Sikkim, the land of pristine and magical beauty

Like we believe, once a year go some place you have never been before.

Won't I love to move here after retirement!!! The lovely weather, the lush greens, clean and plastic free (well almost) spaces, simplicity and warmth of the people are so appealing. The attempt at organic farming and self sufficiency of fruits and vegetables (thereby making the locally available producers profitable but variety, limited) is so encouraging in these days and times. Welcome to Sikkim, the state that chose to collude with India closer to 1975.

Thankfully our plans to visit Sikkim were in place much earlier.  What remained to be done were the cab bookings.  A few calls by P to the cab agency and we were all set for our summer holidays to this beautiful land. It would be a much desired getaway from the sweltering,  humid Mumbai. 

The Burpeepal cottage, Ranipool, Sikkim

Day 1- a flight from Mumbai to Bagdogra via Guwahati was very comfortable and got us there by 12:15 pm. We had stepped out of home at 4:30am. The lunch pitstop was Siliguri food court which also served non veg. We had a modest meal as the place catered to a tourists taste (although the traveler in us was yearning for something more indigenous to Sikkim).  Bagdogra,  like any other hub town had packed roads. Our driver was Ameet a nepalese n practising buddhist.  On our way to our first halt Burpeepal cottage, we stopped by to engage in some fun activity - yes! river rafting on the Teesta. It was fantastic as the setting sun, cool breeze and refreshing waters were very welcoming. After a near 6 hr drive  which  included multiple halts due to our motion sick young passenger,  we arrived at Burpeepal cottage an hour away from GangtoK at nearly 7pm. 

For those who have not heard about it, it was featured in the movie Qarib Qarib Singlle starring Irfan Khan and recommended by a Lepcha friend. Burpeepal is located at Ranipool not very far from Gangtok but has a small town feel. The hosts Neeraj n his physician wife were gracious hosts.  The staff was extremely courteous and helpful.  The food was fresh,  homemade and delicious.  I am still smacking my lips reminiscing yummy bitter gourd fritters coated with crunchy sesame seeds. 

Needless to say the property is simply beautiful.  The well manicured lawns, abundantly growing hydrangea,  salvia and other vibrant colored flowers, the pleasant sounds of chirping n the gush of the nearby stream that adorns the property all add to the charm.

The stream by the cottage, Burpeepal

The dining area of the cottage, Burpeepal

Day 2 -  a brief conversation with our driver and we learnt that 70% of state residents are Nepalese and the rest Sikkimese. It is no surprise then that the state has had a Nepalese CM for the last 25 yrs. Sikkim was an independent country until 1975, but due to disgust with monarchy and increasing threat from China,  they decided to join hands with India and become a part of this sovereign nation. 

This day was set aside for local sight seeing and we went on to visit the  Rumtek monastery,  Ranka monastery, the plant conservatory and the zoological park.  Rumtek  displayed pictures of the Dalai lama n Karmapa while the Ranka monastery  had a huge idol of the Buddha.

The zoological park was quite different from most zoos in India. It was an immersion habitat. This meant that the property felt like one was walking through a wide spread botanical garden (ala Singapore)  with tall trees,  well labelled plants,  interspersed with huge well separated enclosures closest to  the natural habitat of these animals.  The highlights were the leopard,  red panda (the national state animal),  porcupine n civet. We ended the day with a delicious dinner served by the staff of Burpeepal.  

Rumtek monastery, Gangtok

Ranka monastery, Gangtok

Zoological park, Gangtok

Day 3

We explored the property we stayed at. We visited the closeby stream with 3 canines for company. Bhalloo the German Shepherd,  Dora n Jolly,  the mountain dogs.  The stream and its environs were breathtaking.  It was a pleasure to walk on the the cobbled pebbles  in hues of colors,  the waters were ice cold and the landscape could not be greener. 
When we got back, breakfast was waiting. The diced home grown watermelon  simply melted in our mouths and the parathas were scrumptious.  It was time to say goodbye to our hosts as it was 10:45am and time to move on to Lachen. We were sorry to say goodbye to Bhalloo who followed us until we were out of sight. The bonds between humans and dogs are quick to form but hard to break.

We proceeded to Lachen,  nearly 7 hrs away on curvaceous roads with multiple hairpin bends,  clouds hanging so low that we were sometimes lost amidst them,   greenery the kind we had never seen before,  yet an extremely landslide prone geography.  Sikkim,  we were  told,  receives rainfall all through the year.  No wonder then that it is so lush but extremely unsuitable for growing crops and vegetables as the layer of soil is not too deep and has rocky layers at the base which hamper agriculture. However the state does grow cardamom (badi elaichi), oranges, maize for trade. 

