Travel Chronicles to Ravangla: Part 2

Its here, where the fun begins. Respecting my reader's comment in the earlier post, I hope I can hold some expectation that you always have from my chip-ings!

We started our climb uphill from NJP. It was HOT! and Gosh, how I cursed the weather for being so Sunny and Windless. (Guess my curses were never ever reciprocated in such a way by nature, before!) Almost half way round, we had a halt at Teesta. A small village, deep within the Lower Himalayas, near the river bed of River Teesta. The river was gurgling with life, but what made me was to take some close snaps of the mountains. In a mini expidition, Niladri found his way to the Bed. The walls of pines and cedars, corrugated the brown soil and the black rocks. Ideal place for a climb or at least a hop or two over the boulders. I admit, I am bit fleshy to do that within the stipulated time of the halt... we were running 1 hours late!

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: The Village of Teesta.

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: The Mystic Winds and Walls of Teesta.

It was around 1:30PM. When asked, the driver meeked a smile announcing that our destination was still an hour and a half away. Mainak Da and Udayan Da mentioned that at that point of time, we were uphill by 6000+ ft. Ravangla, our destination is around 2200 ft away!

Just as I was getting cramped up, within the two seater front seat of the Sumo (Mayukh Da and I were Fleshy!), the ache and cramps of the right acetabulum vanished amidst the incoming waves of clouds and mists. Welcome to the mysterious Himalayas...

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: Dreams...

Dream... well, there were more in picture, but the real fun started with the incessant hail storm, battering against the windshield. It started to droop the temperature at a very fas rate, and sitting inside the Sumo seemed like being within the freezer. 15 KM from Ravangla, we witnessed something that I had longed to see, but the uniqueness lies in the fact that its not due to snow fall, but hail storm. Within the snap of the eyelid, the roads got a new blanket from Mother Nature...All white....

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: The White Blanket of Mother Nature

Even Raju, the driver commented, that such an incident occured for the first time in his life. Gosh, we were lucky!

By the time we moved out and after a few more turns, the Sun peeked out of the clouds. The body thermostat felt it to be running a -ve temperature, when it was wet and the temperature roamed around below 5'C. (Confirmed by Raju)

The last corner...

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: Round the Corner is Ravangla... Rabong.

Ravangla, actually colloqial term pronounce Rabong, which in Bhutanese mean, Ra = Old; Bong = Place.A place instilled with vibrancy in colours, temperature, views, flora and fauna. Even Adventure trekking is a good part of the trip, with Maenam Point in hand.

Loved the place.

Somnath Paul Mar 2011: Ravangla.

The place was bubbling with liquor shops, selling from the Sherry to the Rum. The unique feature of the place, although this is after 11 years that I have been to the Himalayas, I loved the chill, associated with the cordial behavior of the people and the lovely silence... I just fell for it!

More experiences yet to come...