Wander and Wonder the Treasures of North-Eastern India

My maiden trip to the North East finally took off. Nature is definitely at its breathtaking best in the mountain city of Gangtok.

Enroute to the city you find the delicately running streams and the locals negotiate the bends with much finesse while you first nervously start getting the flavour of this state . The exotic flora serve as a feast to the sour eyes and there are innumerable types which you actually see for the first time. When you travel further uphill as the cool breeze wafts across the mammoth mountains the scenery just overwhelms you and you just want to savour in every moment and by now you get used to the precarious hair pin curves. When you finally reach the Tsogmo lake you want time to freeze as the placid lake surrounded by the snow capped mountain peaks suddenly seem to be the perfect therapy for the frayed nerves and the stressed out souls. You almost touch the Indo China border and stand amazed by the extreme weather conditions under which our soldiers stand vigil. You suddenly rediscover your patriotism which you dont have time to feel or exhibit in our fast paced world where we are constantly on the run . Gangtok is definitely a place where you need to stand still and the nature would just engulf you in epic proportions. Love the fact that all the locals have a penchant for cleanliness and this adds more aesthetic value to the dense green cover the state is abundantly blessed with. The monastries and the stupas all around the city gives you a sense of tranquilness which everyone always yearns. Glad to finally see a city which has the magnificent mystic charm and bestowed with so much natural grandeur and opulence.

The final leg of the north east tour was visiting Kalimpong and Darjeeling. The avid quizzer in me dint know a town called Kalimpong existed in the foot hills of himalayas in West Bengal. The climb uphill was again very picturesque and the chill breeze slowly and surely sweeps through your spine. Once you reach this quaint town the deola park welcomes you and the rows and rows of purple hydrangeas just fills your mind with sheer bliss and just like other mere mortals I too rushed to take some mindless selfies instead of just soaking in the moment. You also get astonished to see some unbelievably tall dense trees majestically almost touching the sky. As city dwellers you cant but envy the gorgeous greenary the sleepy mountain town is blessed with. The durpin monastery precariously perched on top of a hillock was definitely a sight to behold. The cactus garden we later visited just blew my mind. I had never known that cactus of such mammoth sizes even existed and stood amazed at the stupendous and unending varieties the garden had to offer to the tourists. Our final destination was darjeeling and definitely it deserves the sobriquet as the queen of the hills. Our hotel room windows opened to the views of the majestic Kanchenjunga and though we missed the sunrise from tiger hills the sight of peaks glistening with golden hues for few minutes is something what every traveller hopes to catch a glimpse of. I hesitantly went to see the zoo but was so mesmerised to see the original himalayan flora left undisturbed for centuries and some endangered species like the red panda , black panther and the leopard cat inhabiting the forest. I then proceeded to the himalayan mountaineering institute. It was ironic that even walking uphill I was left gasping for breath. Wondered at the fitness level of the mountaineers like Hillary, Tenzig Norgay, Nawang Gombu and their likes. Seeing the memorial of Tenzig Norgay gave me goosebumps and it showed me how simple the man was despite his phenomenal feat . His saying that he hoped to give his family a better life after the great climb touched me immensely. What an astounding and incredible man he must have been. Sherpas and the whole nation must always be proud of him. The everest museum had several such heroic tales to tell and show the world about the ultimate human endurance tests. I almost froze when I saw an adventure film how some phenomenal human beings climbed completely frozen waterfalls. A visit to the tibetian refugee museum gave an insight to the trauma suffered by the tibetians in the hands of Chinese military and the extraordinary and the phenomenal work of Dalai Lama. Tears definitely came streaming down my eyes when I saw tibet ladies working with hand looms spinning some delicate shawls. We then took a detour and visited the market place. For the shopoholics, the mall road does offer you some exquisite stone jewellery and some intricately woven shawls and sweaters which is a must buy. You can also taste the mouth watering momos to satiate the foodie in you. I came with a complete realisation as to why people want to retire to the mountains. This is a terrain where you feel completely liberated and you transcend to a different level of freedom never before experienced. It is said that great deeds happen when man meets the mountains . In my case at least I came back completely refurbished and with loads of unforgettable adventures.

Travel leaves you speechless and turns you into a story teller.