After such an amazing day yesterday I hate to have to recount my evening. I was violently ill and did not sleep too well. You never know what it was that hit you in these cases - there was a slice of tomato on the vegetable cutlet I had for lunch. Haven’t had problems with tomatoes before but then again, Kalimpong didn’t seem to be too tourist oriented. By morning I felt exhausted and dehydrated despite the fact that I guzzled water all night long and stayed in bed until 11 am when I hauled myself verticle and packed for the jeep ride to Gantok. Thankfully, it was only a 3 hour ride including the stop at the border of Sikkim for a permit.

My least favorite part of traveling is arriving the bus stand in a new town with way too much weight on my back as I wander around trying to find a decent place to stay. Tonight I’m in an icky (and expensive!!!) hotel on the main drag of Gantok. After having my first food of the day, a coke and grilled cheese at the hotel restaurant, I hit the streets looking for internet. All the spots in the Lonely Planet have disappeared and I had to ask about 8 people before I found a single place where I now sit. Gantok, like Kalimpong, is built into the side of a hill. Makes for an intense guesthouse search involving climbing unfathomably steep staircases that save you the long switchbacks. I’ve already found a place for tomorrow night (even more expensive but so much nicer) so I’ll move in the morning.

The town pretty nice - at sunset the cars were shooed from the main drag and pedestriqans walked down the middle of the wide street. There are loudspeakers on the lightposts from which pan-flute musak is emitted. Hoping i’m feeling good enough to explore the town tomorrow. I only have 3 days on my Sikkim permit so I’ll probably need to head to the Foreign Registration Office tomorrow If I want to hit the small town of Pelling.

Feeling the need to go back to my hotel and be horizontal again.

Sue Borchardt in Gantok, Sikkim. Mar 1, 2006 where, yes, you guessed it, the weather is perfect.

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