(And that’s not including the 24 hours I had in Amsterdam!)

Arrived in Bagdogra, my fourth flight on the way…

Traffic
Heat
Smells
People, food carts, trucks, buses, horns, cows, tuktuks, bicycles, school kids in uniform, wicker baskets full of chickens on backs of motorbikes, trash, tires, plastic bottle recycling… All crammed onto the same two lane roadway!

It took only one hour on the road to see my first monkey!!

So I had to find my own way the 120k from Bagdogra airport to Gangtok. Asia travel is such an adventure… Classic taxi scam; I “negotiate” a fair taxi price ($32) to Gangtok… I have to walk past the cops before the guy will pick me up cuz he’s not a permitted taxi. I walk down the road a spell, he picks me up no problem. Then after 15 minutes driving, suddenly he says sorry, he only has permit to go to Darjeeling and he will get me a different taxi! Eventually we stop and meet two other dudes who agree to take me to gangtok. But the total price now goes up by $3, and that amount gets passed right back to the first guy. We get on our way, then they say it is time to stop after an hour for lunch!! Not like I had a choice really, but I’m rolling with it… Just like I remembered it from last time… pickled fermented greens, lentil soup, chicken in spicy gravy, a huge pile of rice, potato, chicken, limes and very hot fresh green chiles. Served on a large metal plate; mix it all together and eat with fingers, spoon is optional!!

Back on the very bad, very busy road… No wonder it takes five hours on this windy bumpy road with blind curves, huge holes, and steep unprotected drop offs; stop and go traffic! After we cross the Sikkim border, surprise!!! I am passed off to a third taxi, for about another 20k; then finally onto my FOURTH taxi!! After seven hours to travel about 75 miles, I finally arrive at the Hotel Doma Palace, certainly only a palace in name. (Saw approx 150 monkeys along the way…)

When I start travel, it’s all long flights and airport drudgery. This road drudgery is MUCH more adventurous!! In the beginning of my bike trips, I inevitably question the purpose of my travel. Yet, as soon as I get out of the airports and into the “locale” of the place, the sheer assault on the senses of a million unfamiliar inputs shakes the foundation of my comfy routine and seems reason enough for travel!

A well earned sleep is finally next after a 45 hour journey of airports and taxis! The wackiness that sleep deprivation brings is real!

FYI, I can only upload photos to blog when I have wifi. Not confident I will get that soon… Even so, my photos have never done the places I’ve been their due justice.

Ps; the state of Sikkim has banned all public smoking! You can apparently smoke only in cars or your home, but nowhere in public area, restaurants, etc.