From Bodhgaya to Darjeeling and everything inbetween

** This entry was taken directly from my written journal when we arrived last night so it's fresh, honest and probably not the most reader friendly but entertaining nonetheless. Enjoy **

Leaving Bodhgaya I had only two goals in mind to do while in Darjeeling
1) Take a shower
2) Do laundry

Yes, yes we have come a long way. From Bodhgaya we jerked around in a shared auto-rickshaw to the Gaya train station where we preceded to buy "free for all", non-reserved seats for the 3 hour leg to Patna. This, we learned quickly, need the bitch factor to be turned up to 25: pushing, shoving, squishing, staring, glaring - whatever needed to be done. We made it through in one piece and came out much tougher than going in. Patna was a "rest" stop for 5 hours before our overnight train and instead of attempting to cross 12 "lanes" of bazaar-o-land traffic we paid a rickshaw guy 10rps. to do it for us and take us to a nice hotel where food could be had. Their fancy restaurant was closed until 7:30pm suppertime buy they were kind enough (or pitied enough) to let us order from the room service menu, call a cook, and whip us up a delicious batch of dal and nan - with two Fantas of course. We dined like queens in their AC'd Internet room in which after we made use of their quick connection and generators, as the power went on and off the whole time we were there. Just wonderful.

Anyway, another rickshaw ride later we were back at the train station doing jigs to entertain the large crowd that was circling us - just because we're white girls! Halla! So, just when all you want is a bunk with clean sheets and a pillow, after 13 hours of sweaty, aggravating travel and there in your bunks AS1 - 17 and 18 are snotty UK old folks with their personal India guide whom they tell to "BETTA GO DEAAAL WITH IIIT!". omg. For the record, we checked with the conductor AND about 3 other well train versed Indian travellers, we were in the right but they moved us to another car nonetheless, got some clean linens and that was that. Just another pain in the ass. Ok, ok. So families come and go around us, lights are on and off, hands on your bunks and in your beds and finally we arrive in NJP - hot, sweaty, annoyed...again. After two back and forth trips to the tourist office (no one here ever knows anything) we conclude that another rickshaw journey must be taken. So, in and out with bags in tow, a couple of rickshaws later we agree on a price and off we go. From the bus station we locate the pre-paid Jeeps to take us up the mountains to Darjeeling and also our first ice cream bars of the trip - delicious! Ten minutes of sweating in the shared Jeep pass, sweat rags sopping and already somewhat uncomfortable in our sideways trunk seats we watch our bags flung to the roof, get strapped down and off we go with one sketchy driver! Within the first 5 minutes I comment to Lifa on his poor, or lack of, breaking skills.... ahhhhh, foreshadowing! Up, up, up! Switching back and fourth. Break, Gas, Honk! Honk, Break Gas! To make what was supposed to be a 3.5 hours trip one that turned into 5.5 hours you know just a few things we aw re.

Problem one: buddy crashed the car.

Yeah, I called it. I know. We slam into the back of the Jeep ahead of us... other buddy is pissed, no one knows what to do...yap yap yap and we all climb in again when the car starts thinking we're going somewhere but instead pull ahead 7 yards because we've got a flat. I take the opportunity to take a leak, Lifa snaps some shots, we ponder the beauty of the hills then finally regroup and try again.

9 almost car crashes later we stop again because buddy needs to replace the now flat spare tire. Fine. We wait. Have I mentioned at all how shoddy this road it? No? Picture the Sea to Sky when someone, somewhere first had the vision to build it...then picture just about a car and a half's length wide...but no road, not even gravel, not even anything - we didn't get about 40k/h. So, here we go again only to hit a town having some sort of dead baby parade (deductive conclusion) all over the one and only road. Wait, wait, wait. Hours later we're dropped in the middle of the most wonderful town where we wander, hire a porter to carry our bags up the mountain, find a hotel and are told (remember goal number one and two) there is no running water anywhere as the past weeks rains have caused a landslide on the supply line, killed 8 people, and they are trying to recover and get things working again. Just think: the smelliest you've ever been, times it by 30 and know you will not be getting any cleaner for the next week. Alas, I managed to suss enough ice cold water to wash my hair and face in the sink - just. The possibility of clean clothes is grim. I will just buy some new ones.

But really, this place is just delightful. No cows, cars, or people staring. Cool and crisp air, nestled within the Himalayan foothills. A good first impression and a great first meal at one of the smallest hole-in-the-wall Tibetan restaurants which served us the best ever chicken soup I've ever had and hot hot tea. I am in love.

For all the missing details of this blog entry visit Lifa's blog...a whole nother story!