It has been more than a couple of months , before i wrote on this blog. My apologies to my readers, but this coincided with a terribly busy schedule and the presence of Mrinalini who came to spend her summer holidays. So when a window of opportunity presented itself in June, we grabbed our travel bags and winged off to Bagdogra (airport at Siliguri, North Bengal) and then onto Gangtok ,Sikkim .
We had taken a Tata Indica (diesel) and soon realised our mistake as the car could take the steep upward bends in only the first gear. However it did not let us down as we wound our way upwards past the surging Teesta, and then onto the mountains and valleys of Sikkim. We reached Gangtok in 3 and 1/2 hours from Siliguri. The road on the West Bengal side was bad with frequent potholes--but that was compensated by the magnificent views in front of us. The rains kept away, but the heat and humidity clung to us via the sweatstreams, until the altitude brought a gentle wind and a temperature drop. This was probably my 10th trip down this road, but neither my advancing years nor the familiarity could take away the awe and the splendour of the first sight of the turbulent waters swirling down below the dangerous inclines, just inches away from the front wheels of our modest car. 
In Gangtok,we stayed at Denzong Inn which had huge rooms but a poor room service. Magnificent panel screens and a few ancient brassware completed the ethnic decor. A bonus was a great view of the mountains and the nearby markets. The Chinese restaurant on the ground floor and a decent bakery shop completed our requirements quite adequately.
As night fell, the streets quitened down and by 9 pm , it was fairly silent. Drivers work from 5 AM to 5PM. The shops shut down by 9 PM. There are no plastic packets to carry your purchases and Cigarette smoking is rigidly banned. Policemen are strict on illegal parking , or drivers sleeping in their cars at night. Gangtok has advanced a lot in terms of shops and residences but in the process has sacrificed the quaint old charm. Marwaris are firmly ensconsed at their shops and migrant workers from Bihar are seen in plenty.
We had a good night's sleep. Next morning we looked out of the window and was blessed to see the early morning sunlight highlighting the crevices and prominences of the nearby mountains.
After breakfast we started on a sightseeing trip of the city and its surroundings. More about it on our next blog.
