Murphy’s Law is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
Our trip to north Sikkim was fraught with obstacles and misadventures and it is a wonder we all returned home safe and sound. However, this trip made us look inwards and possibly, taught us a thing or two about life and ourselves. The quote below expresses our trip quite aptly.
The birth of an idea
Three of us, friends from our college days, had this strangely compelling feeling that we had to visit North Sikkim this year. Why we felt this way, cannot be logically explained. We had been mesmerised by the photos of Gurudongmar Lake and numerous recounts by independent sources – who all felt it was something akin to heaven.
Situated at an altitude of 17,375 ft, it is one of the highest lakes in the world and equally sacred to Buddhists and Sikhs as it is supposed to have been blessed by both Guru Padmasambava/ Rinpoche and Guru Nanak. There are many stories around why even during peak winter, one spot of this sacred lake does not freeze. Only Indian citizens are permitted to visit the lake as it is just a stone’s throw away from the Indo-Tibetan border. The closest village is Thangu (15,000 ft approx) where there is an army check-post. Foreigners are allowed only up to this point unless they get a special permit from MEA.
Apart from this much-talked-about paradise on earth, we also planned to visit Yumthang Valley (where people go to feast their eyes on the Valley of Flowers in March-April) and Zero Point or Yumesamdong.
Another place of interest is Katao – known as the Switzerland of Sikkim. It is blocked now due to heavy troop movement by ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) and is officially not open for tourists. However, drivers in Lachen (the remote hilly town from where all northern Sikkim tours start) frequently bribe the guards to enter this place if senior officers are not present. We refused to take this route although travel agents openly encourage you to do so. Thankfully, our agent Alpine Nature Beyond Ltd did not fall into this rule-bending category.
Gangtok served only as a night halt for our journey to/fro north Sikkim as we were more keen to explore the virgin beauty of the north. One of our friends who had visited west Sikkim a few years back (and fell in love with this part of the country), told us that the northern part was supposed to be even more stunning. We locked the dates and finalised our itinerary by May. All we had to do now was to count the days to 7th October.
Day 1: The journey starts with a major hiccup…
We reached Calcutta airport well ahead of our reporting time but our smiles froze soon after, when I nervously announced that I had left my leather bag containing my purse, passport, credit cards, money and all essential medicines, at home! How on earth was I going to enter the airport without a photo ID? Just as I was about to dejectedly accept that my carefully planned holiday was about to crash even before taking off, I remembered I had kept my Aadhar card in my backpack for some odd reason. First hurdle cleared. Whew!
Our travel agent had clearly told us that only a passport/voter’s ID/driving license was considered as a valid ID for getting a permit to certain border areas in Sikkim. So there was no reason whatsoever why I brought along this card – which eventually bailed me out. A frantic call to Siliguri followed, with our agent assuring me that she will try to fix this problem. This is the beauty of India, where rules are not cast in iron – sometimes it comes to the aid of forgetful travellers like me.
On reaching Bagdogra airport (in Siliguri), we were escorted to our car by a sidekick of the original meet & greet guy Amit (who was stuck in a jam somewhere) and introduced to Dipen, our driver for the trip. First we stopped for lunch at Marina’s and by the time we’d finished, Amit had arrived and handed over the necessary papers for the trip. We also bought some pastries and cream rolls from Glenary’s for the road.
A little while later, as I was buying my medicines, I overheard Dipen asking the chemist for fever medication as he had been sick for the past 3 days! Scary to think that we were to be driven on these treacherous hilly roads by a febrile driver. Thankfully, the medicines worked wonders and made him very cheerful in a couple of hours. We were also relieved to observe that he was a very good and safe driver. The 4-hr drive to Gangtok took 7 hours as we got stuck in a terrible jam. The diesel fumes from other vehicles did not make things any easier.
