Darjeeling: Black Tea and Green Mountains

We are located near Darjeeling - a city in the Near Himalayas, famous for its black tea of the same name. Today we have the whole day to explore the impressive tea growing area. Stephanie is unfortunately not feeling well, so Wolfgang, Christine and I head out alone.
 
The day starts with a short breakfast and a great view of lush green slopes around the Singtom Tea Estate. We reached the estate yesterday by car and it enchanted us immediately: built in 1862, it is surrounded by tea fields and a true oasis of peace.

From the Singtom Estate we take a steep winding road towards the city, more precisely to the train station. There, our first highlight awaits: a ride on the Himalayan Railway. In operation since 1881, the train is also called the "Toy Train" because it is literally a narrow-gauge railroad. We have booked the trip with an original steam locomotive, and so the little train pushes and puffs its way through the narrow streets of Darjeeling.

It passes closely along house walls and mountain slopes, always accompanied by a loud whistle and a steady rainfall of soot particles. With the windows open, hands and face are quickly speckled with black dots, but somehow that's also part of the experience.

During the ride, everyone is busy taking pictures: Both passengers and passersby see the Toy Train as a great spectacle. It's not for nothing that the train is one of the top sights in Darjeeling travel guides and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

The destination of our two-hour round trip is the small town of Ghum. However, the first stop after half an hour is Batasia Loop. At this point, the route makes a big bend and in its middle stands a memorial with an imposing statue of a soldier. We are surprised by the number of military dead since the end of the 90's, as we were not aware of any real wars affecting India.

We continue by train, in the meantime a diesel locomotive is also coupled, which helps the steam locomotive to get up the hill. After another half hour we reach Ghum. Again there is a few minutes stop. As it is customary in India, everyone is busy taking photos: in front of the locomotive, in the wagon, at the station, individually, as a group, and so on. As always, we are in the middle of it all and once again represented on one or the other selfie. I also meet a professor from Bangladesh, we have a brief conversation and enjoy a chai.
 
Follwoing the way we came, the train brings us back to Darjeeling. All in all, the trip really was an experience. A bit of a pity that we drove primarily through towns and not also through nature or tea fields, but the steam locomotive and the general flair were definitely worth it.

In the city, we now set off in the direction of Darjeelign Mall. This shopping street leads through the town center and can be easily reached on foot from the train station. On the way, we take a look at the town hall and discover many an old house from the time when Darjeeling was still a hill station of the British. The shopping street is lined with small stores and cafes on the left and right and fortunately it is a pure pedestrian zone. So we can stroll quite relaxed without having to pay attention to the wild Indian traffic.

We take the opportunity and buy tea and other gifts. And since it is always good to trust your gut feeling, we enjoy tea and cake in an inviting bakery (Glenary's) and directly take some sweets for tea time in the afternoon. At the end of the mall street is a large square with a small stage and a golden figure in the center representing a Nepalese poet. We follow the road further to a viewpoint, but unfortunately we can't catch a glimpse of the mountains again.

Somewhat exhausted from walking but very satisfied with the day so far, we return to the tea estate. There we see Stepahnie already sitting on the terrace and enjoying the cool mountain air, she is at least a little better. We sit down with her and treat ourselves - not surprisingly - to another cup of finest Darjeeling tea.

Are you intereted in more experiences? Then treat yourself with some summer vibes and learn more about India's sunny west coast.
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