Kurseyong trip
A much waited trip to my dream location. A small town near Darjeeling, less crowed & obviously nature is calling you to take deep nap, yup it was a holiday after a long monotonous hectic life. “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”. Let me introduce myself I am a mountain person by heart”, mountains are the cathedrals where I practice my religion”. I have visited so many places in India as well as in aboard but never ever I had that keen feeling of serenity within me. I find myself so peaceful like never before. Let’s have a look on the details of my trip, by nature I love to plan everything before I visit. As in where I will stay, how I will reach three, kind of a research. I booked my flight tickets before one month of the travelling date. It was Hyderabad to Bagdogra at 9.50 am, reached there by 11.30 a.m. then took a cab towards the hotel. (It was pre booked & the driver was really a nice guy).
The most awaited journey started. Roads were well maintained & offering beautiful scenic views. I was completely into the mountain eagerly waiting for the final destination, meanwhile it was my own stomach deliberately asking me to have some breakfast, and rather I would call it branch. It was super nice, actually having chole nature after 6 months made my day. It was very delicious, they charged only 120 bucks which was value for money. Then cab started through a hilly path, deep blue sky & dark green mountains it was like a painting, God made this with divine creativity & after one and half hour journey reached the destination. Just next to the tea-estate. Chilling cold atmosphere but the hotel I booked was as shown in the booking site exactly the same. I was really tired and need to take rest, therefore I order food and to be very honest being a vegetarian it’s really hard to find some delicious dishes (Mother’s food is excluded) the cook was very welcoming, he is a Nepali, a jolly person. Basically I have meet so many person in my life but it’s my keen observation that people who belongs to mountain are very clean hearted (please no offence) & mostly they are very hardworking, smile is the key factor for them. After having awesome meal which includes local veggies, rice, daal & dahi. I took a small power nap. After the refreshment went to the graveyard (most tourist attraction place) long pine trees which were there like starting of earth, green ferns but what I like most was pollution free environment. Far from the city life, in a way it seems like discovering myself, which might have lost in the chaos. So calm so thoughtful. After coming back to the resort, nature again amazed me with her eternal beauty. Sun is about say Good bye and the Moon was already blinking with her full phase grace. Have you ever seen a full moon night in the hills? It feels like you have conquer the earth and sky is bestowing moon light. I really can’t explain how beautiful it was. View from the balcony was excellent and the owner of the resort told me you are lucky you got this room, though I dint understand why he said so... I went to the balcony to have some snacks and the ever smiling came back with some delicious pakoda and tea (I guess I’m a coffee person), enjoyed that meal and order dinner (my safe option alu paratha and sabji with curd and sugar). It was up to the mark. After dinner I went to trace to take some nightlife view. Let me correct if I am wrong, you can’t assume soundless nature only some birds and the whole mountain wearing an attire of blinking stars (lights which were all over the hills) made me spell bound. I went to sleep with a peaceful heart.
Next day was a challenge for me. I had to cover so many places because my flight tickets were booked, tough I wanted to stay back. The Kanchanjhangha, we bongs are totally into it, like our parents told us so many stories, in fact it wasn’t my first meet to the kachanjagha. I have seen before, not once like may time, but whenever I see I fall in love again and again. I don’t know why I am so attached with mountains but this Kanchanjhagha have something really magical. Which cannot be expressed through some photos or words, it’s like I am bonded with an invisible knot, after wake up I clear the curtains from the window and that moment I was speechless. It was almost 5 am in the morning but the hill were still sleeping, some birds started their days with some melodious tune. After taking shower I get ready for tea and then it was started to clean the skies, a gentle breeze was passing through the balcony. From my room Kanchanjangha was visible. I was really lucky, it felt like heaven. Having my morning tea run towards the heritage station Kurseyong toy train railway station. I already booked my tickets, there was no body, after the sun rise merely two or three local passengers came along with the station master. Train arrived at 6.25 and after 5 minutes halt it started running poo chik chik .. Literally it sound like that, after 30 minutes of running it suddenly stopped due to some technical fault for 15 minutes, but it gave me the real opportunity to catch picturesque view, it was a sunny day, blue sky & the rdodendron tress were the best combination ever. I met a family who were heading towards me, it was a lovely kid. Then the train reached to the Ghum railway station (World’s highest railway station). So many people came to take an adventurous trip of this heritage train, I was glad, pouring memories within myself, which help me to realize” why do we stay in in prison? When the door is so wide open”. It took almost 3.5 hours to reach Darjeeling station. The queen of hills, I capture so many happy face, my inner peace. Smokey Mountain to sunny sky- lash green tea garden. I was overwhelmed. Stepped into Darjeeling, I had to have my breakfast, went to a traditional shop, and had puri and alu paratha along with lassie and none other than the Darjeeling Tea. Then booked a cab for sightseeing, went for ropeway adventure. Which was the best thrilling experience. I enjoyed a lot. Darjeeling zoo, amazed me with its cage free concept of zoo. I totally love with the red panda. Then botanical garden. Tenzing Norgay mountering institute. Went for some local shopping. Tiger hill and so on, but happy valley tea estate took my heart away, with its beauty of co-ordinations, if you go there you can see people are working at tea factory so happily, tea processing and more over you can purchase the Darjeeling tea. Outside of the happy valley there is a long path towards a Lepcha village, I heard the local music, which was melodious indeed. Went to batasia loop, and after that I was exhausted, took my lunch and book a cab towards Kurseyong. It took another 1.5 hours to reach at the main market of Kuseyong. I had my evening tea and had some delicious samosa, later on went to Kurseyong bakery shop, cake was freshly baked, it is said that if you are visiting a new place you must taste its regional food. Being a foodie, I love to try authentic food but I am rigid towards my taste too, as a results I end up having some fresh pastries and bought a cake. While roaming around the roads, I tasted memos (veg) which was far better than Delhi wale memo. Anywyas you cannot compare, I left it for your judgement. Then went back to hotel, as hotel was near to the main market, again I heard some local music, I guess it was Nepali song I dint understand a bit but it is still there in my memory lane. Took rest as the weather was chilling cold. Ordered dinner, had fried rice, curd and sobji which were yummy. I took a long sleep , & recollecting my memories, I went to Darjeeling before in my childhood but as an adult it was the very first time why people over the world are so crazy about this place, this place has everything to offer you, peace, serenity, fun, nature, adventure & what not, this is correct place to be visited , unlike every bong kid I felt the same nostalgia , “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” and so I am.next morning I had to catch my flight from Bagdogra to Kolkata Airport. Deep down from my heart I was so sad, I said bye to everyone & took cab to reach airport. With a new sprit to deal every inevitable circumstance’s, & a strong promise, I will be back soon. “I got homesick for the places that aren’t my home”