It was drizzling by the time we reached our destination in Gangtok: Mintokling Guest House. A nice, cosy and homely place with friendly staff but a bit lacking in the food department. One of my friends was feeling very sick by then and was seriously wondering if she would be fit enough next morning for the tiring 7-hr journey to Lachen – our night halt at 9175 ft – for a bit of acclimatisation before the arduous drive up to the famous lake. One of the staff members, Montu, very kindly made her a special meal of rice, mashed potatoes and dal (lentil soup) for her. The situation seemed to be slowly getting under control again. Later, we figured out that the culprit was the almost-gone-bad cream in one of the Glenary pastries and not her chronic acidity.
Day 2: Gangtok to Lachen
I woke up early to explore the grounds and met a lady from Chennai who was there with two of her friends. They had come back from Gurudongmar a few days back and I was keen to learn about their experience. The Lachen road had been closed due to a landslide just after their visit but had reopened again. Landslides are very common in this part of the world and you have to be mentally prepared to alter your trip at the last moment. They didn’t seem particularly impressed by the lake (as they had been to Ladakh) and said that she would rather use the term no roads instead of bad roads to describe the way from Lachen to the lake. But I was too excited to hear a warning bell.
We all finally managed to start off for Lachen, but 2 hours behind schedule, but were a bit worried as we had been advised to reach there while there was still light. We had also been told that it is a very high-altitude remote town with very basic facilities. Food would be sufficient but simple. Being a newer destination, tourism infrastructure was still in its elementary stages. We would find out exactly how basic it was, after 10 long and adventurous hours.
The road to Lachen was expectedly picturesque and interspersed with waterfalls. The lush green foliage was particularly appealing. The first waterfalls we saw was Seven Sisters Falls. We decided to stop at Chungthang Confluence later on our way to Lachung (from Lachen) as we were very short on time.
We stopped for a quick lunch somewhere near Singhik and were soon back on the road. The toilet stops were very basic but more or less clean, up to this lunch stop. There were many other scenic points like Tashi View Point (a typically crowded touristy place), Phodong, Mangan etc but do remember that every additional stop will delay you further and prevent you from reaching Lachen safely while there is still light. However, try to make a stop at Singhik.
We had been forewarned about possible altitude sickness as well as various dos and don’ts and were well armed with homeopathic Coca 30 globules and Diamox tablets (later we learnt about its scary but possible side effects). Drinking lots of water was also recommended but with paucity of public toilets, it wasn’t a viable option for women. Even after carefully monitoring our water intake, circumstances forced us to take a very daring chance out in the open under a mild drizzle. Thankfully, the light was fading rapidly to protect our modesty…. but we were still quite some distance from Lachen. Soon it was pitch dark and all we could see were the red tail lights of the few cars ahead of us. The rain was beating down more heavily now and the roads were not smooth or comfortable. The mercury was also dipping rapidly.
At 7.30pm, about 25 mins from Lachen, all the cars came to a halt – a car had got stuck badly in the slushy ‘road’ and could not get itself out. The road was not wide enough for other cars to go past it either. In the meantime, a call came from the hotel, wondering if we were coming at all. For one and a half hours, all the drivers ignored the cold and rain and managed to extricate the car and finally, we were on our way. Our driver Dipen came back drenched and took over the wheels of our Xylo happily. The danger was not over yet as no one knew if the same fate was awaiting another car.
“Dipen, what car was it that got stuck in the mud?”
“Xylo, madam!”
Stunned silence followed.
When we reached our hotel, it was close to 9.30pm. We were greeted by a young and keen Pramod who asked us what we would like for dinner! Obviously our request to keep dinner ready did not register or maybe they thought we would not be able to make it that night. We were also informed that our chosen hotel Snow Retreat was under renovation and so we were being put up in their ‘better’ property – Hill Retreat.
There were 3 fancy motor bikes parked outside and as we were being escorted to our room, we heard boisterous male voices from the adjacent room – obvious signs of drunken revelry. We also found that only 2 rooms were occupied – ours and theirs. We had recently watched the movie Pink and got quite scared. We immediately decided to talk in whispers and told Pramod and his assistant that they have to sleep in the opposite rooms. Pramod assured us that the boys were harmless and showed us a bell that could be used to call him, any time. We were freezing by then and asked for a room heater which got fixed after some juggling with the plug. Dinner was served in our room and as we got ready to go off to sleep, the power went off! So much for the calling bell. We got some candles and retired for the night feeling strangely safe, guarded by 3 male strangers from 3 (or more) supposed predators.