It was 7:30pm, dark and we reached our homestay at Lachen. We were welcomed by the Lachenpas. There was a chill in the air as the mercury had dropped to nearly 6deg celcius.  Brrr it was.  We were led to our room by our host, Dhadup. The room was a cozy n warm space done up in cedar colored wood. We slipped into the warm blankets and dozed off after we had a simple homemade dinner. 
Below is a pic of the kitchen which is so neatly stacked and that's Dhadup's  mom busy cleaning some vessels in running stream water which is constantly flowing out of the faucets. Kitchen is the heart of this home, where the bukhari is the big attraction. It is constantly warming some brew and keeping everyone sitting around it warm.
For those who haven't heard of one - the bukhari is a metal contraption which uses wood as fuel. The exhaust mechanism ensures that the smoke escapes right outside the home without causing monoxide poisoning :)

Inside the kitchen so meticulously maintained, Lachenpa's, Lachen, Sikkim

The Lachenpa siblings, our hosts

At Gurudongmar lake

Day 4- Sikkim, being in the East, witnesses the morning sun quite early. At 5:30 am I walked upto the terrace for a bird's eye view of Lachen Town. Lined with brightly colored tin roofs,  dotted with prayer flags waving in the chilly morning breeze.
It was a gorgeous sight to behold

As planned P proceeded to Gurudongmar at 5:30am. We stayed on at Lachen as we liked it better here - the cosy space with the hospitable hosts n a tiny playful kitten to keep us company.  We made ourselves comfortable by the bukhari which kept us warm n comfortable emitting an endearing warmth.  While at it,  we noticed some food that had been suspended from the kitchen roof. I was curious about it and was informed that it was cheese (from yak milk) which is hard,  sinewy  and chewed and sucked like betel nut.  The host offered it to us but we refused as we do not adapt to new tastes that well (lol)

P's drive to  Gurudongmar which began at 5:30am n got us back at 3:30pm was uneventful (no landslides, roadblocks etc) but had mesmerizing views. Diamox250mg bid taken 48hrs before the ascent to near  18000ft above sea level, may have helped.  The 30mins spent at Gurudongmar were physically tough but delighted the eyes.  Back to Lachen at 3:30pm,  we checked up the election results.  SKM had gathered majority seats, we were informed. This meant SDF which was in power for near 25 yrs was shown the boot. The reason behind the downfall of SDF  seemed to be  the youth who decided to vote for opposition SKM.  Unemployment,  substance abuse among youth,  irrational abuse of the free flowing Teesta by building dams for hydel power generation,  most of which is distributed to neighboring states,  albeit for revenue and corrupt governments have been key factors behind anti-incumbency in Sikkim. 

A quick goodbye to Dhadup and we were on our way to Lachung.  Albeit at lower altitude than Lachen,  it felt colder.  Our homestay hosts were hospitable at the Bayul homestay. We admired the diligent hostess who worked hard in her garden and home.  The place was cosy. She served us a saag,  rice, daal, cabbage from her garden which she fried with besan to make fritters, ideal for the cold climate, egg curry and to top it all the omniscent aloo. Potato is widely available in Sikkim and also very popular. In winters which begin closer to Xmas, due to snowfall and extreme temperatures, there are few vegetables/ fruits which residents have access to, and one of them is the popular potato.
The hostess indulged us with her home made wine made from wild blue berries which she had painstakingly  collected during winter months Smell,  swirl,  sip... Tasteful indeed.  The color was a beautiful reddish purple. 

We snuggled up in our warm beds and blankets after arranging for a heater for a marginal extra cost. That ensured we had some sound sleep despite the intense cold.

Day 5- After resting a well traveled body,  we got up at an early hour (read 5:30am)  to see some brilliant views - snow capped mountains, tall pines,  chirping birds n a gushing Teesta.  The sun peeked from the mountains enveloping all us lesser mortals in all its glory. The views were breathtaking  with the mountains up close.  Our vehicle was waiting to drive us to Yumthang valley after a simple,  tasty plate of egg n bread. 

A drive that took us a little over 2hrs to get done due to some bad patches of road where  the melting snow from the glacier had eaten away the roads,  we arrived at the valley. The views at the Yumthang valley were mesmerizing. The waters of the Teesta were cold and refreshing. The glaciers running through the mountains were a sight to behold. On our way here we passed through the Rhododendron sanctuary. Although the blossoms exhibit full splendor in March, we were blessed to witness some trees with the blossoms - the whites, yellows, pink, fuschia, a lovely blend of yellow and orange, lavender, they were available in every conceivable shade. The ride back was pleasant and seemed quicker. Ameet, informed us that the massive landslides and destruction that we saw on our way back were a result of an avalanche in 2012. The rubble was still around. For miles, the area was patroled by the Defence forces (Army) as it is quite close to the China border.

