Darjeeling

The only people who seem to dislike this delightful city are those who remember its quieter days twenty or more years ago. I'm not in such a category, so I love it.

This old hill station, with amazing views of Kanchenjunga, third highest mountain in the world, is most famous for its tea, which has special distinction not unlike the brandies of Cognac and the sparkling whites of Champagne. I drank many a cup of the delicious brews and was pleased to learn that there are actually many varieties of Darjeeling tea outside of the most distinct black style sold round the world. The whole area seems to be nothing but tea plantations, stretching all the way to Illam in Nepal, down to Siliguri. Only the Darjeeling area though can have such distinction. I toured a tea plantation and factory, where I learned much about tea production, varieties and quality.

Darjeeling is not only a tea town. The greatest part is the relaxing atmosphere, which comes through even during the loud political protests and general strikes. The state of West Bengal has two large land masses separated by a narrow strip of land. Those in the North have been rallying for years to have their own state, Ghorkaland, which make sense. They are not only far from Bengal in distance, but also culture. They look more like Nepalis than Bengalis. West Bengal, doesn't want to let them go though, since Darjeeling brings in so much money from its tea and tourism, so the strikes continue.

I found little problems myself. Mostly, the banks and post offices shut down for a week now and then. I've heard of transportation stoppages as well, but thankfully, I was always able to find a jeep.

For the few moments I didn't spend relaxing with tea or a beer, I was exploring the town. Besides the views, Darjeeling has a great, yet tiny zoo, connected to Tenzig Norgay's mountaineering institute. There was also a Himalayan museum featuring various Everest expeditions over the years. Apparently, Darjeeling has some nice monasteries, but I skipped these. Honestly, I'm a bit monasteried out. It didn't matter though; there are few better settings to sip tea with friends and stare at Kanchenjunga for hours.