A window into picturesque North Sikkim
Part I: My journey into North Sikkim
Life is either a great adventure or nothing…..
Sikkim, a Himalayan kingdom quaintly tucked away from the great Indian plains is a perfect blend of India and little Tibet. Blessed by the sublime Kanchenjunga to its west and the Changthang plains of Tibet to its north, this Garden of Eden is where time stops and the grandeur of nature takes over.
My trip to Sikkim was unique and memorable in many ways. I was treated to the different hues of nature, the beauty of the local people and treated my senses to some delicious local cuisine.
The adventure to Sikkim began by flying into Bagdogra airport in West Bengal and then taking a local taxi to Gangtok, the state capital of Sikkim. As I left the airport, I saw lush tea plantations dot the landscape which gave way to the dense forests of Sevoke road. We drove past elephant country with the mountains slowly approaching us and the clouds hanging low and brushing against the hill tops.
The lush verdant greenery was offset by the mighty Teesta flowing in the valley below me. The Teesta, a tributary of the Bhramaputra, ran a deep brown with a torrential fury as it meandered its way through the gorge.
The drive uphill to Gangtok was a scenic four hour drive. The mountains had zestful waterfalls that fed into the river and frisky monkeys sat on the roads edge savouring the banana or orange thrown off on the road.
We drove past the famous Coronation Bridge, that spans across the Teesta. This bridge was built in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George the VI and Queen Elizabeth. The bridge has two tiger statues that flank either side of it and it is painted a bright pink that stands out amidst the lush greenery all around.
After three hours of driving, the sun began to set and the mountain roads got windier as we climbed uphill to reach Gangtok. I reached Gangtok after sundown and by the time I checked into my hotel I was in the mood for hot soup and some delicious momos!
I walked down MG Marg, the scenic promenade of Gangtok in search for something to satiate my craving. I wanted to try the famous Chopstix restaurant that was famous for their pork momos, chilly pork and Thukpa. The pork in Sikkim is truly one of the best I’ve ever had! Rich flavouring with the right amount of fat, cooked to perfection, this meat will melt in your mouth and leave a lingering taste and have you craving for more! With a full stomach and a long day up ahead of me, I tucked into bed in my cosy room that overlooked the glittering lights of Gangtok city as I slowly drifted into dreamland.
My next day was a long and hectic one, where I was to drive up to Chatten in North Sikkim. North Sikkim, the northern most district of the state of Sikkim, is a five hour drive away from Gangtok with treacherous roads and abundant landslides. I had heard about the bad conditions of the roads, but little was I aware about the adventure that lay in front of me. After obtaining all our necessary permits, my driver and me set out in our Toyota Innova to explore this virgin beauty.
The sun was out but the sky was painted with clouds which added to the mysticism of the land that I was waiting to explore. We drove past the captivating view point of Ganesh Tok and meandered our way up the mountains. We crossed the district headquarters of Mangan followed by countless little mountain villages with their terrace farms. The scenery was like a painting out of a story book, the babbling brook, the terraced farms and a cow gently grazing as the day went by.
The fields slowly gave way to wild jungles with raging waterfalls. The water gushed across the roads and there were many spots where we had to tread our way carefully to avoid being swept away into the deep gorge that lay beneath us!
After a couple of hours of enjoying the scenery as we drove by, my taxi was jolted to a sudden halt by a convoy of vehicles that lay in front of us. Upon enquiring we were told that there had been a landslide uphill and the road was blocked. All we could do now was to wait for the workers from the border roads (BRO) to come and clear the landslide so that we could proceed on our journey.
Here I was a single woman, trapped up in the mountains in the middle of no where with limited cell phone connectivity, with nothing better to do but just wait. Turning back to Gangtok was not an option as it was going to be pitch dark in the next couple of hours and driving through these narrow unpaved roads would surely have us skid and fall 500feet into the Teesta gorge! The situation looked bleak and it seemed like I would have to spend my night in the taxi in the middle of no where. As if this wasn’t enough trouble, the rain gods decided to vent their fury and a downpour began which showed no signs of abatement. Suddenly like a messiah I spotted an officer of the BRO (border roads) whom I approached with my predicament. He was kind enough to help me get out of this place. He said, “pack your basics and put on your boots, we will cross the land slide by foot and get you on to a truck on the other side of the landfall.”
I strapped on my boots, slung on my back pack with my bare essentials and began crossing over the land slide with the help of my guide. The walk was slushy with rocks and mud strewn all over. A wrong step and you would be hurtled down hundred’s of feet meeting the Teesta as your “Final Destination”.
After hopping and dodging the rocks of the landslide, finally I was on the other side. From here, I had to wait for my ride to get me to Chungthang. My trusted drive to the rescue was a modified truck by the BRO, which got me safe and sound to Chungthang valley.
From Chungthang, the road branches into a fork. One road leads you to the Lachung Chu and the other to the Lachen Chu valleys. Both these valleys are picturesque, charming and quaint. Sparsely populated, these little hamlets have their own way of village governance and administration which are relics of the people’s Tibetan lineage.
My destination in North Sikkim was the quaint little town of Chaten which was in the Lachen Valley. With the rain lashing down on us, dark, unpaved winding and narrow mountain roads with almost zero visibility, the drive uphill to Chaten seemed like in the famous Kenny Loggin’s words , “Highway to the danger zone!” My adventurous ride finally ceased by about 9pm, when I reached the army guest house that was booked for my stay. My guest house was a warm cosy little cottage with snug quilts and hot dinner prepared for me. This simple meal was the best thing that I could ask for, after the adventure that I had over the day. I dug right into my meal and tucked in, thanking the almighty to get me here safe and sound.
This day was surely an adventure that I would remember for a long time to come and I was so thankful to our valiant forces who strive day and night to keep our borders safe and help stranded tourists like us get back safe.
Stay tuned for Part II of my adventure in scenic Sikkim, as I take you on a kaleidoscopic trip through the scenic valley of Chaten and Lachen.
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