Back at the homestay @Lachung, our hosts, Pemma and the Mrs had cooked up a delicious meal. The evening was cold and the warmth of the hearth felt so good. We discovered that many of the locals just have 2 meals - one mid morning and one late evening. Ah! I thought the human race can survive with 2 simple meals. Am sure Rujuta Diwekar does not sell her books here. Else people at Sikkim would be eating through the day ;)

Bayul homestay at Lachung, Sikkim

View from Bayul's, breathtaking

Day 6 :

Early  next morning we took off for Munlom Nature resort nestled in the  mountains in the lower Dzongu region. Dzongu is the native land of the Lepcha community who are the original inhabitants of the state of Sikkim.The community has close to 80,000 Lepchas. The land and businesses in this region are all owned by the Lepchas. This helps them to control and conserve their culture and protect their community. The last few kilometers to the resort required a 4 wheel drive. Munlom is run by Kim who did the honors and sent us one, as our Innova Cresta did not have enough power to wheel itself through the muck and rocks. We spent 2 nights and a day there. The food was good most days, except the last meal when the spice caught us unawares. The 4 dogs and the lepcha + nepalese youth kept us company and were housekeeping, room service,chef, entertainers et al. There were no guests while we were there. We had the entire place to ourselves. 
The same evening we trekked up to the  monastery atop the hill, and were up close a statue of Padmasambhava. While on my way up the cliff, I slipped and fell flat on my face but luckily got up unscathed (Thank God!). Cant imagine Padmasambhava seeing a bruised me for the first time (*wink* *wink*)

We got back in time for a yummy dinner and climbed upto our Swiss tent for a peaceful night's sleep. 

Day 7 :

This day was reserved for Munlom, for a picnic at the river, some trout fishing and lazing. On our way there we spent some time, rescuing our Innova Cresta from the muck it had got stuck in. This was to ensure a smooth exit the next morning.
The picnic at the river was a refreshing experience. While we were there, we saw some locals cutting vegetation to feed their pigs, while some others were busy fishing for their next meal. Since I am little picky about the fish I eat or feed my family, I only chose to admire our catch and let it go. You know live and let live. We spent our hours dart boarding, Uno playing, amusing ourselves with Jenga, munching on hot onion pakodas, patting the bow wows and simply doing nothing. That's a nice feeling too :) Kim was a fun host to interact with. He had his stories about the Lepchas and the Sikkim Govt to narrate. He knew how to keep his guests engaged. A typical cowboy, he was! Pari planned our exit well. Our Innova which had got stuck in the mush on our way up, had to be first rescued and only then could we make our trip to Bagdogra scheduled for the 8th day. 

Day 8:

We exchanged goodbyes with our hosts and proceeded to Gangtok early (7:30am) the next morning. Our stay at Nettuk place was comfortable. 

Nettuk belongs to one of the ministers of the Sikkim monarchy. The heritage home is well maintained with landscaped porch and terrace, the wooden furniture is polished and exudes a certain old world charm. Gangtok like any other capital is busy, congested, crowded with traffic snarls all day. This day was for eating out and shopping. We munched at The Square and Baker's cafe. The pork ribs at The Square was yummy and so were the barbecue chicken wings. Our young person, who gorged on the margherita with chicken strips at the Baker's cafe also reviewed it a 4.5/5. We only picked knick knacks viz ceramic cups with lids, small bamboo souvenirs. The last spicy meal at Munlom had me in bed early after I had thrown out my guts!!!! But by next morning, I was sorted and happy.I was headed home with a clean gut (*wink* *wink*)

Day 9 :

We left early for Bagdogra which was a near 5 hr drive. Bagdogra has never fascinated us and nor did the drive. Our vacation had ended on Day 7 when we exited Munlom. We reached the Bagdogra airport by 3pm and waited patiently for our flight back home.

My memories of Sikkim will always entail warm people, lush mountains, mesmerizing views, healthy home grown vegetables, fruits and simple yet tasty meals and great weather. 

Our itinerary for those interested :

Day 1 - land at Bagdogra by noon and proceed to Burpeepal cottage (near Ranipool, SK)

Day 2 - local site seeing at Gangtok

Day 3 - leave early for Lachen and stay @the Lachenpas for  the night

Day 4 - leave early for Guru dongmar, for those keen Kaala pathar & Chokta valley (we skipped both) and be back by 3:30 pm, proceed to Lachung and stay at Bayul homestay

Day 5 - Yumthang valley, Rhododendron sanctuary, for those keen Zero point (we skipped this), stay overnight at Lachung at Bayul Homestay

Day 6 - Exit Lachung to reach Munlom, Dzongu and stay at Munlom Nature resort

Day 7 - At Munlom in Dzongu

Day 8 - exit Dzongu and reach Gangtok, relax, shop, eat

Day 9 - exit Gangtok for Bagdogra, fly back to base