Happy Holidays
Gold Member
Well it seems a bit daft posting what we did when I’m now back, but here goes.
Thursday 4[SUP]th[/SUP] April
Our last day in Kolkata & I’m not sorry to see the back of it, it’s got to be the worse place I’ve ever been to, but that’s what I like about holidays experiencing new things & seeing something different. The sights are lovely, I love the British buildings, just sat in the middle of a temple or so other Indian building, I love people watching, what I didn’t like was it was even more smelly & dirty than I expected & the people were rude.
Anyhow at the Victoria Memorial I was just sat on the steps before I mustered up the energy to move lad stood near me whilst his mate tried to discreetly take a photo, so I asked him to sit with me, flippin eck he certainly made the most of it, his mate videoed it!!!!!!!!!!
We walked miles around Kolkata, then back to the roof top bar, where I lost the ipad. We then got a taxi to the railway station & took the overnight train to New Jalipuri.
Photo 1 Howarah Bridge
Photo 2 People washing in the river
Photo 3 IPL Opening Match
,
Friday 5[SUP]th[/SUP] April
We arrive in New Jalipuri at 8am, we would have liked to have taken the Darjeeling Steam Train to Darjeeling, but there was a landslide some time ago & the road & railway are still blocked, so we got a taxi to Kurseong, which took about 2.5hrs, I just see it as an opportunity to view more of India. We arrived at Kurseong & there was a political meeting going on, I’m not too sure but think it was about people wanting independence from India. Anyhow, we went to the local café for lunch, it was so funny as we walked in all the tables were taken, so they went in the back & brought out two chairs & placed them on a stage & sat us facing the people, lol. They did make us some yummy steamed dumplings stuffed with veg, no idea what it was called but very, very nice.
Darjeeling steam train to Darjeeling, which took 2hrs 50mins, along the road, oh yes, the railway is on the road, no special track for it, the train gets very close to the houses & shops I’d say within inches rather than feet. Love, love, love these experiences.
I paid extra for a room with a mountain view, which I’m sure you can see the mountain sometimes, but not during our stay, it was always hazy.
For the next few days we walked around Darjeeling, it’s just like one gigantic rabbit warren, all roads lead somewhere but never where you expect them to go. We got lost many times. Darjeeling is mainly Tibetan, Chinese, Nepalese & a minority of Indian people. Their first language is Nepalese, then Hindi & English, amazing English. Whilst out walking we met some boys, say 6-8 & we had a lovely conversation with them, bless the young lad said do you speak Nepalese, ermmmmmmmm no!
On Sunday night I was up most of the night on the loo, so in the morning Bob went to the chemist for some tablets & whilst I stayed in the room, well bathroom, Bob went out geocaching, the geocache was at a school, he met the headmaster & had a chat with him, he was then introduced to the children. I felt better in the afternoon so we went to Senchal Lake. It’s in a national park, we had a driver, & whilst walking in the park got stopped by the park ranger who asked for our tickets, well we didn’t have any ‘cause there was nowhere to buy them from. Our drivers friend took our money (RS200) to get the tickets while we walked to the lake. We get to the lake to find the gates locked, our driver rings his friend who tells him we can’t go in because a girl committed suicide there last week & it’s closed. Brill, they take our money knowing we can’t get in, we did get tickets & also had to sign a form confirming we had permission to enter.
I really wanted to see Victoria Falls, Darjeeling, and we found it on our second attempt, what you can’t see on the photo is the sewerage running down the left-hand side or the crap under the bridge, such a lovely sight until you step back.
Photo 1, Me & Bob nr Senchal Lake
Photo 2, Bob on his geocaching mission
Photo 3, the bar we went in where, 1 wine, 1 vodka, 3 beers, veg rice, chicken rice, paneer pakora & chicken pakora came to £10 inc tip, bargin
Photo 4, the mountain view I paid extra for!!!!!!!
Photo 5, some lovely children I met whilst out walking
Photo 6, Kurseong political meeting, the chairs are on the railway line.
Photo 7, lol
Photo 8 Victoria falls
Photo 9, my Tibetan soup
I’m planning our next trip there already, loll, I just love it. We’re supposed to be going to America in December with DD, but I’m hoping she’ll go for India. If not it’ll be a couple of years, as I’m taking my mum to Lourdes & then Thassos for our main holiday, so next year’s hols are planned already.