Day 3: Trip to Gurudongmar Lake
When we woke up, there was still no power and we had to get ready in candle light. One friend slept through her 2 am alarm and was woken up by the 2.30 am alarm person. My alarm was set at 2.45 am but I woke up earlier in this confusion. Anyway, we got ready by 3.30 am to embark on our 7-hr journey. Minutes after starting off, I realised I had left my phone behind. I was okay about it as we were unlikely to get mobile signals at that altitude. However, my friends felt otherwise and in the rush to reverse at the bend, our car fell into a ditch and got badly stuck! Dipen tried to get it out and after a while, told us glumly that it was an impossible situation. He still tried one more time to rev the car out of trouble, but the tyre started to burn and then had a puncture! It was 3.40 am. We got out of the car and called Pramod. He came out running and immediately went down to get 6 guys from the village at that hour in the morning! These simple hill people amaze me. They live in such adverse conditions and yet are ever so helpful and smiling. We met so many of them during this trip and all of them were such wonderfully uncomplicated and generous people.
Thanks to these amazingly efficient guys, the car was rescued, the tyre changed and at 4 am, we resumed our journey to the sacred lake. We also discovered the reason for Dipen’s hurry. This was his first trip too and he wanted to drive with the convoy of cars. Ten minutes into the journey, I realised that I had forgotten my camera in the hotel but I kept this embarrassing fact to myself. The journey was very scenic but not comfortable at all. And the sky being overcast, we missed out on what might have been a stunning sunrise. How I missed my camera!
As you gain altitude, you will find the green forests of lower altitude gives way to smaller trees and bushes. The second phase of the journey starts after Thangu. The road towards the lake from Thangu passes through the high alpine pastures carpeted with occasional rhododendron bushes. One can also get a prized view of rare Sikkim rhubarb peeping through the bushes in inaccessible terrain or of a herd of mountain sheep grazing in the distant valley. In this area you will find little vegetation or people. Apart from the Indian Army, there is no human habitation here. The gravel road through the valley gives you a unique view of a barren land. (Nature Beyond website)
The road was patchy and bumpy and filled with rocks and potholes. Evidence of a recent landslide was visible everywhere. There was no tarmac and in some places there was continuous water flow over the road. I was very surprised that the government allows vehicles to ply on such risky roads. Who do we call for help if we skid off or if there is a breakdown? How can you simply expect the army to bail you out in the direst of situations? Is that fair?
Altitude sickness was also an issue. I saw some people taking their sick companions up to the army tent marked with a red cross. There is an army check-post at Thangu, but contrary to what we had read on TA – that army personnel come and scan every passenger for signs of sickness before allowing them to proceed – we were neither stopped nor checked by anyone. In fact, a friend had suggested that we carry some sweets for these jawans posted in such godforsaken places. She said that they feel very happy and grateful to get such gifts from the plains, especially around Dussera time. My packet of kaju barfi returned intact as we met no one. Maybe they were busy patrolling the Indo-Tibetan border after the intrusions by Pakistan on the western side.
All of a sudden, the cloudy sky magically transformed into a sunny blue one and we realised we were in the very barren Chopta Valley! And equally mysteriously, a stretch of silk smooth road appeared out of nowhere. Maybe this was the road to heaven? The topography changed to that of the Tibetan plateau with zero vegetation. The landscape was stark but stunning. The road then turned right towards Gurudongmar Lake. We were hoping to see paradise…
We were greeted by a most ugly sight of about 50-60 tourist jeeps parked around the rim of the lake, polluting the place with a powerful smell of diesel fumes. We parked in the second row and as we walked towards the rim, we saw the famous lake beneath us. The sun had disappeared and the sky was overcast, ruling out any possibility of a silvery reflection of the mountains across it. Nor was there much snow on the peaks. There was no view of the aquamarine water or the silvery peaks as the various photoshopped pictures on the internet had led us to believe. A long flight of steps led to the lake, lined with Buddhist prayer flags, but we were too disappointed to even think of attempting that climb. It was just a peaceful little lake at a very high altitude. Under a clear blue sky, with the reflection of the mountains on the waters, it would surely look beautiful, but we still felt that the lake did not have the dimensions or ambience to enthral us. Maybe our expectations of paradise were different.
