The picture with this blog was taken from my hotel balcony. That's as good as it gets. This is the cheapest room I have got so far (500 rupees) and, well, you get what you pay for. At the moment there is no running water and it's bleak and cold. However, the caretaker, Buddhalamma, a self confessed bad (drinking/smoking) Buddhist, is very friendly so I may tough it out for a few nights. It's about time, possibly, that I roughed it a bit (for a westerner in any case).
The journey (finally) from Kalimpong to Gangtok was one that I enjoyed as I generally enjoy journeying. I did, however, experience my first traffic jam, due not to a lane being closed but to there only being one lane for both directions of traffic. The roads vary from the good to extremely poor. Even worse than the pot-holes in Gerrards Cross, Dad!!
It's too early to say too much about Gangtok as yet, except that I've had my best veggie burger yet, with tasty but strange looking chips (to me of course as it is all relative - to Gantokians they are perfectly normal I'm sure). I also managed to despatch the parcel I had carried with me from Kalimpong. For some reason I really cannot fathom it proved too heavy for sea post (how?) so it's going air mail, which of course cost much more. ANYWAY, it's done now.
'Live and Loud' by the way is the bar I am currently in, using their internet facility. Tonight it is only 'Relatively Loud', as it is a dry night and no live bands playing. It's a pretty cool venue, mind, and probably worth coming to on a 'Live and Loud' night.
For another time..
Love,
Davidx
