Darjeeling:Trains,Tea,& Faded Raj

We flew from Bhutan yesterday to Bagdogra, India, yesterday and changed planets in 200 miles. Almost instantly, the vibe changed from mountain serenity to high energy chaos and from 55 to over 90 degrees. A driver then took us on the only road to Darjeeling (with its narrow switchbacks and crazy drivers passing on blind curves) as we ascended 6,000 feet into the Himalayas.

Darjeeling literally clings to the cliffs, and up here, it's cool with lush greenery and misty clouds. Darjeeling's inhabitants are mostly ethnic Nepalese and speak Nepali, although there's a very small Muslim population (and the minaret loudspeakers blast prayers at 4:45 am).

Ownership of this area has been contested by the nearby Kingdom of Sikkim, Nepal, India, and, of course, colonial Britain. Tea has long been a chief moneymaker,along with tourism, starting with the 19th century Brits who came to escape the heat of Calcutta/Kolkata and drink buckets of tea. These days, most tourists are Indians from other regions--hardly any foreigners visit because of the difficulty getting here.

This morning, we took the colonial era narrow gauge steam train down to Ghoum and back which was quite an adventure. In the afternoon, we went on a walking tour with a local guide who showed us heritage buildings from the colonial period . Especially interesting was the Darjeeling Gymkhana, a combination social center/gym/dance hall/gaming room and bar for the upper class English stationed here and their wives. Very posh in its day, as is the Windarmere Hotel from the mid 19th century, and it has housed various celebrities and royal personage as well as many Bollywood superstars. Our nearby hotel, the Elgin, is in a similar faded Raj vein, with elaborate sitting rooms and photos of white men displaying tigers they shot, along with various Cooch Behar maharajas and maharinis outfitted in regal splendor. The Raj era ended abruptly when the British departed in 1947.

We ended the day sampling tea, which involved an elaborate process of steeping and tasting, and we learned that there's a world of distance between great tea and what more commonly passes for tea back home.

Tomorrow, we head down that dizzying road to catch our flight to Kolkata. We're preparing ourselves for chaos on steroids.Read more