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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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Darjeeling
We meet 3 great lads at the train station who keep us entertained until the train arrives 2 hours late. This train trip is the worst of all. Very squalid, we find our bunks with the help of our new friends only to find we are sharing with 2 old men who are already asleep. Kim is sure one is already dead and should have stayed in Varanasi. The next morning the train hawkers reach new levels selling reading glasses, full sets of knives and a 3 quarter size electronic keyboard. We were only grateful they weren't selling the knives last night!
Cos the train was late we had missed our connection and so we have to take a land rover to the top of the mountain which takes 3 hours to arrive but 25 years off of John's life! Hairpin bends and sheer drops.
To be free of smog was wonderful. Checked into the Snow Lion Guest house and go to Joey's pub then to a thai restaurant for tomyam soup that is soooo good we want to kiss the chef. Were so excited we order brandy (the first since leaving home) it comes in a brandy glass - it looks like brandy - it smells like sloans linament and tastes like nail varnish remover! Back at the guest house the owner meets us with 2 hot water bottles - Aaaaaaah
Kim has caught my cold, she conveniently forgets she gave it to me in the first place so really it's her cold which I have just returned! We have a lovely day in Darjeeling which has it's own big ben with pompey chimes. The next day there is a total strike and were pretty much stuck in the guest house as nothing is open at all.
The next day everythins seems back to normal so we go for a walk into the middle of town and enjoy a coffee in the square. We then walk down through the market when all hell lets loose - people are charging the street, shops and restaurents are pulling down their shutters in a panic. We think there may be a loose bull running up the street and dive into a coffee shop just as they were pulling their shutter down and got locked in. We tried to find out what was going on and they said fighting! After a while we get out through a back way. It turnes out a political leader was chopped with a ghurka knife down the road and his friends were out for revenge. The whole town is shut up again so we find our way back to Joey's bar where we find him outside and he askes us if we are thirsty!!!!!!! 6 hours later we are still locked in with curtains drawn doors locked and lights turned down. We were advised not to venture out - OK we said. There was a lot of noise outside with chanting and marching up and down waving knives and swords. We survive on mo-mo's and beer....... just!
Next day were up bright and early for brekky and to catch the toy train down the mountain. It takes 7 hours to go 80 k's and the views are spectacular. You can see the Himalayas all the way to Mount Everest and the trip would be wonderful if it were not for the knife wielding mob that stops the train halfway down. We are the only 2 on the first class carriage because all the other tourists had already left Darjeeling, and we make sure we are securely locked in. They march past again with knives in the air and chanting while we try not to make eye contact and hide the cameras. We eventualy get to the bottom safely.
previous travel blog entry
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