Darjeeling, India

From the University I went to Darjeeling for a weekend. The drive up the mountain got me excited for impending trip to Nepal, I was psyched to enter the Himalayas for the first time, the range with the 100+ highest peaks in the world. From Darjeeling there is a view of Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest peak in the world behind K2 and Everest. There is also a view point near by where Everest can be seen. Sadly, I did not see shit. There were clouds my entire time there which is why now is not the high season, and why I am waiting for what is said to be prime time to trek in Nepal (Oct/Nov). If the skies look like this on my trek I will be utterly disappointed, but I will be returning to the Himalayas so will not complain about my trip to Darjeeling. 


Pictures are not great, can't see any mountains but here are some anyway. Will have to wait for Nepal to see the Himalayas in their full beauty 

The jam packed local train departed at 06:58, we arrived to the platform at at 06:57 so sitting was not an option for the 2 hour ride. The sign set capacity for our car at 108 but 1/3 of the 36 three person benches had 4 people. Another 50+ were standing including me with my backpack in the aisle. I was apparently deep in thought, was asked what I was thinking. "About the train" I said. "What is so interesting about the train?", "what isn't" I replied. In the moments before that conversation a man with no legs slid down the aisle. As his eyes peered up at me begging for money a vendor selling tea stepped over him, crotch in his face, squeezing past me in the process. Look to the left and the vendor is calling out "chai--coffee" over a women beating a drum. Then further down there is a Eunuch headed my way. They are the most demanding beggars, literally. They will hit you in the head demanding money from you. To an Indian it is not interesting, but the norm, I guess...

Here is a picture of a different, less crowded train. I think he is playing a modified version of a dholak, with the 2 strings added. I tipped him since I took his picture.

outside train station in New Jalpairgo. From here I took a jeep to Darjeeling. Was very very random. I entered the jeep and hear "What are you doing here Max?". I only know one foreigner in all of India and he ends up in the same jeep as me a 10 hour train ride from Kolkata, neither of us had planned to come here. He is doing an epic motorcycle trip from Vietnam to his home in France, but India is holding his bike in customs. After waiting 2 weeks he decided he needed to get out of the city. Know him because he was the only foreigner who came to the CS meeting I organized in Kolkata. Even had his # in my phone, the world is smaller than you think!

on drive up

Streets of Darjeeling

St Andrews Church

Here is a view point where we should be able to see kanchenjunga. Darjeeling is only at 2100 meters and Kanchenjunga is the 3rd highest summit in the world at 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) so I presume the view would be breath taking, but I did not see anything all weekend

This is what it should look like (I did not take this picture)