We returned to Lachen exhausted, and extremely disappointed. After such an arduous journey, we were expecting to see something much more spectacular. Strangely, I was feeling the effects of altitude sickness on my way back – a mild headache with a strange kind of numbness around my cheeks. We were contemplating if we should stay back in Lachen instead of driving down to Lachung, where we were to spend 3 nights. However, another day in Lachen seemed extremely unappealing and we decided to travel to Lachung (8075 ft) as per our original itinerary. My friends went down for lunch while I lay down in bed nursing my headache and steeling myself for another strenuous road trip.
The 2.5 hr drive to Lachung however was much better and the roads were quite good. As usual, there were waterfalls galore and lush green mountains. We reached our hotel in Lachung – Norling Zymkhang – on time. It was a small property and we liked our room a lot. Biggish with very clean beds. The windows also opened out to a great view, although there was some ugly extension work going on below.
Almost everyone spends 2 nights in this pretty town but we agreed to add an extra day to relax and enjoy the surroundings. And what a good decision that was. We checked in and immediately crashed out for 2-3 hours to recharge our batteries.
For the first time on the trip, we had a tasty meal during dinner. Over the next 3 days, the cook Kusal turned out simple but delicious meals which we gobbled to our heart’s content. One must also mention Madan, the quiet, young and helpful staff member who served us very sweetly.
Day 4: Free and easy in Lachung
The next day was meant to be free and easy but one of my friends went down with hill diarrhoea. After a frantic call to her GP in Calcutta, 2 courses of antibiotics were prescribed. Thankfully, she was carrying those tablets with her and got started on them immediately. The medicines proved quite effective but she decided to stick to a no-risk diet of rice, dal, boiled potatoes and eggs. Post lunch, we went out to explore the town.
While finalising our Lachung hotel, we all loved Season House (awesome TA reviews) but it did not provide room heaters. And being true blue, sheetkature cold-fearing Bengalis (ore baba, thanda lege jabey), we had thumbed it down. Better warm than sorry is our motto. That afternoon, we wanted to check the place out for future reference. It truly was a mind blowing property with jaw-dropping views. It also had the cutest possible dining hall. The rooms were smaller but who cares about that when the setting is so spectacular? The manager assured us that very soon, they will be able to provide room heaters. If we ever come here again in April, we will definitely stay here, room heater or not. Food served here is vegetarian, although non-veg momos are available at the junction below. The climb is quite steep though.
We retired early as we had to leave at 5.30am next morning for Yumthang Valley and Zero Point. My friend decided to give it a skip as she needed more rest and wanted to play it safe with her just-under-control diarrhoea. We would soon discover how mind-blowing this trip was going to be. The rhododendron flowers bloom in summer but even without them, this journey was one of the most picturesque ones we had ever taken. We had to pass through an army camp to reach the valley and nature started to reveal its gorgeousness right from the very start of our journey.
Day 5: Trip to Yumthang Valley and Zero Point
Feast your eyes now on some of the breath-catching views we were exposed to, en route to Yumthang Valley. I do not possess a wide angle lens and my camera could not do justice to what our eyes saw. A totally unforgettable experience. The acute disappointment over the sacred lake faded away very quickly.
We decided to go to Yumesamdong (15,750 ft) first as it tends to get more crowded later in the day. It is popularly known as Zero Point because there is no road after that point. We were lucky that for the past 2 nights, there had been heavy and unexpected snowfall. This place too is open only to Indians because of its proximity to the border. We saw a huge military presence in this area. Finally I found my soldiers! I called out to one of them, wished him for Dussera and gave him my box of kaju barfi.
