So, we have booked ticket on "Darjeeling Mail" from "BWN" to "NJP" in 2S. If we sticked to our previous plan, we could've booked ticket in sleeper. But as we pushed back our journey, so we couldn't get confirmed ticket in Sleeper. That's how we landed up to 2S for the whole journey.
We thought that we it's just one night and we are young, we can adjust and will have no problem at all.
But there is one thing, that we forgot that the drivers have to drive the whole journey for next day, so they need some quality sleep, otherwise we can have problem next day. As the train was at 11:36 PM, we all had dinner from our home and gathered at Bardhamaan Stationin time. So we didn't had the problem with dinner arrangement.
My nephew and one more guy brought their own helmet with them as they are not very comfortable of wearing other people helmet, which the bike rental person was going to provide next day. I could have done so, but I already overloaded with a 80L backpack and I didn't want anything more to carry.
Around 2:00 AM, now everybody was kind of sleepy and needed some sleep. So we managed somehow and tried to sleep, but we didn't have a good night sleep. At least all the drivers got some sleep somehow, so that's a good thing for us.
Here we have made 2 mistakes, I would like to high light them now only, so that you won't make the same mistakes as well.
1. We all have taken 80L backpack and made it full packed up. It was heavy and half of the stuff we didn't even used the whole journey. So, please pack only necessary things and make it light in weight. I repeat, do not pack everything like you are gonna live there.
2. If possible try to get sleeper ticket for over night journey, it will be useful for you.
Let's proceed.
So, we reached NJP around 9:50. Train was late. We took some time at waiting room. Brushed and had some breakfast in station only. I tried to take some good photos, but as usual, no good photos.
Then we left station for siliguri, to the bike rental guy. We booked a van for 7 people and they charged 400 Rs. I don't know if that's the actual charge or they charged more, but as we are in rush to get the bike and leave for pelling, we took the offer.
Useful Tips:
1. Download Google Maps in your phone. It will help you a lot.
We reached there and completed all the formalities, documentation. It took some time. There we get to know that one of the scooty is not here. It is waiting for us at "Sebok Petrol Station", which will come in the road of pelling only. So the person gave another scooty and asked to go there and collect the bike from the petrol station. Now as the petrol station is on Pelling road only, so we didn't had any objection. We are trying to start the journey as soon as possible because it is already 1 PM and as per the person, it will take 4 -5 hours to reach there.
I was so hungry that while they were filling up the documentation, I went and had a maggi for quick bite. I came back and saw they are starting the journey.
Finally, we started at 1:30.
We thought that we will stick together, but as usual nothing goes as per plan. Because every driver have their own way of driving, so some are going fast and some are going slow, so no planning will work. Anyway, we are trying to follow the google map, but sometimes there is no network, so we are completly dependent on local guides. We were just stopping cars and asking if this is the correct way or not. Believe me, that helps. And the drivers, people over there are so helpful. They will tell you, the correct way.
We reached Sevok Petrol Pump around 3:00 because of traffic Jam. We didn't even left west bengal yet and it is 3:00 PM already. We had some food and now we are deciding to drive at least non-stop 2 hours to cross Sikkim Border. While we are discussing one of the bikes which were at last and driving slowly with the Enfield, we saw that they just crossed us.
We started again. We reached sikkim border around 6:30 PM. The police stopped us at border checkpoint and asked few questions, that's it.
What happened was, few minutes earlier I took off my helmet before we reached sikkim border. The helmet which was provided by the rental guy, was not comfortable at all. So after weraing it for such a long time, I took off and had it in my hand. And i was wearing comfortable winter wear. That's why they stopped us because of no helmet.
Useful Tips:
Wear Helmet all the time in sikkim. They are very strict about it.
Warning Tips:
1. We almost had 2 accidents. Do not try to rush and overtake any vehicle in the road. One side of road is rock and other side has nothing. We somehow saved ourselves 2 times from this kind of accidents. So please be careful. Pass or overtake vehicles only if necessary.
2. If you are driving in night, please wear proper hand gloves. It was chilling and low branded hand gloves will just give you pain in that cold winter.
3. Choose your vehicle wisely. Choose only if you are comfortable in that vehicle. Do not choose because you want to take pictures or that was your dream bike. Because you have to ride that bike for all day for the whole journey and you cannot return it. I mean you can return it, but you have to come back to Siliguri again, that's why I said that.
We started again. We reached at a resturent in road and it was 8 PM. We had some maggi and coffee. We asked the owner, how much is pelling from there. She asnwered that it will take 2 and half hours to reach pelling from there. Remember, I told you that do not take much weight backpack, now it had already started hurting my back, legs and i cannot take any more. But we have to go there in pelling.
Now at this moment we noticed that the enfield guys are not here yet. We called them. We found out that they went "Rongpo", which is a different route altogether and they need to travel back to our route which is almost 40 KM total up and down. Now the KM is not the problem, but the time is the problem. So, we asked other guys to go and we will wait for the enfield guys in the resturent.
Luckily they already found their way back when we called them earlier & they were on the way back and they reached to us around 8:30 PM. They had some snacks in the resturent and we started again.
Useful Tips:
Always stick together. Do not try to be a hero.
We reached our hotel around 10:45 PM. In the road, we asked many people for the right way and we finally found our way to the hotel. It was near the helipad, in upper pelling.
It was 1 degree temparature and a little snowfall was started when we were in the road. We thought it was raining. But later we saw that it was snowfall. I know it was wonderful, but we were freezing. We were driving for almost 7 hours. We just want a warm bed and food that's it.
Oh, before we come to hotel, we have already called them and asked to prepare the dinner.
Now we reached and went to our rooms. Room was nice. Bed was comfortable. Bathroom was nice. Morever it was good.
We were tired, but as soon as we land in hotel, all the tiredness gone. We were so excited. We were chatting about the new experience that we just had and completed our dinner around 12:30. Then we went to sleep.
Useful Information:
1. Food is very costly here in Pelling. Don't expect proper bengali food will be here. For an example, 1 Piece roti = 15 Rs. I ate 4 Piece roti, so it was 60 Rs.
2. Try to find few local resturent and eat there. It is cheap comparatively and you will get many options.
Day 1 Ends here. I hope you people are enjoying my blog. I am just trying to make it like a story with all details. Day 2 will come soon. Please let me know if comment section if you are enjoying my blog or not.
Next blog post will start with all the tourist spots and everything with photos. Hope you will enjoy.
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