Thursday 4[SUP]th[/SUP] April
Our last day in Kolkata & I’m not sorry to see the back of it, it’s got to be the worse place I’ve ever been to, but that’s what I like about holidays experiencing new things & seeing something different. The sights are lovely, I love the British buildings, just sat in the middle of a temple or so other Indian building, I love people watching, what I didn’t like was it was even more smelly & dirty than I expected & the people were rude.
Anyhow at the Victoria Memorial I was just sat on the steps before I mustered up the energy to move lad stood near me whilst his mate tried to discreetly take a photo, so I asked him to sit with me, flippin eck he certainly made the most of it, his mate videoed it!!!!!!!!!!
We walked miles around Kolkata, then back to the roof top bar, where I lost the ipad. We then got a taxi to the railway station & took the overnight train to New Jalipuri.
Photo 1 Howarah Bridge
Photo 2 People washing in the river
Photo 3 IPL Opening Match
,
Friday 5[SUP]th[/SUP] April
We arrive in New Jalipuri at 8am, we would have liked to have taken the Darjeeling Steam Train to Darjeeling, but there was a landslide some time ago & the road & railway are still blocked, so we got a taxi to Kurseong, which took about 2.5hrs, I just see it as an opportunity to view more of India. We arrived at Kurseong & there was a political meeting going on, I’m not too sure but think it was about people wanting independence from India. Anyhow, we went to the local café for lunch, it was so funny as we walked in all the tables were taken, so they went in the back & brought out two chairs & placed them on a stage & sat us facing the people, lol. They did make us some yummy steamed dumplings stuffed with veg, no idea what it was called but very, very nice.
Darjeeling steam train to Darjeeling, which took 2hrs 50mins, along the road, oh yes, the railway is on the road, no special track for it, the train gets very close to the houses & shops I’d say within inches rather than feet. Love, love, love these experiences.
I paid extra for a room with a mountain view, which I’m sure you can see the mountain sometimes, but not during our stay, it was always hazy.
For the next few days we walked around Darjeeling, it’s just like one gigantic rabbit warren, all roads lead somewhere but never where you expect them to go. We got lost many times. Darjeeling is mainly Tibetan, Chinese, Nepalese & a minority of Indian people. Their first language is Nepalese, then Hindi & English, amazing English. Whilst out walking we met some boys, say 6-8 & we had a lovely conversation with them, bless the young lad said do you speak Nepalese, ermmmmmmmm no!
On Sunday night I was up most of the night on the loo, so in the morning Bob went to the chemist for some tablets & whilst I stayed in the room, well bathroom, Bob went out geocaching, the geocache was at a school, he met the headmaster & had a chat with him, he was then introduced to the children. I felt better in the afternoon so we went to Senchal Lake. It’s in a national park, we had a driver, & whilst walking in the park got stopped by the park ranger who asked for our tickets, well we didn’t have any ‘cause there was nowhere to buy them from. Our drivers friend took our money (RS200) to get the tickets while we walked to the lake. We get to the lake to find the gates locked, our driver rings his friend who tells him we can’t go in because a girl committed suicide there last week & it’s closed. Brill, they take our money knowing we can’t get in, we did get tickets & also had to sign a form confirming we had permission to enter.
I really wanted to see Victoria Falls, Darjeeling, and we found it on our second attempt, what you can’t see on the photo is the sewerage running down the left-hand side or the crap under the bridge, such a lovely sight until you step back.
Photo 1, Me & Bob nr Senchal Lake
Photo 2, Bob on his geocaching mission
Photo 3, the bar we went in where, 1 wine, 1 vodka, 3 beers, veg rice, chicken rice, paneer pakora & chicken pakora came to £10 inc tip, bargin
Photo 4, the mountain view I paid extra for!!!!!!!
Photo 5, some lovely children I met whilst out walking
Photo 6, Kurseong political meeting, the chairs are on the railway line.
Photo 7, lol
Photo 8 Victoria falls
Photo 9, my Tibetan soup
I’m planning our next trip there already, loll, I just love it. We’re supposed to be going to America in December with DD, but I’m hoping she’ll go for India. If not it’ll be a couple of years, as I’m taking my mum to Lourdes & then Thassos for our main holiday, so next year’s hols are planned already.
