Description

The trip from Bagdogra to Darjeeling is a long and winding road. It's mountainous; you're definitely at altitude. The cabbies? They take those hairpin turns like they're gunning for Formula One - potholes, pedestrians, oncoming traffic be damned. Put this all together and you will lose your lunch. It's not if, it's when. As soon as you hit those curvy roads, the countdown begins.

Which is why, for the first time in my life, I was grateful to be in stop-and-go traffic. Blessed inertia! A momentary reprieve. Then, the car lurched forward, sprang into action, and, just like that, the countdown was back on. 

I couldn't take it! I kept refreshing Google Maps, looking for those sweet red zones - the grid-lock areas, where I could get a bit of relief. And, yes, there were a few. But to my dismay - the blue dominated. Those hateful blue jagged lines. This was going to be a bumpy ride. 

I started making-up excuses to get Krishna, the unfettered driver to pull over - bathroom breaks, snack runs, anything just to put my feet on solid ground. But there are only so many liberties one can take with a man's time. So, I had to man-up and bite the bullet.

After about three hours of this torture, we finally arrived at the hotel. Heavenly days! I could have kissed the ground. 

On the ride up, I swore to myself: Never again. One and definitely done. I was already dreading the return trip and contemplating taking the slow, crowded train back down - even if it meant riding with the cattle and the chickens. The idea of those winding roads again was (and still is) unthinkable.

Yet being here, in this breathtaking mountain town, I can say that it is worth the nausea.

Darjeeling is nestled in the lower Himalayas in the Indian state of West Bengal. It must be right on Nepal's doorstep. On the way up here, I got a text from my cell carrier welcoming me to Nepal and warning me that standard Nepalese roaming charges were in effect. Nothing like incurring Nepalese roaming charges in India. Oh well, it's part of the journey.

This place is famous for its tea. Who hasn't heard of Darjeeling tea? Most folks are more familiar with the tea than the place on the map. On the way up, we passed countless tea fields. Neat little green tea bushes are everywhere, even on the hillsides.

Darjeeling tea is called the champagne of teas, which sounds very fancy. I bought a bag, and the vendor swore it was the good stuff. We'll find out.

Photos