Our Journey Begins: Day One in Gangtok
Embarking on an adventure always brings a mix of excitement and anticipation, and our four-day trip to Gangtok and Darjeeling was no exception. Though our official journey was set to begin the next day, my friends and I decided to get a head start and traveled to Kakarvitta, a border town, where we planned to cross into India through Panitanki.
I stayed at my फुपू’s (aunt’s) house, while my friends Prasanga and Guptaraj (fondly called Guptu) stayed at Guptu’s brother’s house. The next morning, at around 6:30 AM, my फुपाज़ु (uncle) dropped me off at the chowk where I met my friends and Guptu’s brother. He was kind enough to drive us to Panitanki. After thanking my uncle, we hopped into an auto-rickshaw and headed towards the border.
Crossing the border was smooth. The patrol checked our IDs and let us pass without any hassle. We reached the bus station and found a sharing jeep heading to Gangtok. After purchasing our tickets, we waited for the other passengers. By 7:30 AM, our journey officially began.
As our jeep rolled through the plains, we reached Siliguri, a city I had often heard about but never visited. It was bustling and marked the beginning of our ascent into the hills. Midway through our journey, we stopped for a meal. Even though we were in India, we enjoyed a delicious dalbhat, a testament to the Nepali influence in Sikkim and Darjeeling.
Back on the road, we munched on candies bought in Siliguri as we wound our way through the mountains. By 1:30 PM, we arrived in Gangtok. The city greeted us with rain, adding a fresh and vibrant feel to our surroundings. We started up the road to find a hotel but the rain quickly intensified. Seeking shelter in a gas station, we searched for accommodations online and settled on Hotel Aster.
Finding Hotel Aster proved more challenging than expected. It was marked incorrectly on the map, leading to a long walk through the rain. Exhausted but relieved, we finally checked in. The first thing we did was take a refreshing shower. Coming from the heat of Biratnagar to the chilly air of Gangtok, the shower felt heavenly, and the tea that followed was the perfect complement.
As the rain subsided, we decided to explore MG Road, Gangtok’s famous street. Walking uphill, we hadn’t gone far past the bus station when the rain resumed, forcing us to take shelter in a Gurudwara built by the Black Cat Commandos, an army division in Sikkim. After a 35 to 40-minute wait, the rain lessened, and we continued our walk with a single umbrella between us. Despite getting a bit wet, the walk was enjoyable, and MG Road was as charming as we had hoped, albeit quieter due to the rain.
We roamed the street, taking numerous photos, and indulged in some street food, including chai and chicken balls. Satisfied, we decided to head back to the hotel. Relying on our instincts instead of the map, we soon found ourselves lost in the narrow, dark alleys of Gangtok, only to end up back on MG Road. After another stroll and more pictures, we used Google Maps to navigate our way back to the hotel.
Hungry again, we stopped at a crowded restaurant. Luck was on our side as we managed to get a seat, but the only dish available was Hyderabadi biryani. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. We picked at the chicken and left most of the rice uneaten.
Back at the hotel, we changed into fresh clothes and gathered to chat about our day. The amount of walking we did was astonishing, leading us to joke that “not even the army walks this much.” We planned our next day’s visit to Changu Lake and then called it a night.
The first day in Gangtok felt like a slice of Nepal within India. The city’s beauty and the warmth of its people made it a memorable start to our adventure. Little did we know, there was so much more yet to come.