Freezing My Ass Off in Darjeeling

Darjeeling was the second city I visited in India, the first being Kolkata. There couldn't be two places more different on the subcontinent, which is saying a lot, as India has to be one of the most diverse countries I have ever encountered. We reached the fog encrusted city after a long and dirty train ride and a lovely -but cramped - jeep ride.

Setting up the journey to the hill station can be a stressful thing for many travelers, as foreigners tend to get totally swamped by taxi drivers as soon as they alight from the train. We grabbed the first cyclo driver who approached us and had him take us to the bus station, which is where the jeeps are (you don't want to take a bus on the perilous, thin roads up the mountain). I found that the best thing to do was to wave off all prospective Jeep chauffeurs until I ate some breakfast and got a hot cup of (argh) Nescafe. When I was in Darjeeling, I was a newbie to India, so I hadn't yet perfected this "ignore everyone" technique , but it didn't take long for me to get the hang of it. After said waving and sustenance, we went back out into the fray and grabbed a jeep.

The important thing to remember about the jeeps to Darjeeling is that the drivers will not leave until they have packed the passengers in like sardines in a crushed tin box. Try to find a jeep that is nearly full so that you don't have to wait around for what could be hours. Watch out for drivers who want to charge you obscene amounts so that you can have the car all to yourself - if you get in a jeep with a bunch of strangers, you'll pay less. We paid 80 rps. a person and that seemed reasonable enough. If you get motion sickness, make sure to bring some meds or a thick brown paper bag - you'll need them! They stop once for chai and a bathroom break during the three (or so) hour drive, but feel free to demand a roadside squat if you need it.

We had the wonderful luck to arrive in the enchanted city when a fog as thick as a brick wall slipped in among the ramshackle houses and rows of tea bushes. One of the main reasons, if not the main reason, that people come to Darjeeling is to see the Himalayan peaks. Usually, the peaks can be seen throughout the day, posing majestically in the distance with their Sunday best snow on. Of course, when we arrived, the fog was like a huge chastity belt that kept the virgin white peaks shrouded in mystery. Talk about frustration! I happened to become terribly ill after indulging in a questionable masala dosa on the train and so only resented the lack of a view when my head wasn't over the toilet bowl.

We stayed in the hill top city for nearly a week, in part because of my sickness but mostly because we were too stubborn to depart without having seen the peaks. The drive back down the hill lets you see your life flash  before your eyes enough times that you want to make sure you see those peaks before you, well, die. So, we soldiered on, despite sickness, and, as the title of my blog would suggest, cold.

Darjeeling is very, very cold (and my husband and I know COLD - he's from Minnesota!). In part, we got the shivers because we were unprepared for temperatures in which you want to drink something other than ice cold lemon sodas and tropical fruit juices. I found my constant craving for hot tea and soup more than a little unnerving. I moved my bathing suit to the bottom of my backpack, which was easy, considering I was wearing all of my clothes. I was thankful my hotel was kind enough to give me a hot water bottle.

The rooms everywhere are unheated and hot water or running water are luxuries you must pay for. This means you either get a nicer room where you have both, or you skip on running water and pay ten rupees for every hot water BUCKET you receive (which takes about a year and a day to receive). Besides the cold, I found the most unpleasant thing to be the smoke that filled the air day and night. Because of the chill, fires are burned constantly and it's hard to find a breath of fresh air, despite the beautiful tea plantations and mountains surrounding the town on all sides.

The best place to stay is near the main square, as this is where all the food and shops are. Things close around Darjeeling early - don't expect to find much open after 8 p.m. or before 7 a.m.and make sure you stock up on good snacks before you go up the mountain, as stores are practically nonexistent and everything is over - priced. There are plenty of things to do in Darjeeling if you want to romp through tea plantations, but we enjoyed relaxing in our room and getting up each morning to watch the sunrise in hopes of seeing those peaks. Each morning, we returned to bed after our disappointment and then spent the afternoons eating, reading, and strolling through the narrow streets that are ruled by the city's many stray dogs.

There isn't any hassle in Darjeeling and the people are very nice. Many of the town's residents are of Nepalese or Tibetan decent, so the culture up on the hill station is very unique. Tibetan prayer flags wave in the breeze and each morning, groups of locals march down the streets chanting. The morning is welcomed with celebration by the town and horns and drums can be heard for hours. It's a lovely way to start the day, even if you are horrified by the thought of waking up before noon. A walk through the town usually affords excellent views, not only of the mountains, but of the Ireland - green valleys below. Darjeeling is high up, so whenever the thick fog clears, the view of the lovely valley below is magnificent. Tea plantations can be seen for miles around and the fog changes the picaresque scene every few moments as it snakes through the fertile land.

Every stroll inevitably includes shopping and the selection is unique compared to most of the country, as there are loads of stores selling jewelry and handicrafts from Tibet and Nepal. The prices are decent, but most of the souvenirs can be found throughout India, especially in Kerala, where there are many Tibetan refugees. It can be difficult to bargain with the shop owners and many fix their prices, so it may be worth waiting, especially for the jewelry (you can find that everywhere). There's a great English bookstore in the square with new and used books, as well as a very good selection of contemporary Indian literature and spiritual books.

I found that Darjeeling was a good place to rest and would have been even nicer if I had come prepared with warm clothes and a sleeping bag. Like all things, though, our time had to reach an end. The morning we left Darjeeling, we woke up, as usual, at sunrise. We put on the rest of our clothes (we wore half of our supply in bed) and reluctantly made our way to the rooftop of our hotel. As if the land took pity on us, we reached the rooftop and saw - above the fog that settled on the town - the Himalayan peaks. I could use all the usual adjectives: breathtaking, awe - inspiring, amazing. Those are pretty fair descriptions, but they apply to many things. I think the feeling that I was filled with was akin to whatever whale watchers experience. Having never been whale watching, I base this assertion on the movies, but I bet I'm pretty close to being accurate. It's a spiritual experience and it makes you want to believe in god if you don't already and you begin to understand why a certain community of East Coasters like to dance in the woods naked under a full moon.

The view was worth the wait and the little town was a respite from the hassle and intensity I experienced in every other area of the country (with the exception of Kerala). We had fun watching people pick the delicious tea we drink far away in America and listening to villagers chant while watching monkeys play. A trip to India would be incomplete without a stop at one of it's many famous hill stations and Darjeeling is one that I can recommend, if not for the weather, then for the view.