time for the flower market as I had my ticket for take two of the presentation at the planetarium. My guidebook said 'thickly accented english', but for me it was just occasional english which really was a shame because the visual effect was amazing. It was back to Sudder street after that just to relax in familiar surroundings. It had been a very hot day, high 30's and I was really fancying a beer with my curry, but when in Rome etc...

Day 2

My first full day in India has been superb, Kolkata is an immense city and so full of life. If it differs from my perception of the place, then maybe it's a little easier to just be an obvious foreigner. Kolkata is a great place to just leave your guide book and get lost in its narrow streets which I did. I also visited the Victoria Memorial building, a stunning reminder of the British Raj. Set in beautiful gardens the 4Rs entrance fee means its a great place to escape the chaos that lies beyond. On the steps leading to the main entrance, Kerry and I were in high demand. It was time for any Indian and his wife, kids and mate to have a photo with the white couple, we had to make a sharp exit as a queue was forming. The Victoria Memorial itself is a stunner and reminded me alot of the Cunnard Building (with bells on) at Liverpools Pier Head.

After a power cut ruled out the English presentation at the planetarium the rest of the day was dedicated to eating. Its not hard to find food in this city, every street corner and sometimes whole streets are swamped with mobile kitchens cooking tonnes and tonnes of various curries to feed the millions. For tea, I chose a more upmarket venue, meaning it had tables and chairs and the owner was delighted to have and recommended a few dishes, including a paneer(cheese) butter masala and a lentil curry called Chola Bhotura

India

On the 1st March 2010, after almost 2years 2months travelling I went to bed in Bangkok but could not sleep with excitement.
The following day at 15.30pm the plane I was on touched down in Kolkata, India. An hour later I was sharing a taxi heading into the centre of this city of 15million people. It seemed like all 15million were on the streets at once as our battered yellow taxi weaved its way through tiny gaps in the traffic, beeping his horn relentlessly. I was mesmorised by the chaos that is daily life here in India. I was heading to Sudder Street, the so called backpacker area of town. In the 45mins it took to get here I did not see one westerner, which is a good thing. Sudder street, to my relief is a miilion miles away from the Khao San Road of Bangkok, there are just a handful of travellers here and Indian life still dominates proceedings. I checked into the Galaxy hotel on Stuart St, a side street off Sudder st (300 Rs) and went for a wonder.

Without a plan or a map, I followed my senses. I wondered down busy side streets, the scent of Begali cuisine enticing me and listened for the sounds of Bollywood, the latter being nearly impossible over the constant horn blowing. I was drawn to a hole in the wall where people queued. Being Britsh I love a good queue, so I joined it and ended up with a chicken tikka wrap(16Rs) for my troubles, delicious.
Everywhere you go,it seems people are drinking tea, a legacy of the Britsh, so I stopped for a spot of tea or chai served in a clay pot(5Rs) which are used once and then destroyed, the chai was delicious by the way with a hint of ginger.