We could not go up to the post which says ZERO POINT as the road was too sleety and slippery, thus missing out on a great photo op. We also discovered that our car (or any car for that matter) did not have a 4-wheel drive. We were grateful for our blissful ignorance about this fact on our roller coaster journey to Gurudongmar Lake. But what we hungrily recorded in our visual memory here, will last us a lifetime.
I forgot to mention one small detail. We had stopped once on the snowy terrain before trying to reach that Zero Point post. Our jeep stopped just before a culvert to give us our first experience of walking in the land of snow. I realised immediately that the snow had turned into treacherous sleet by then, as I lost my grip a few times. I warned my friend about the dangers and carefully trotted along. We also asked a fellow adventurer to click us. Then Dipen rushed us, urging us to get in the car so that we could reach ZP ahead of the rush traffic. I got in and waited for my friend. A few minutes passed but there was no sign of my friend. Maybe she is making snowballs, I thought. Five minutes later, she got in a bit dishevelled and disturbed. She told me that she had slipped and fallen flat on the snow. Trying to break the fall with her hands, she had broken her fingernails, but was kindly assisted up by a fellow Bengali with a sympathetic chot laageni toh beshi apnar (hope you didn’t hurt yourself too much)? And I didn’t even hear a thud!! Documented below is her last vertical picture with me at Yumesamdong. Jokes aside, we were worried if the fall would aggravate her recently acquired lower back problems. As we thankfully found out later, it didn’t.
We saw many tourists lose themselves in uncontrollable delight on seeing so much snow. Living in the hot and humid Gangetic plains below, this was enough to drive them crazy, literally. There were people engaged in various activities – having mock snowball fights, clicking themselves in Titanic poses, rolling in the snow, balancing with 2 huge snow footballs in their hands and of course, taking selfies galore. I even saw a guy lying on the snow bare-bodied and getting photographed for posterity! Utter lunacy.
However, what surprised me most was to see so many terribly under-dressed in this extreme climate. Quite a few were wearing chappals and open slippers without any socks while some were in shawls or very light jackets but all of them were frolicking in the snow! Snow boots and warm jackets are easily available on hire on the valley roads. One local driver openly expressed alarm at seeing such under-dressed people, saying baad mein bhaari parega (it will cost them dearly later).
I wasn’t sure if it was ignorance or sheer bravado. We also encountered one very distressed young dad seeking water for his daughter who had fainted due to altitude sickness. We were more than happy to oblige. It may be worthwhile for the govt/media to keep a track of the health of people returning from north Sikkim. Judging by the brave display of naivete, I would not be surprised if there were quite a few serious casualties.
On our way back, we got stuck in a bad jam. There were hundreds of jeeps, blocking our way – some of them double parked. These latecomers were trudging their way up (not at all advisable at this altitude) as cars could not progress further. Somehow we managed to get out of this and happily headed for the multi-hued Yumthang Valley (11,925 ft).
We had passed by Yumthang Valley on our way to Zero Point but we fell in love once again with the stunning scenery – we were lucky to be witnessing nature at its grandest best.
We got off the car to take a walk in the verdant valley. This was not the flower season but even without them, its natural beauty took our breath away. We were trying to imagine how it would look in April, filled with 32 shades of rhododendrons! Although it was sunny, it was windy as well and hence very chilly. A tributary of river Teesta with crystal clear water flows through this beautiful valley. We just looked on…
Our senses satiated, we dragged ourselves away from here into the car. We were on a temporary high. Speechless, we headed back to Lachung. I wished our third friend could have joined us for this visual treat. But I believe what is meant to be, is meant to be. Que sera sera.
I have to mention a funny thing here. Our sick friend had requested the cook to religiously serve her rice, boiled potatoes (aloo), boiled eggs and moong dal every day to recover asap. The moong dal became a permanent fixture in the regular dinner menu and they lovingly served her quota of boiled eggs and aloo everyday. On the day we were leaving Lachung, she had recovered well enough to try normal food but before she could even order her meal, out came Kusal armed with 3 boiled eggs and aloos! We couldn’t refuse such a gift of love and affectionately carried them all the way to Gangtok. We had a good laugh about it later and she remarked that she would have to abstain from aloo and eggs for a while. They are really such sweet and simple people!
