Rinchenpong

Denise and I had a nice spacious yurt at Yangsum Heritage Farm. Liz and Mike were in an older bungalow decorated with old furnishings and a lookout tower, and Dick and Neil were in a room of a bunkhouse with a verandah. There were also rooms in the older house and above the common room where we ate. Another smaller yurt was being built near ours, and the kitchen was another separate building. From here we could walk down to the school below and up the hill through the farm.
in the morning we headed out for a long walk to a Lepcha village, through forests and past agricultural farms.

 In the evening we were served millet beer. We were joined by 4 people from South Africa who were good company - a man who farmed wildlife and his sister and two nieces who live in New York and London, but travel together. We also learned to make momos.

Biksthang to Rinchenpong

We started the morning with a pre-breakfast walk above our acommodation. It was nice to get out and wander among crops and a few houses along a track which took us back towards Mangalbarey village. We met Liz and mike near the entry and walked on to the village.
Breakfast was served in the lovely pavilions overlooking the property and village.
After breakfast our walk took us this way, through the village, then up the hill to a monastery. We had expected a village walk and were unprepared with handbags and a fast pace, but after regrouping I waited for Denise and Alister and enjoyed his company and information, meeting the others at the top.

the bungalow I shared with Denise backed onto Dick's

view from below the monastery

walking back to the village after we left the monastery

Lheuntse monastery above Mangalbarey. The Lheuntse Goompa, a branch of Pemiongchi Monastery, was established in 1850. The monastery, which was reconstructed 30 years ago, was spared severe damages in 2011 earthquake.

the Rimpoche had just died so the place was being spruced up and we got to see these statues while the glass was removed for cleaning.

 

After a wonderful lunch in the pavilion at Biksthang, we drove to Rinchenpong, stopping at this farm down steps from the road on a steep spur above the valley. It was most impressive with a range of crops and animals and we enjoyed a cup of tea there, looking back towards Biksthang across the valley. Once again we arrived at our destination, Yangsum Heritage Farm just on dark.

Kolkata, Bagdogra, Siliguri, Biksthang

Our last early morning walk in Kolkata took us across past Eden Gardens. Unfortunately we did not get quite as far as the bus station as time was limited, but we walked back across the Maidan, past children heading to school, and out past the horse paddock where we had entered on the first morning.

The drive to the aiport through the city was nice in the early part of the day with things still getting started.

At the airport we saw a wedding couple and they let us take their photo.
In Bagdogra, we were met by our guide Alister with our two cars and drivers. We went into Siliguri to find a money changer and then headed north.
It was good to be back on the road we had taken from Bhadrapur to Kalimpong in 2010.
 

 We drove through forest areas and came to the hills and Teesta river, stopping for a late lunch at a small shop beside the road. This was our first local lunch and it was great, looking out on a steep slope of bamboo below the road. Dick and I shared Momos.

We drove on up beside the river, past the turnoffs to Darjeeling and Kalimpong until we crossed the river again at Melli. Here we had to present passports to go into Sikkim. 

We then drove west along the northern side of the Rilli river to Jorethang. There is a crossing here from Darjeeling but foreigners are not permitted to enter Sikkim this way.

Turning north we had a tortuous route on unmade roads as the end of the day approached. One day this major road project will be done I guess and it will be a straightforward trip.

We got to our destination after dark and were welcomed by our lovely hostess who guided us along rough paths to our smart bungalows.

Back to the heritage farmhouse for dinner which unfortunately was western style chicken and vegs. 

Our host Diki's father was a London trained doctor and had been in charge of health in Sikkim. He was very entertaining and gave us some millet wine [spirit]to try.

Kolkata Day2

On Friday morning we again set out for a walk on the Maidan before breakfast. This time we cut across past the bus station
Our morning walk started at the ghat beside the Howrah Bridge
We walked through the flower market to the bridge and halfway across before retuning and walking to the Synagogue.
We then walked through markets to the Armenian church and along Armenian street, a narrow market street.
Eventually we were collected by our bus and taken across town to the Weavers Studio where we were given lunch amid a few wealthy women shoppers.
After this we drove to the weavers factory further out and saw different processes on successive floors of the building.

On our way back we stopped at the Park Street cemetery and had a wander. 

In the evening we went to Zarang, a more upmarket restaurant, near the corner of Sudder Street and Chowringee. It boasted a noisy waterfall which impeded conversation and was not as good as the previous, far less expensive, night.

Kolkata Day 1

We were greeted at Kolkata airport with batik scarves and a bus and got to our hotel Peerless Inn by about midnight. The front desk was quite confused about providing 2 keys to our twin rooms.
Unfortunately the room I shared with Denise was on the top floor below the A/c cooling tower which gave an impression of an aircraft landing - most of the time, so I did not sleep well.
Dick and I were out early for a walk on the Maidan before breakfast. Before 7 am the street is fairly quiet with the stalls from the previous night all packed up.

Across the Chowringee road, we came across horses exercising in the police enclosure.

Police horses exercising on the Maidan

Further on we crossed the road and found girls busy with sporting and athletic activities while their mothers watched.

girls sport on the Maidan

We walked along rail track, debating whether it was still in use, then soon after leaving it, a tram came past.

Back at the hotel in time for breakfast. The dining room is very nice, being up a floor with an outside deck of flowers to look out on. Oats/Muesli served in little clay pots, a range of fruits, dosas with spicy potato filling and marsala omelettes.

Our guide Parmita arrived to take walking and we headed across to Esplanade Row East, past the bus station, and along beside Curzon Park then right into Old Court House Street along beside the Governors residence.

tram in Kolkata, near our hotel

Governor's residence, formerly Viceroy's, northern gate

on Red Cross Place opposite the Governor's residence

western gate 

Assembly House

St John's church

grounds of St John's church

pulpit at St Johns

Past the High Court and legal area, where we found a welcome chai stall where we were able to sit and drink chai from small clay pots. It was so refreshing.

Next we set out towards BBD Bagh, the Writers Building, St Andrews and Old Court House Street. We were taken into a court yard of a building to a small a/c shop of a money changer who was able to provide us with some rupees. Until then we did not have any, apart from some 100 Rp notes which were no longer useful. It was an interesting interaction with the man who had two associates, one of whom went off to get the money.

We then had a look at an interesting building, now heritage listed, then on to OS gates. Inside, we were disappointed to find the old building no longer existed, but it was also a sense of relief that I could move on to other research.

Lal Dighi tank looking toward St Andrew's church

Currency Building 1857

 

14A Old Court House Street, Calcutta - destination of Steels to India

Pareshnath Jain Temple

I preferred the feel of this temple across the road

this temple next door looked nice

an abandoned mansion with public urinal in front.

Hoogly River, a distributary of the Ganga

,

We were taken to a lunch place by bus.

After lunch we were taken to a Jain temple. It was brightly decorated but somehow not satisfying. Next door, however, we found another temple with nicer ambience, and there was also another which we did not go into.

After this, we were driven to another area where we wandered among shops and houses, making images for 

Down to the river, where we saw boats fishing. This was upstream from the bridge and had once been an area of large houses, now some empty and abandoned and the area filled in with close settlement.