Darjeeling

Arribar a Darjeeling no es cosa facil. 12 hores en tren de Kolkatta, rickshaw de 30min a Siliguri i jeep de 3 hores a Darjeeling. Pero avui hi ha vaga i toca agafar bus de 5 hores a Darjeeling. Mel. A mes ens toca seure al darrera de tot on es noten mes els bots (i no n'hi ha pocs, no). Arribam l'horabaixa i ablanits. Toca relax.
La meva idea era anar a fer una mica de trekkin, pero tot d'una veig que no sera possible: no tenc sabates, ni calcons, ni forro, ni sac, ni temps, ni res de res. Aqui fa fresqueta: tot el dia amb calcons llargs, calcetins i una jaqueta. Aixi i tot, en 4 dies he fet 2 excursionetes (per la zona), he vist el 3er cim del mon i casi veig la coronacio d'un lama budista (si m'hagues despert d'hora). Podria ser pitjor. Darjeeling no es el que m'esperava: no es un poblet de muntanya. Tot i ser brut i tenir problemes d'aigua i de vagues, es un lloc placid amb gent molt amable. A mes les dones son molt guapes, en general, i alegren la vista. Podria ser pitjor. Em qued amb les ganes d'anar a Sikkim i fer trekkin. La propera vegada.

Getting to Darjeeling is not an easy task. 12 hours by train from Kolkatta, 30min rickshaw to Siliguri and 3 hours by jeep to Darjeeling. But today there is a strike and it's a 5 hour bus ride to Siliguri. Sweet. Even worse: we have to sit right at the back of the bus, where the road potholes are more felt (and it's not just a few, nope). We get there in the evening, battered. It's relaxing time.
My idea was to do some trekking, but I can see already that it's not going to happen: no shoes, no trousers, no fleece, no sleeping bag, no time...absolutely nothing. It's fairly cool here: walking around all day with trousers, socks and a jacket on. All in all, in 4 days I've taken 2 short treks/walks (around the area), I've seen the world's 3rd largest peak (just) and I almost attended the coronation of a buddhist lama (if only I'd gotten up early enough). Could be worse. Darjeeling is not what I expected: not a small mountain town. Despite being dirty and having serious water shortages and problems with strikes, it's a placid place with very nice people. And the women are extremely beautiful, in general...nice to look at. Could be worse. I would have liked to go to Sikkim and trek. Next time.