Dazzling Darjeeling

Day 1: 31st March:  

Famous Mall, as viewed from our balcony

We packed our bags, had breakfast and left our hotel for Darjeeling. We reached Darjeeling around 12noon. My dad and my mom in law stayed back near the taxi stand and we three went out to in search of a good hotel. We kept our luggage with them only. We booked the Hotel Bellevue right at the top of the Mall and came back to get Baba and my mother in law. We took bath and then went out to have lunch at Shanghri La restaurant near our hotel. We came back and took some rest to get refreshed for the evening outing. 

We booked our next day's sight seeing plan with Mr. Pala, we ultimately got the deal closed at Rs.800/- for 5 people reserved tour for 8 points, a brand new Travera will be provided and Mr. Pala himself will drive the car.

Around 7pm we went out to roam around Mall. But the Mall market was already about to close. Me and my husband had some "Jhalmuri" and others had only tea. There was a small Galli just behind our hotel and it had small shops full of all sort of heavenly snacks, right from instant hot Momos, to Jhalmuri, Phuchka, Beguni (thin slices of brinjals dipped in gram-flour and chili batter and deep fried in oil...!), Aloor Chop (same process but instead of Brinjal, use mashed potato doughs!) etc etc. We spend some time out there simply window shopping and bargaining with the shop keeper to buys some souvenir. 

Around 7:45pm we entered a south indian restaurant and every body except me had Idli, Sambar, Dosa. I bought one choco muffin cake, one cream roll, one coconut cookie from famous "Glenary's Bakery and Confectionery". I had those after going back to hotel around 9pm. I would always love to go back to Darjeeling just to have Glenary's cakes and pastry.

Glenary's Bakery & Confectionery

Day 2: 1st April:

Next day we all got ready within 8:30am and got out of hotel to have some breakfast nearby and then start for sight seeing sharp at 9am.

We started our day with visiting a small museum. The driver, when asked, said with a warm wide smile, that "Yehan saarey mare huye keede makode dekhne ko milega, jaiye dekhke aaiye" [trans. here you can see different types of dead and stuffed (preserved) insects and animals, please go ahead and see].

From there we all went to Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Botanical Park and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. These two are within the same boundary and the best place (according to me) and I believe you can take any kid there and they are gonna love it.

Red Panda

There we saw so many varieties of Himalayan animals and some other animals which could be found in places other than the Himalayan range.

Now we are done with the Zoo. I have shared only a few snaps, but the Zoo has a rich collection of animals and the area is huge. We were so mesmerized that we forgot to click snaps.

Tenzing Norgay Institute / Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

We left the Zoo area and headed towards the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. We were not allowed to click pictures inside the Museum. So not able to show you any snaps. But, one thing for sure, that, you will never repent your visit to HMI Museum. So many important things and information we never knew about the mountaineers and how risky their work or journey could be, all explained and depicted so elaborately and nicely that it is indeed an eye opener for people like me. I was utterly thrilled to see the real instruments used by real famous mountaineers. It gave me goosebumps when i saw the real snow-boots and other tools used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in their journey to the Summit. A feel of sheer pride overwhelmed me, when this well known fact of Tenzing Norgay, the Indian Sherpa to be the first person to set his foot on the summit, ran through my mind once again.

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)

These are some of the snaps which we managed to click out side the main museum...

There was a small mandir there, within the Zoo and Institute premises. And the day we visited it was Ram Navami, so luckily we received excellent "Prasad" from the "Purohit". It was so tasty that all of it was gone before we could click !

From there we went to a huge Tea Garden, had some piping hot tea from the stall. You know, just recalled that, there is a funny rule there between the stall owners. The cars parked there are not allowed to enter any stall other than the one just in front of the parked car. Those stalls sell tea as a drink and Tea packets weighing from 250gm onwards.

 

Japanese Peace Pagoda

From there we went to Japanese Peace Pagoda, a calm and serene place to be, indeed gives you the "moment" talk to yourself. Right from Peace Pagoda we returned back to Mall to go back to hotel to take bath. Immediately after freshening up we all went out of hotel and walked down the Mall towards the taxi stand.

Just at the corner there was a small restaurant, where it was written on board "Ekhane Bengali Khabar Pawa Jay" [trans. Bengali food are served here]. With ultimate delight of finding Bong food even in Darjeeling we entered and placed our orders. We ordered for 'Chicken Thali', which will include Rice, Daal, Sabji, Chicken, Papad and Chutney. The food was good, ambiance was calm and nice, tables were clean and tidy, price was modest. Overall satisfactory lunch experience.

Desh Bandhu District Library @ Darjeeling

We came back and took a little rest. Then again around 4pm we all went out to simply roam around and enjoy the cacophony of Mall area. The Bazaar, the small souvenir shops, the tea vendors, the Pony-wallas, elderly couples, lone old travelers, the young honey-mooners, couples like us all scattered here and there.

Ranga Mancha

Small kids running every where with colorful balloons to complement their likewise colorful dresses.... all so heavenly, as if you have reached the land of utopia, where there is nothing but happiness.

The setting sun is showering his blessing on the children of earth! I felt a sharp pang in my heart. If I could bring my 'Maa' (my mother who left this world 8 years back) also, she would have been so much happy to hold in her heart. I believe Maa would have seconded my thought; Mall at late afternoon is more beautiful than Heaven itself...! Wish she was there with me!

St. Andrews Church

We walked a down the lane towards the Rangamancha where there was some trade fair going on. There was a stall for each and every thing which you can find in every Bengali household. Right from vegetable cutters to the floor cleaners and brooms. From artificial flowers to bed sheets. From vacuum cleaner to hair pins. Everything you need in your day to day life.

Information about St. Andrews Church

Near the entrance of the fair there were food stalls which was selling "Ghughni" (a Bengali delicacy made of yellow peas and potatoes cooked with Indian herbs and spices and lots of chili), Vegetable and Chicken Rolls, Candyfloss, Jhatpati (Mixtures), Jhalmuri, Cutlets, Pastries, varieties of Pickles etc. We bought some Mango and Tamarind pickles.

We came out of the fair and started walking up towards the oldest catholic church in Darjeeling, called the St. Andrews Church and further towards the famous Darjeeling Gymkhana Club and the tennis court attached to it.

Darjeeling Gymkhana Club Limited

There was a notice board with the detailed information about the St. Andrews Church, which we clicked for future reference. Please see the picture above.

Darjeeling Gymkhana Club is for the rich and famous families to hang out and located at the posh area.

We started to feel tired, our legs were feeling weary of walking too long, so planed to walk back towards our hotel.

On our way back to hotel I plucked some unknown flowers from the roadside wall and gifted to my mother in law.

Tennis Court @ Darjeeling Gymkhana Club

Although it is solely my point of view, but i think Day time Mall is for family outing and group shopping. But afternoon Mall and the surrounding lanes are to be saved for you and you only. Walk alone and you will get excellent ambiance to ponder over your own thoughts, to dive deep inside your heart, to relive all those cherished moments which you always wish to come back in your lonely afternoons!

Around 6pm we returned back to hotel. Changed our dresses and again at 7pm we went out and finished all pending shopping. We finished our dinner around 8pm and came back early to pack our luggage for the next day trip to Jalpaiguri.