I cram into a share jeep with a bunch of Indians for the four hour journey from Siliguri to Gangtok, Sikkim's capitol city. The jeeps don't leave until they are completely full. Next to the driver there are two women in the front seat. The middle and back seats all have four people. I am in the back seat, but luckily I get a window.
I arrive in Gangtok at night. I take a taxi to New Modern Central Lodge, supposedly the cheap hotel where backpackers stay. But the room I am shown is freezing cold and the bathrooms are shared so I am skeptical there will be enough hot water to go around. I search the street it is on, Tibet Rd., for another option. After trying to bargain a decent price at a few places, I settle on Hotel Silver Line for Rs. 250 for a double. (It seems most hotel owners take pity on me, a single traveler, and give me a better price on a double if they don't have any singles.) After Hotel Maria in Kolkata and other Indian and Bangladeshi hotels, I am surprised at how immaculate this place is. They even give me a towel and soap!
The next day, I head to MG Marg (Mohatmas Ghandi Road) and try to find a good price for a tour of the area. It seems it is inefficient to try and visit most of the attractions on my own, as public transportation is not readily available to reach them. Finding a tour isn't an easy task, as I am traveling alone and it would be much more affordable to join a group and share the price. Luckily I find a travel agency that is willing to give me a driver without taking any cut of the money because his work has fallen through for the day. When I return to this agency to confirm the tour, two Americans from Hawaii show up and I invite them to join me, which they decide to do.
Walking around, I am impressed at how clean and quiet the streets in Gangtok are compared to those in other parts of India. The buildings are colorfully painted, mainly in pastels. We can see the peak of Mount Khangchendzonga in the distance.
Our tour includes, in this order: Chorten Stupa, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Shanti Viewpoint, Rumtek Gompa (a gompa is a monestary), Lingdom Gompa and Jankri Waterfalls.
A stupa (also called a chorten) is a mound-like structure composed of a solid hemisphere topped by a spire and containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of a Buddha or a saint. They exist wherever there are Buddhists. As such, I saw many in Leh and Sikkim.
The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, housed in traditionally styled Tibetan architecture, was established in 1958 to promote research into Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan culture. It contains one of the world's largest collections of Buddhist books and manuscripts, plus statuettes, thangkas (Tibetan cloth paintings) and sacred objects, such as kapali (sacred bowl made from a human skull).
Rumtek monastery, a short distance from Gangtok, is the contemporary home of Buddhism's Kagyu (Black Hat) sect. The sect gets its name from the ruby-topped headgear used to crown the Karmapa (spiritual leader) during key ceremonies. According to legend, the hat is woven from the hair of angels and, as such, must be kept locked in a box to prevent it from flying back to heaven. According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, "Nobody has seen it since 1993 when the 16th Karmapa died. Only when the 17th Karmapa is finally crowned, will anyone dare to unlock the box and check" (578). Within the Rumtek Gompa Complex, the main monastery building, according to my Lonely Planet, "was constructed between 1961 and 196 to replace the Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet which had been destroyed during China's Cultural Revolution" (577).
Lingdom Gompa was completed in 1998, but it is just as visually attractive as older monasteries I have seen. My Lonely Planet has a nice description: "Its structure grows out of the forest in grand layers with photogenic side towers, though the exterior paintings are not especially accomplished. Th extensively muralled main prayer hall enshrines a large Sakyamuni Buddha wreathed in an expansive gilded aura. Frenetic chanting adds to the magical atmosphere" (578). Indeed, we are able to observe monks chanting and playing cacophonous wind instruments inside the prayer hall. On the day we visit, the monks are also cleaning the entire complex, an intricate task that will presumably fill many days, despite all the monks who are available to work. We watch as they pour soapy water over a ledge to watch some stairs--a photogenic moment.
Jankri waterfalls are not especially impressive, but the park that has been built near them is. The park is a testament to the environmental agenda Sikkim is pushing. There is a wall edged with solar panels to generate energy. The playground consists of a giant wheel which, when propelled by human walking or running, generates energy which is used to play music and light small LEDs. The slide has a belt that moves when someone slides down which also generates music.
I have dinner with the two Americas after our tour and stay one more night in Gangtok before heading off to Pelling.
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