Bright light early in these parts just past 5am. Surprisingly easy to sleep through to 6.30am though. Down the stairs to Hill top lodge restaurant and have so so Aloo paratha, we had read in LP that there was a place in town that served the worlds best. So rechecked the location and wandered up the road, at the Delhi Darbar restaurant met the owner who identified that his chef had done the runner. So unable to concur with the previous assessment, we still feel that at a road side dharba at Sundernagar we had our best yet.
Hit the road and cycle out in the morning sunshine, few clouds in sight and the valley view clear below. The road is as small as the railway beside it and unfortunately in less ideal condition. We spend most of the morning dodging pot holes and trying to skip from tar island to tar island as smoothly as possible whilst avoiding vehicles coming in either direction. Honks are interspersed with waves and for a variety of reason from "hi, how's it going" to "I'm coming through get out of my way". Trees above us now include a smattering of huge pine trees whilst below are still hillsides covered with tea bushes. Every now and then spotted with little white chortens. More Buddhist prayer flags then Hindi temples.
So many people are calling out Brazilian as we pass. We have tanned a little since cycling but are still definitely white versus milk chocolate so I am sorry Brazil we are letting the side down. We do try and correct as many people as we can but some people don't even state it to inquire, they just discuss amongst themselves as if a surety.
Tea at Margaret Hope estate. It is not bad but I don't get sense for the depth of flavor. I am sorry there will be no born again tea drinker when I get home, still hanging out for good coffee. Share the outside table with a well cared for white terrier. Very cute and enjoying Soph's attentions.
Road surface has improved from this morning with only the odd section of road work. Tar here is quite hands on with the tar being melted in large 200 gallon drums next to a small fire on the side of the road. Both the fire and the drum belching fumes which requires a held breath on passing. The road workers are well past that however working with no face protection and some in thongs. At one of the sites they had rigged up the road roller but the machine consisted of a pair of large park side rollers atop of which was sitting a standard tractor. The tractors drive shaft was connected via a chain to the rollers axle beneath, not sure about breaking system. Quite a bit of the replaced road along the way has interspersed rocks embedded into the tar. I guess for added traction but it would also assist I guess in allowing traffic back onto the repaired road sooner?
Make Ghoom and stop for momos. They also have a large dumpling styled momo. All very tasty but no veg just mutton. I don't quite get the aspect with some Buddhists of the not eating meet unless killed by another. By creating demand for the product is it just all semantics. I can understand the aged or naturally deceased aspect of consumption, though it does seem a little ridiculous and perhaps even in some cases crueler, the cases of assisted natural demise that we have read about. I would love to be vegetarian, I love the concept but I cannot stray long from the reality that I am a carnivore.
Pass several monasteries as we start heading down. This has both of us concerned as we do not feel like we have ascended as far as we should have. However the repeated enquiries confirm that we are still on the right road as do the train tracks on the side. Pulling over to enquire from one grandmotherly figure at a general store I hear a crash from behind me. Look around and see Sophie hastily getting back to her feet. Cleat stuck in pedal, how embarrassing. Will have to remember to oil the springs later on.
The road continues to descend through residential sprawl till we pull over outside the Darjeeling railway station. Confer with a couple of older guys which sees us cycling up to our right towards the developed ridge line above. Hotels are everywhere, just not the ones we are looking for which are higher on the ridge. Pass the municipal buildings before having to jump off and push, partially due to pedestrian traffic and part gradient of the road.
Settle for our third option as the first two though nice enough had no where to put the bikes. Whilst I was doing the run around Soph met a french couple who were also cycling have come from Europe but had left their bikes down on the flats. On heading to the third place we met up with our Bombay based Royal enfield motorbike tourists. They had been forced down to Sukna before crossing to an alternate road to Kurseong which though fun on a motorbike was apparently quite steep.