Day 6: Lachung to Gangtok
Next morning, we left for Gangtok after a very tasty breakfast. The ride was uneventful except for maneuvering our car to go past the countless army trucks coming from the other direction. When we reached Gangtok, it was raining. We checked in to the same guest house and went out in search for lunch. Our wish for having a good Chinese meal at the highly recommended Chopsticks remained unfulfilled as there was a 1.5 hour wait. So we had to make do with grilled fish at a nice coffee shop. A quick round of shopping for teas, cardamoms and woolies followed.
Day 7: Supposedly back to Calcutta via Bagdogra
I woke up early to try and catch a glimpse of Kanchenjunga from our balcony. I’m not sure if I managed to but I did get some interesting shots.
During breakfast, we found out that due to a landslide, the road from Gangtok to Siliguri was closed but work was on to restore the link. We left for the airport and luckily the road was open but the police were letting only one vehicle at a time. We heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that this would be the last of our obstacles, but little did we know.
We reached the airport, had a big lunch and checked in our luggage. As we had lots of time to kill, one pal even decided to shop! Just as she was happily strolling in with her new purchase from Biswa Bangla, it was announced that our Indigo flight (along with some others) had got cancelled due to inclement weather. The earliest available flight was 2 days later, on Sunday. As I had an international flight to catch on Sunday morning, we quickly cancelled our tickets, got the refund slip and requested our agent to help us with bus tickets. She acted quite promptly and instructed us go and collect the tickets from the town. A car was also arranged but we got stuck in the infamous Siliguri evening traffic jam. The bus was supposed to leave at 6.30 pm.
Around 6.15 pm, we realised it was a hopeless situation. We got off on the main road and lugged our suitcases in the rain to the ticket counter, some 50m away. Thankfully, our tickets were waiting there. It was 6.25pm. Initially, we were told to take an auto from there to the main bus terminus but there was no time for that. Thankfully, that road was on the bus route. After a call to the driver, we were asked to wait at the counter with our luggage. The rain was falling more heavily now. Around 7pm, we saw the bus approaching and we ran across the road over the divider and onto the other side.
Our suitcases were loaded quickly and we got in to fill up the last 3 seats. The seats were comfortable and we watched the movie M.S.Dhoni on board. Dinner stop was at a roadside dhaba and the less said about the public toilet there, the better. In the age of Swachh Bharat (clean India), it is unfathomable how no tourism minister is yet to do something about providing clean public toilets for road travellers. Maybe it is time we had a female tourism minister who will understand how especially difficult it is for women.
Sleep wasn’t peaceful. The guy next to me liked to sleep diagonally, almost pushing me out of my seat. I had to nudge/shake him constantly to reclaim my paid square of space.
Day 8: Not part of the original plan, but in Calcutta at long last
Just as I was enjoying a beautiful sunrise, the bus had a puncture close to a small town called Bethuadohori. And there was no spare tyre! These unfortunately are not fine-able offences. A few passengers hired a van and dashed off to the station to catch a train to Calcutta. For 3 hours, the rest of us waited for the tyre to get fixed from the nearest town, Krishna Nagar, without any access to breakfast or toilet facilities. The men of course were shamelessly spraying the countryside.
Thankfully, the bus gave us water. We also had some left-over snacks from the trip. After some enquiries, we walked up to a library with pay-and-use toilets. Needless to say it was not clean. At times like this, however you are grateful that there is a toilet at all. The pee-fee collector asked us if we were from Delhi. And on our return, when we were standing outside to get some fresh air and stretching our legs, a curious passerby stopped his cycle and asked us if we were from Bangladesh! Obviously we were looking like aliens.
