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The midnight bus arrived and we loaded up our bags for the 7km journey around the engineering hangars and taxiways of the airport to the domestic flights terminal. The air was very humid and we were treated to some fantastic lightening flashes. There seemed to be a lot of armed military personnel about and everyone wanted to check papers. We tipped the baggage boy and moved into the terminal to find that the VIP lounge that we were expecting did not exist and if it did it was closed. We were expecting a place of rest to get refreshments and a shower but what we got was another transit lounge with uncomfortable seats. There was a dormitory with 6 remaining beds but that was even warmer than the transit hall and none of us had any Rupees to pay for it. So the first lesson is, always carry some of the local currency no matter how universal dollars are. Eventually, we did manage to find a Thomas Cook hut with an efficient cashier (the only one there) who managed to give us a very good exchange rate.
The 10 hours wait seemed to last forever. We used the time to chat, doze, read, write and wander. Cups of tea at 8 pence and coffee at 25 pence made the UK airport prices seem like a distant nightmare. Our flight was not listed on the departure display but eventually we moved through the security checkers to the departure lounge. The flight to Bagdogra took 2½ hours and many of the group spent a lot of it sleeping. As we came into land we could see the foothills leading to Darjeeling - our next destination by bus.
The team from the trekking company were there to meet us with yellow bandanas and a small coach stocked with plenty of bottled water and biscuits for the journey. We set off with the luggage strapped to the roof of the coach and cameras at the ready. The roads were full of all sorts of vehicles from 3 wheeled motorbike taxis to heavy goods vehicles that had seen better days. Pedestrians, cattle, push-bikes, dogs and goats acted as the chicanes for all the vehicles to dodge and drivers were constantly using their horns to let every other road user know their whereabouts. The buildings were constructed mainly from wood and corrugated iron but some were made of bricks and concrete, most of them looked either run-down or half finished.
As we moved away from Bagdogra into the countryside the scenery changed and we started to gain height. The fields with under-nourished cattle and rivers full of people washing clothes and themselves were disappearing and we moved into woodland. The road was narrow and winding and in places it was shadowed by the narrow gauge railway track, which provided the toy train with a route to Darjeeling. The woods almost became jungle in places and the road switched and turned as we moved higher to overlook the plain across the ravines and hills behind us. The sound of vehicle horns stayed with us all the way to Darjeeling. We saw monkeys, enormous bamboo, rubber trees, ferns, tea bushes, banana trees, rhododendrons and pine trees; some trees even had orchid growing on them. Thankfully at 1530 hrs we stopped for tea at Kurseong. The teahouse was stuck to the side of the hill at the side of the road and it had splendid views across the tea terraces. The tea was delicious but we declined the ultra strong beer ‘He-man 9000’ and got back on the coach for some more travel and scenery. Shortly after, at Sonada, we were halted in our tracks by a parade with drums, pipes and singing revellers celebrating the monkey festival. Vehicles blocked the streets and even the driver after a few sad attempts at using the horn understood that we would have to wait. We set off again and continued to gain height. The journey that took us about 5 hours would have taken 8½ hours on the train.
As we approached Darjeeling the horn started to announce our presence more frequently and we started to weave in and out of traffic again. The buildings started to become closer and closer until it was obvious that we were in a densely populated mountain town, full of the hustle and bustle of Bagdogra. The school children crowded the roads and hundreds of vehicles joined the cacophony of sound from market traders and traffic police. When we finally arrived at the hotel the coach stopped and a group of weary travelers longing for a hot bath exited. The Gymkhana Resort provided us with a comfortable resting place with warm water, which became hot after we had all finished showering. The evening meal was a vegetable curry and we did a quick trip around the main shopping part of the town to buy some tea. Well what else would you expect in Darjeeling?
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