Out for Dinner at Hot for Pizza before machiattos at Cafe coffee day on the mall. Diversity once again, but coming at the cost of being in a quite touristy place. More foreigners then we have seen since leaving Bhaktapur. Back to Hotel Aliment for hopefully a good nights sleep, dogs appear quite active though so will see.
Hit the road and cycle out in the morning sunshine, few clouds in sight and the valley view clear below. The road is as small as the railway beside it and unfortunately in less ideal condition. We spend most of the morning dodging pot holes and trying to skip from tar island to tar island as smoothly as possible whilst avoiding vehicles coming in either direction. Honks are interspersed with waves and for a variety of reason from "hi, how's it going" to "I'm coming through get out of my way". Trees above us now include a smattering of huge pine trees whilst below are still hillsides covered with tea bushes. Every now and then spotted with little white chortens. More Buddhist prayer flags then Hindi temples.
So many people are calling out Brazilian as we pass. We have tanned a little since cycling but are still definitely white versus milk chocolate so I am sorry Brazil we are letting the side down. We do try and correct as many people as we can but some people don't even state it to inquire, they just discuss amongst themselves as if a surety.
Tea at Margaret Hope estate. It is not bad but I don't get sense for the depth of flavor. I am sorry there will be no born again tea drinker when I get home, still hanging out for good coffee. Share the outside table with a well cared for white terrier. Very cute and enjoying Soph's attentions.
Road surface has improved from this morning with only the odd section of road work. Tar here is quite hands on with the tar being melted in large 200 gallon drums next to a small fire on the side of the road. Both the fire and the drum belching fumes which requires a held breath on passing. The road workers are well past that however working with no face protection and some in thongs. At one of the sites they had rigged up the road roller but the machine consisted of a pair of large park side rollers atop of which was sitting a standard tractor. The tractors drive shaft was connected via a chain to the rollers axle beneath, not sure about breaking system. Quite a bit of the replaced road along the way has interspersed rocks embedded into the tar. I guess for added traction but it would also assist I guess in allowing traffic back onto the repaired road sooner?
Make Ghoom and stop for momos. They also have a large dumpling styled momo. All very tasty but no veg just mutton. I don't quite get the aspect with some Buddhists of the not eating meet unless killed by another. By creating demand for the product is it just all semantics. I can understand the aged or naturally deceased aspect of consumption, though it does seem a little ridiculous and perhaps even in some cases crueler, the cases of assisted natural demise that we have read about. I would love to be vegetarian, I love the concept but I cannot stray long from the reality that I am a carnivore.
Pass several monasteries as we start heading down. This has both of us concerned as we do not feel like we have ascended as far as we should have. However the repeated enquiries confirm that we are still on the right road as do the train tracks on the side. Pulling over to enquire from one grandmotherly figure at a general store I hear a crash from behind me. Look around and see Sophie hastily getting back to her feet. Cleat stuck in pedal, how embarrassing. Will have to remember to oil the springs later on.
The road continues to descend through residential sprawl till we pull over outside the Darjeeling railway station. Confer with a couple of older guys which sees us cycling up to our right towards the developed ridge line above. Hotels are everywhere, just not the ones we are looking for which are higher on the ridge. Pass the municipal buildings before having to jump off and push, partially due to pedestrian traffic and part gradient of the road.
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| From Siriguli to Darjeeling, India. April 2011 |
Settle for our third option as the first two though nice enough had no where to put the bikes. Whilst I was doing the run around Soph met a french couple who were also cycling have come from Europe but had left their bikes down on the flats. On heading to the third place we met up with our Bombay based Royal enfield motorbike tourists. They had been forced down to Sukna before crossing to an alternate road to Kurseong which though fun on a motorbike was apparently quite steep.
Out for Dinner at Hot for Pizza before machiattos at Cafe coffee day on the mall. Diversity once again, but coming at the cost of being in a quite touristy place. More foreigners then we have seen since leaving Bhaktapur. Back to Hotel Aliment for hopefully a good nights sleep, dogs appear quite active though so will see.
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