My first solo trip when I decided
to quit engineering and focus on travelling was to the North Eastern state of
Sikkim.
The general discussions about the region are
a banality and actually quite obverse as the state isn't just a nomadic
settlement and a home to refugees from neighbouring nations (that's the general
notion I've come across. Completely fallacious!) and instead offers an
idiosyncratic view of an exciting, radiant and vibrant culture that stays
hidden from the world; all through a kaleidoscopic landscape. Here's my
experience travelling across Sikkim for the first time, all alone.
Sikkimese people are true gems
It’s the smallest state of the country by
population and is often misconstrued as one of the states regarded as the Seven
Sisters. The lesser known facts are that people of Sikkim are much disciplined
in every aspect, they follow traffic rules scrupulously, almost never honk,
don’t mind giving you a helping hand and are polite. I think this is the
reason Sikkim is quite detached from the rest of the country;
the people here care! The owner of the home-stay in Lachung was extremely kind
to me. She didn't even charge me for the meals. When I went to a shop opposite
to the home-stay to purchase some snacks, the shop owner and I got to talking;
I shared my travel experiences while he shared stories about his and by the end
of our conversation, he invited me (rather pressed me) to chug a glass of
locally brewed "HIT" beer.
Nature’s
top notch work
The landscape of Sikkim is
such that people including myself fall short of words to describe it. Nestled
amongst the eastern Himalayas, one can see snow covered mountains,
rivers gushing with water as white as a moonlit sail, thin clouds flowing
upwards from the valley and interesting architecture of the houses of locals.
Isn’t that magnolious?!
There are a lot of locations spread across Sikkim that I stumbled
upon while I was riding through the state; these locations were such a delight
for the eyes that I stopped at each one of them for a while and felt my mind
get refreshed instantly. What was so special about them? They offered the exact peace and
quiet one requires to get away from the mundane lifestyle of the metropolis, take a breather and get a tight hug from mother nature.
The North
is the apex of the state
North Sikkim is a world of
its own. Extreme conditions make it a tad bit inaccessible sometimes and the
journey at other times can be somewhat tiring due to bad roads (although ITBP
keeps working to keep them in the best possible condition). The selfless Indian
Army personnel can be seen serving the country here as it is a
politically/geographically sensitive location for India.
The natural beauty of North Sikkim is what pulls one towards
it. I can say I was literally attracted to the scenery like the opposites of a
magnet. The temperatures up in the north drop below zero (°C) as the
sun sets as early as 03:50 - 04:00 pm in the winters. Despite the extreme weather conditions, bad roads and a lack of free Wi-Fi (a basic necessity nowadays, although not for me!), it is worth visiting the North, all efforts put in are rewarded.
My trip to Sikkim was worthwhile. I made the
most out of the time had and enjoyed myself to the fullest!
The view of Yumthang Valley, also called the Valley of Flowers
is such, as though a painter created his best work and left it in the open for
everyone to admire. I guess it looks more beautiful when the flowers actually
bloom, which I couldn’t experience as it was the start of winter.
Once I had traversed the valley, I reached
Zero Point or Yumesamdong as it is referred to locally. It is the last location
accessible to civilians and quite close to the Indo-China international border.
Here onward, the road is only open to and strictly patrolled by the Indian Army. The
temperature at Zero point was -5°C, but the real feel was about
-9°C. My hands were totally numb from riding my bike, even though I was wearing two pairs of gloves.
Thanks
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