sikkim. small but beautiful.
This is Sikkim’s tourist advertising line and it’s plastered on everything from pedestrian bridges to trashcans. The capitol, Gantok, is definitely a tourist town - downtown is full of hotels, restaurants, and tour agencies - but most of the visitors are Indians on holiday from Bombay and Delhi (maybe this explains why there are NO banana pancakes and almost no internet cafes). If you’re not into visiting monasteries or checking out orchids (there are 453 varieties native to Sikkim) I’m guessing the big attraction is the great weather and clean air. I’ve only explored the town center on foot but so far I’ve found they have public toilets and a firehouse. The former is a rarity all over the world; the latter, rare only in this part of the world. I’ve seen tons o’ monks plying the streets but have yet to see a monastery - according to LP they are on the outskirts of town so will require I gear up for a taxi ride up the hill and a long walk down. Tomorrow.
The big news in India is Bush’s visit to New Delhi (he’s here now) and 2 bombs that exploded in Karachi (which I think was his next intended stop). I caught up on the latest on the very large TV in my new room in a Hotel directly across from my old Hotel. I think I was paying for the view which was not my priority as I’d much rather have a bathroom I’m not totally icked out by. The best part is that the staff at the new place is helpful and friendly which alone is worth the high price. Ok, I realize that is entirely relative. My new room costs $20 and is not fabulous or expensive by western standards. Here, it is.
Today, I am still nursing myself back to health though I feel I’m making a speedy recovery. Toast for breakfast only left me mildly nauseas (I cannot quite figure out why the jelly is the color, consistency, and yes, flavor, of a gumdrop) and this afternoon I actually found and ate pizza with OLIVES! It could have wept it was so good. I can’t really believe how important food from home ( or simulations thereof) become while traveling. This explains why the tourist hubs for international travelers (Kathmandu, Bankgok) are full of western food (or simulations thereof). As you’d expect, there is fantastic Indian food here but since my last meal before the stomach upset was malai kofta and chapati I am off the Indian for a while. My incredible pizza find is a first floor (that’s second floor to us but maybe we are the weird ones) bakery cafe (playing cat stevens, no less) with cappuccino and desserts that look fabulous… or maybe they are just very good simulations. I was fooled in kathmandu until i ate one of of those chocolate looking things only to discover it tasted like crisco & sugar. If my stomach holds out I will definitely check one out later tonight.
Not much planned tonight so I’m thankful for a great book score from the Cloud9 bookshelf: Tom Robbin’s Half-asleep in Frog Pajamas. I never could get into the Moore’s Last Sigh which I paid $ for in Kathmandu. It was enough of an impediment to my reading enjoyment that I actually picked up two books (the only ones) left behind at our remotest location in Bhutan (Bumthang). I read both in short order, the first a book by Jeffry Archer called the prison diaries? The other, I’m embarrassed to admit, was a bodice ripper. Really. I remember neither the author (though Susan told me she lives in Maryland) or the title (homepoint?) but I will admit to be completely engrossed for about three days. It’s almost as embarrassing as getting excited about buying luggage.
Enough rambling. I got my Sikkim permit extended today at the Foreigner’s Registration Office so am good for at least another week here though I’m still working on the plan. Ooo, and i just got the picture resizing thing figured out on this computer (no image resize apps) so I’ve added a few of town and one of me. Can you tell how tan I am!? Ok, it’s just my face that’s tan which’ll make me old before my time but it’s sunny as hell here and hard to avoid.
Sue Borchardt in Gantok, Sikkim. March 2, 2006 at 5:34 p.m.