Finally, the bus took off and the expected TOA at Esplanade was announced to be around 2-3 pm. Then we learnt that Red Road was being readied for the Durga Puja immersion carnival that very afternoon. That meant major trouble for commuters. Mr Murphy was having a field day! Unanimously we decided to get off at the airport and take the bypass to go home. My friend informed her driver about our change of plans as well as the new pick-up point. Finally, after a 19-hour journey, we got off the bus. We have never been happier to set our feet in Calcutta. Soon after, we were picked up and were on our home.
In a nutshell, I left Gangtok on 13th Oct at 8.30 am to reach my home in Calcutta on the 14th at 3pm. Definitely, my longest road journey ever.
Looking back…
It’s quite interesting how time changes ones perspective. When I returned from the trip, I was frustrated and totally drained by the number of obstacles we had to overcome. Interestingly, we overcame each and every one although we didn’t see it that way then. It was not a fun trip for us and we didn’t want to ever go for a holiday in the hills again.
But now, when I look back, I see things in a different light. Yumthang blew me away and I won’t mind visiting again some time in April to see the flower show. I’m also “mildly” curious to see Gurudongmar on a clear sunny day. I really need to know why people rave about it so. Did I miss anything? But it will happen only after Gangtok airport gets functioning. That will reduce my road travel to a great extent.
I also know myself a bit better now. For one, I do not enjoy traveling at a frantic pace. My kind of vacation has to be relaxed. I am not a hill person either despite the breathtaking vistas it has to offer. If I have to go on a long road journey, I must have access to hygienic toilets. I discovere I have a much higher tolerance for cold weather now, although I still prefer a warmer climate any day. It is also not a good idea to see too many photos of the place you plan to visit – it raises your expectations and you will be, more often than not, disappointed.
Post Gurudongmar experience, I am convinced I do not get an extra “high” by overcoming the odds and fighting adversities to reach a difficult destination. Many people do not even get to reach the lake because of bad weather and unforeseen landslides. So, getting to the lake adds to the adventure and charm for many. Unfortunately, it did not, for me or my friends.
I enjoy a sight that is tranquil and quiet. The sight of a place teeming with hundreds of noisy tourists is a BIG deterrent. The reason why despite living in Kenya for over 2 years, I haven’t yet been to watch the great migration. I have been to endless safaris though, but only during off season. However, that is entirely my personal opinion. To each his or her own.
Getting to experience the hill people was a big gain. Their simple attitude towards life makes you realise how urbanised, self-centred and disconnected we have become. There was no impatience, annoyance or frustration despite the hardships they face daily. What warmed me most was their feeling of brotherhood as was evident in the joint effort of the drivers in Lachen to get that hapless car out. Despite rain, cold and darkness, I neither saw any signs of frayed nerves nor heard any verbal abuse. I witnessed that even more when 6 people who were woken up at 3.30 am, came up with a smile to help us get our car out of that ditch. They didn’t even linger on for tips, although we did leave some money for them. Contrast that to what we observe during traffic jams in the city. Horns, screams and rudeness. Hill travel is risky and so road courtesy is a must to survive. And how beautifully they all observe it. Our driver for the whole trip, Dipen, seemed a bit surprised when we tipped him at the end. Whereas in Siliguri, Amit’s stand-in, blatantly asked us for money simply to guide our trolleys to our Xylo.
We met this family from Calcutta whose holiday in Darjeeling got ruined as they were hotel-bound for 3 days due to the rains. They were in the same night bus, going through similar travails. We got chatting while waiting for the puncture to be repaired and while they were also worried, the lady said with a big smile, that they love the hills and would again travel north next year. So what if this trip was a washout?
I realised that we have changed a lot since our carefree college days. For example, this aversion to crowds is a newly acquired bourgeois attitude. Ordinary people will vacation during holiday season (when they get leave) and will travel in jeeps that are filled to capacity, to save money. Holidays probably offer them an escape from their routine drudgery and they express that joy without any inhibition. ‘Civilised’ society teaches us to do everything in moderation – speak softly, eat quietly, munch silently, ….. Money and material comfort have indeed made us more impatient, intolerant, hypocritical, self centred and over-critical of the hoi polloi.
