Last Christmas: An Epic Trip to Kalimpong

Yes, perhaps, I have been suffering from writers' block and am thus a bit late in posting about my lovely Kalimpong trip last Christmas (2023), but here it goes...

The trip was a hurriedly planned one and started with a bus ride from Kolkata to Siliguri (because our train tickets were cancelled at the last moment). The AC bus was a comfortable one and I had a sound sleep. Nonetheless, I felt they could've provided better blankets. We reached Siliguri early morning the following day and had a sumptuous breakfast with some locally made chicken momos and tea. What else does one need to start off an epic trip?

Day 1

Shortly after breakfast, we reached our stay for the day: the famed Morgan House, the former residence of British-era jute mogul George Morgan. It's largely believed that this property is haunted by the spirits of Morgan and his wife. There have been reports of people hearing footsteps in the middle of the night and of smoke coming out of rooms without any probable explanation.

Though we didn't have any direct encounter with a ghost here, I did get a weird feeling at night. Well, but first let's talk about our "happening" evening. It was spent at a local joint, over some vodka, light banter, and the usual song and dance routine. The fact that it was a joint we discovered all of a sudden added to the fun!

After our eventful evening, we spent some time at the local market and moved back to Morgan House by 9. Now, here is where the spooky bit happened. I found that one of my T-shirts (which was dry in the morning and neatly kept in one of my suitcases) had an unexplained wet patch on it (not making this up at all). It scared me for a while, but the adda with the fellow Bongs at the property allayed some of my fears. We spoke about the history of the place and how the staff (barring one guard) leave the place by evening.

There are certain weird rules here too. For instance, you can't order in food from outside and have to have all meals from the in-house kitchen instead. The property also lacks upkeep (damp walls etc.). Yet, it's worth a stay (at least for a night).

Day 2

The next day began with a quick breakfast, and then we headed to the beautiful MacFarlane Church.

We then visited the Thongsha Gumpha. With a jaw-dropping view of the surrounding landscape, this monastery offers plenty of photo ops. The Buddha statue reminded me of a similar one in Spiti.

The next stop was Dr. Graham's Homes. A British-era school, this had been on my list of must-visit places since our Std. 3 class teacher moved to this school. Heard a lot of stories about this place through her letters. They have now introduced tickets worth Rs. 50 per person and allow visitors to click pics inside too.

We then reached our next destination- a small hamlet called Panbu Dara, a few kms away from Kalimpong. Our stay for the night, Manjushree Retreat, had to be the most awesome place in Kalimpong. With awe-inspiring views of both the sunrise and the sunset, and a clear view of the mighty Kanchenjunga, this place is a viewpoint too. The rooms are comfortable, though the hospitality had much room for improvement.

After a crazy Christmas eve, replete with booze, bonfire, dance, and a yummy bbq dinner (which saw us run into the woods in the dark and dance crazily to the tunes of "Phir se udd chala", lying down on the open road to watch the stars and the Moon, and chatting our hearts out), we got up early the next morning to catch an awe-inspiring sunrise and the Kanchenjunga painted in golden hues. It truly was a treat!

Day 3:

After a hearty breakfast, we set out to explore the area, spoke to the locals, befriended a local kid and a doggo which followed our trail. We got the most beautiful candid shots and bought the kid some Christmas chocs, before heading back to our resort to pack for our journey back.