Yo Honky (Saturday 7 May 2011)

Ahhh great night. Out onto the streets from Upper Sichey and heading for MG Marg. Road goes up past a new looking Paljor Stadium, painted in Sikkimese colors and even has mod grass.

From Sikkim, India. May 2011

Gangtok is spread across a southern running ridge with river cut valleys on both sides. The city spread appears to range from about 1200 to 1800mtrs with Sichey sitting at about 1400 mtrs. Views across the valley to the west indicate quite a bit of satellite sprinkle of villages and institutions etc including the golden roofed Rumtek monastery. The weather at the moment is overcast and the higher mountains are hidden.

From Sikkim, India. May 2011

Walk along steep thin roads, no paths, through multistoried concrete rendered residential buildings, painted similar to most of northern India that we have seen so far. Pockets of tall thick green bamboo stand in the occasional break of buildings. Large open storm water drains form semi artificial cascades down the ridge slope with unfortunately quite a bit of collected garbage. Sikkim may have a ban on plastic bags, but there appears to be plenty of other plastic and non plastic items to accumulate.

Up past the GPO to Hospital point where inpatients enter the hospital just across from the major highway junction heading north. A smartly uniformed traffic police officer stands beneath a small circular rain shelter in the middle directing the flow with crisp white gloves. Continue a little further now plateauing before crossing via a pedestrian overpass and entering the MG Marg a wide open vehicle restricted shopping plaza/mall. Laid out with central seating, lighting, bins, garden and water features it could be anywhere. Try out the bakery cafe's "Great coffee" which is not bad but hot and a little flavorless, the bacon and eggs are also a bit of a let down. Banana pancake quite good.

Wander up instead to Tibet road which appears to be hotel after hotel climbing up the hillside to Bhanupath just below the ridge line. Stop in at Cafe live and loud which has wifi, well set up and is a local live music venue. Nice place with deck breakfast seating and smartly dressed staff. No one else here at this time though with the inside bars, seating and stage all silent. Try coffee which is better than Bakery cafe but still not punchy and strong.

Continue up to Bhanupath and wander below a large gompa around past the secretariat before descending steeply beneath the ropeway above to Nam Nam Rd and the Highway. Avoid the multicolored conduit piping sticking out of the road side freshly laid but unfinished as we share the steep road down with honking taxis and private jeeps. Somedays the honking really gets to you and the consideration that should one be unfortunate enough to pass on, the occupation as a ghost with nightly vehicle horn haunting would be adequate payback. Thankfully not many trucks or buses on this road.

Back up a knoll at the Deorali end of the rope way and past the Chogyal memorial park to the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. The museum ground floor being more Buddhist historical iconography and worship items then the Tibet incorporated culture that I thought it would be. Time it perfectly however as today showing in the next door hall an ethnologist film recording on film some of the life and rituals of an 80 year old Lepcha shaman (Padim). The Lepchas being the first transient people to settle the valley believed from the east, versus the later northern Mongolian/Tibet orientated Bhotias and again later south eastern Nepalis. It was a great film compiled over quite a few years living in the North of Sikkim. The hall was packed to capacity mainly with locals and Indian tourists who all seemed to enjoy the entertainment. We purchased a DVD of the film as extra funds were being raised to help supplement the film makers trip to London where he has been sponsored to undertake some training in filming. It is nice to see the traditional culture being kept for future generations to view.

By the time the movie had finished and we were wandering back up the hill following the Highway the heavens opened and it started to rain heavily. We took refugee in a well spotted and conveniently timed Cafe Coffee Day where we had our best coffee of the day. Good crema, good taste, even a bit of crema art and topped off by a great choc brownie.

Back out onto the pavement, still heavily raining from above. Storm water drains getting a workout. Up past western brand shops before crossing up and into the Kanchendzonga shopping complex which is definitely more Paddies market than Westfield. Great fruit and veg market downstairs like a decentralized and less organised Harris farm fruit and veg shop.

Eventually make it back to the apartment but semi soaked. Reveille in the hot water and cable before another great veg dinner, this time including the local Dhal Darkhal? Very tasty.

Pull apart the rear brake chamber. Pad and spring non existent, should have double checked after crossing back onto the Terai. Have spares but I hate opening the fluid reservoir to be able to release the brake drums. Rear brake now fine and spinning freely but lever light so hopefully it has sealed properly and I am not loosing fluid. Will be an interesting ride back downhill to Siliguri if the rear brake goes.