Buddha, travellers, tea and mountains
Feeling at home in great city of Darjeeling and almost saying farewell to India
Darjeeling is not overwhelmingly beautiful, except the view over Kangchendzonga range, when the mist disappears, which is every third day for 3 hours, but there’s something about this city, that makes it sooooo appealing. It might be the heaps of travelers, great tea and sweets, it might be the fact that there are 2 real bars (which is 2 more than I have seen in the last 3 months), it might be the relative cleanliness of the streets, the absence of traffic in the upper, pedestrian-only part of Darjeeling. Well, altogether, it’s the relaxing, bit non-India atmosphere that makes me feel like I could stay here for couple of months.
Yesterday I walked down to Bazaar – traffic congested street/marketplace, with all the crowds, honking and dirt of India and suddenly I realized that the time to say goodbye to India is here. I think I’ve just had enough of India, and I don’t think that I could handle any more travelling here. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE India, but simply after the 3 months here I’m need of something else, and I’m so glad that I’m heading to the mountains! India has gave me what it could have given me, and just as I hoped, it truly restarted my mind, the months of thinking and contemplating change my perception of many things, and mostly of myself. So thank you India, but it’s time to leave. There’s no better feeling for traveler, than to love certain place but leave it without being sorry that you couldn’t stay longer.
And by the way, backpacking community in Darjeeling is really great, I definitely spoke to more people in the last 8 days than during the whole journey before coming here. I think that my silent solitaire state of mind is also about to end. So thanks Skoi, Megan, Fred, Joey, Ian, Gary, Ronnie, Stav, Joav, Dixie, Jenna, Emily, Aiden and all the others, it was great to meet you. Enjoy your travels!
