Whenever we think about the best of our outing so far invariably this tour comes in our mind. This was perhaps the most enjoyable tour we have had so far. It was just after the Durga Puja in 2006 and our agony was at the highest level just because we couldn't make it to any place in this Puja. So the meeting was finally held in one Sunday evening. Had a multi round of discussion and finally these 3 places came to our mind. Away from the polluted Kolkata, hustle and bustle of Siliguri and dirt of Darjeeling.
One Sunday morning we reached NJP station where from we booked a cab and set up for Lolegaon. There are two routes to go to Lolegaon - one is via Kalimpong and the other one is via Gorubathan. We chose the later one. The road is an absolute beauty. Coronation Bridge at Sevoke is a definite stoppage for all the tourists and we were no exception. From Damdim we took the road that goes left and soon we reached Gorubathan. The slope of this road is a bit too high and soon we were at quite a height. We reached Lolegaon in the afternoon and shifted to hotel. It was a nice one with 2 large rooms and an absolute grand view of the valley. But unfortunately we were late for lunch and had to adjust with noodles. The evening was certainly spectacular as it was a full moon night and every corner of the hills were flooded with the moonlight. We had a balcony with our room and though it was quite windy out there still we couldn't stop ourselves from seating there for hours. At around 8:30 the dinner was served and we couldn't resist ourselves from going into the warmth of the quilt.
Kanchanjangha can be viewed quite clearly from the room itself but still we were keen to have something more. So walk towards Jhantidanra...the famous point where from one can witness a breath taking view of the sunrise. It really was awesome. We were free for the day and after breakfast we paid a visit to the famous Heritage Forest and enjoyed the canopy walk. After lunch we set up for Lava and there from to Rishop. It was a 4 km uphill journey through dense forest. Th road is made of boulder and probably a 4WD vehicle will be able to carry you upto Rishop. We preferred walking and would suggest so as well. Rishop is a typical Himalayan hamlet with some 10-15 families and a few lodges. All of them are quite clean and offer almost all sorts of comfort. Certainly you have to pay for them though because all these things are brought from places like Kalimpong, Siliguri, etc. But the people around there and their behavour will surely touch your heart. We reached there at around 1:30 in the afternoon and after putting down our sacks we started to roam around the village. It was like a picture postcard in front of us. Everything about the village looked as if they are made for us only. You can simply seat anywhere on the grass and relax. It was getting dark and was quite chilly out there and we came back to the lodge and helped ourselves with few pegs of Rum. As I've said earlier it was a full moon night and the enitre Rishop was looking like a place out of the world. We were literally spellbound. Clouds were coming slowly from the valley and above all The Kanchanjangha stood like the sentry of the Paradise. But we could hardly resist the cold anymore and wnet inside the room. 3 a.m. in the morning Daju came and he was our guide to Tiffindanra, a view point some 1 km uphill from Rishop. We set up at around 3:15 and oh God! What a journey it was. It was through thick forest and though it was a full moon night still because of the shade of the trees the road was quite dark and to make life more miserable we forgot to bring a torch. But it was quite adventurous and throughly enjoyable. Subhankar was the first to arrive at the viewpoint and we were just behind him. We could hear his exclamation of joy and soon we reached at the top. Oh! What a panorama it was. It was a clear bright sky and the great himalayan range was ready with all its beauty. We could point out each and every peak of the range - Kanchanjangha was certainly the brightest of them all. The others were Kabru, Jano, Pandim, Siniolchu, etc. A part of Jolep la and Nathu la are also visible from this place. The Sun began to come out and the range started changing it's colour. First it became red and then yellowish and finally white. The sunrise was over and it was time to get back to our hotel. This time we took a shortcut and what a road it was. Actually there was no sign of any road anywhere. It was through dense forest and according to our guide it's a part of Neora Valley National Park. The slope was quite high and after a great deal of effort we finally managed to land safely. Post breakfast we proceeded towrads Lava, our next destination.
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