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Sunday 15 December 2013

Sikkim Travel Part 2: The Journey From Darjeeling Into Sikkim


After a few days of nausea travelling in and around Darjeeling I soon got used to the winding & narrow roads. I also learned to cope with the pressure on the ears and my journey into Sikkim was a more pleasant one - one where I could appreciate the scenery and things that I see in a state of wellness.
Although the distance from Darjeeling to Rangpo, the border town in East Sikkim is only about 60 km, it still took a couple of hours to reach the place.
I am posting some of the things I see along the way.
Roads being repaired at a few stretches.
A village we passed through.
Another village.
I was travelling in this white car, a Toyata Innova 2.5l. We stopped in this small town as our drivers wanted to have breakfast.
Even though English is widely used, many on the street couldn't speak the language.
A very beautiful stretch of mountain road we passed through. This road overlooks a very deep valley below.
We asked our driver to stop at the roadside so that we could savour the fresh mountain air and enjoy the splendid view.
The entire slope is cultivated with tea plants.
This road, though narrow is considered "good" compared to many roads in Darjeeling.
A butcher and his meat store.
Village children.
The scenery was ravishing and mesmerizing.
We stopped at Lovers Meet View Point to see River Tista.
View of River Tista from the view point.
A bridge we passed through.
The road we travelled runs parallel to River Tista for miles and miles.
River Tista a river with green water.
We finally arrived at the border town of East Sikkim.
We had to apply for an entry permit to go into Sikkim at this Information Centre. [The documents required are 1 photocopy of Indian Visa, 1 photocopy of passport & 1 Indian passport-sized photo]. The procedure was slow as the system was not computerised. The staff here were still manually filling in details in their log books. 
After all the forms were filled, we took it to the immigration depot ( just 40 meters away) to get them stamped.
A public transport in Rangpo, the border town. This jeep is usually sardine-packed with 10 passengers. 
Lorries here are well decorated.

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