The next part of our trip took us to Darjeeling – a tea lover’s paradise. The trip to Darjeeling had been long, but at one of our stops we joined in with a game of cricket that some boys were playing in the middle of the village. Cricket is everywhere here and everyone plays. After a long drive we finally reached Darjeeling – high on a Himalayan hillside the town is surrounded by tea estates and at times feels like you are living in the clouds.
Our first trip in Darjeeling was to the Tibetan Refugee Self-help centre which was set up in the wake of the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet. The first-generation refugees, now mostly in their 80s, run the centre which showcases traditional Tibetan craftwork, such as carpet making. The refugees are still full of hope – quotes from the Dalai Lama and ‘Free Tibet’ cover the walls in every room. They have a quiet nobility as they explain their work and their never forgotten dream of returning home.
On the top of Observatory Hill in the middle of Darjeeling,stands Mahalaka temple. It sits on the site of the original Dorje Ling monastery that gave the town its name. The temple is shared by Hindus and Budhists – thousands of prayer flags surround the site. When the British arrived in Darjeeling they forced the monastery out as they wanted the hill as a look out point, but since their departure it has been gradually reclaimed by the local people.
The next morning we had a very early start as we went to the top of Tiget Hill to see the sunrise. On a clear day you can see Khangchendzonga and even Everest as the sun rises over the Himalayas. Unfortunately it was not very clear, but we still managed to see 4 peaks including Khangchendzonga. We then went to a Japanese Peace Pagida that lies on the outskirts of the town. The white temple sits among tall evergreen trees with statues of Buddha and intricate wooden carvings depicting his life.
In the afternoon we visited the Happy Valley Tea Estate which supplies Harrods! We were shown round the factory, then wandered through the fields of tea. A tea tasting was next – we tried at least 7 different teas, from the first flush tea of 2016 to green tea. It was all delicious. Hannah was in heaven and we both came away with rather a lot of tea.
Our last stop in Darjeeling was a ride on the Toy Train – a UNESCO world heritage site. The tiny steam engine runs on a track through the middle of Darjeeling, right next to houses that have gradually been built ever closer to the line. We went on a loop to Ghum station and back. Ghum is the second highest station in the world at well over 7000ft above sea level – when we arrived the cloud had descended and it was hard to see anything. The Toy Train was a ground breaking piece of engineering at the time of its construction – using the lates technology to traverse the steep Himalayan mountainsides.
We left Darjeeling on Monday and started the long journey to Varanassi. On the way we stopped at more tea estates, the border with Nepal and a small town called Mirik. Varanassi is one of India’s holiest cities, set on the Ganges and only a 14 hour train ride away.
So far it seems to me that India is a country of contrasts – beautiful yet terrible at the same time. There is great hope, happiness and humility, but also extreme poverty, prejudice and sexism. Once you are different or an outcast from your community, there is little hope. It is a completely absorbing country, with more to discover around every corner.
a wandering almond 