Even as a teenager, I had an aversion to the “Rocket Bus” which was the cheapest way to travel up north. I also used to wonder how people use stinky public toilets and had made many imaginary vows regarding what I will never do in life. Although, I escaped from the Rocket Bus, this Volvo bus ride taught me a few valuable lessons. Prime among them was: necessity forces you to do things, whether you like it or not. I remember reading recently how a foreigner understood why taxi drivers in India spit outside while driving. He drove a car without an AC (can’t recall why though) for a few days and realised after continuously inhaling the dust, grime and diesel fumes of our polluted capital, that it is necessary to spit it out. Else you fall sick.
Another big gain from this trip was the strength of our friendship. We shared one room throughout the trip and were never once inconvenienced. When someone fell ill or got hurt or … the other two mothered her. I was financially supported throughout the trip by the other 2 with an indulgent smile. I’m sure we had to compromise at times but that sentiment was never voiced. One of our friends discovered the magic of Eno fruit salt on this trip. Another one had a forced facial done by a total amateur simply because she thought that would give her relief from her traumatic fall. My forgetful nature was a major reason for that post-midnight roll in the ditch. But I never felt any negativity from my dear friends. And most importantly, we laughed outrageously (ottohashyo) throughout our various misadventures and not – except for that single night in Lachen, where we chose to do phish phish (whisper) out of sheer fright! We still managed to cover our mouths and roll in the bed with silent hysterical laughter. And we threw caution into the wind by giggling and guffawing anywhere and everywhere, despite being advised by my friend’s mom to laugh only inside the protected walls of our hotel rooms. Honestly, we tried to follow that dictum.
Some tour details we got from our operator
- Bagdogra – Gangtok: 130 kms in 4 hrs (5550 ft)
- Gangtok – Lachen: 130 kms in 7 hrs with some stops and lunch (9175 ft)
- Lachen – Gurudongmar Lake: to and fro 120 kms in 6 hrs via Thangu Village (13,625 ft) and Chopta Valley (13,325 ft) to the lake (17,375 ft) – Indians only
- Lachen – Lachung: 50 kms in 2 hrs (8075 ft)
- Lachung – Yumthang Valley: 25 kms in 1.5 hrs (11,925 ft)
- Yumthang – Yumesamdong (Zero Pt): 30 kms in 1.5 hrs (15,750 ft) – Indians only
- Lachung – Gangtok: 125 kms in 5 hrs
Clothing: Heavy to very heavy woolens from Oct-March and light woolens for the remaining months
Permits: Needed for Changu/Tsongo Lake, Nathu La and North Sikkim (Lachen-Lachung). Valid forms of ID are PP/Voter’s ID/Driving License and 5 copies of PP size pics needed
Altitude sickness: Can be expected especially for people with high BP, asthma, heart problems — please talk to your doctor before venturing
rollingonmythoughts 
Loved it as always.
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tx for ur support!
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Many thanks for taking me through once again, the landscape I travelled some 13 years back. While the chill in the weather and warmth of the locals remained unchanged, I guess roads have become much better. Thats enticing enough for a re-run, since I have experienced Gurudongmar under a clear sky – a visual which was etched in my memory till I had experienced Pangong in Ladakh 5 years post that trip.
While you missed out on Gurudongmar, your life lessons are truely enviable. As a traveller, one should experience those finer difficulties and come back with memories that would last a lifetime. Mr. Murphy is not necessarily an evil. After all, his presence helps bring in such a beautiful travelogue.
Keep writing…
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Thanks so much Arup baby for your detailed response. You must have experienced a more virgin G lake. The road conditions are terrible now but it also could be because we went just after the landslides.
I’m still debating if I should do a repeat trip or try Pangong instead.
PS – Have you read my other posts?
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Very interesting. Thanks Soma for documenting this rather interesting trip for us. I would never have the patience to do it myself. Very lucid, very detailed, with the heart in the right place. I am sure after some time we will be able to look back fondly at this experience.
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What a trip Soma! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. Though not sure I will follow in your footsteps!! I am glad you have been there and taken the photos for me. xx
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