Hallo all, good to back to civilization - that meaning computers with internet!

When did I go to Sikkim... the 5th I think, yeah. And now I'm back in Darjeeling on the 10th. Not very long to stay a place like Sikkim (it was very beautiful up there) but hell, I've seen a lot. I'm slowly but surely (mostly the latter) moving southwards towards Kolkata, ready to catch my flight to Delhi on the 13th.

Sikkim: a place full of Nepalis and Tibetans, not very Indian at all actually. It is an Indian state, but back in the day when Tibet was a power in itself, they desperately tried to get Sikkim as a part of their already gigantic kingdom. The Tibetan influence is obvious everywhere. Main language is Nepali (yeah so... the Tibetan AND Nepali influence), main food is thukpa and momos (noodle soup and steamed dumplings w. cabbage-onion filling), and a very special treat up there is the tzongpa, a fermented millet beer. I great beer enthusiac, this beer was one of the main things I wanted to experience up there, but I was a little disappointed, I must admit. Ideally, they let millet ferment as long as possible (or about 2-3 weeks), then wack it in a big wooden dring jug and poor boiling water on the top. You then let it stand for 5-10 minutes and finally drink the whole thing (the milky-white liquid, not the millet) through a bamboo straw. Sounds great, the ideal way to get pissed extremely quickly! :)) BUT! If the millet isn't left to ferment long enough, you end up with a somewhat sad yeasty-sweet childrens drink that doesn't taste anything like the real thing.

But there you go, can't win 'em all. What I did "win" was great, I'd stretch it to sublime weather for a couple of days up there. All the clouds disappeared and suddenly there was only Simon E + a bloody fantastic view of the mountains (the Himalayas basically). Counting my pictures, I've found out that I took no less than 60 pics of the 5 white peaks of Khangchendzonga (Khangchendzonga means something like 'Five peaked Fortress' in tibetan).

The day of the clearing-up-of-clouds, I started a 27-kms trek from Pelling (THE spot to view the mountains) to the small but famous town (incl. holy lake) Khecheopalri - pronounced Catch-a-(not a cherry but...)perry. This was obviously an act of great stupidity, since my backpack ways about 20+ kgs and is packed in a way that makes it feel like 30+!

After 10 kilometers I still felt good. Problem is, here in Northern India they don't use signs. If you finally find one, the distances on it will be ridiculously wrong. So! I didn't know how far I'd gone. The terrain was very mixed, going up'n'down like a roller-coaster, so I couldn't even trust my 5km/hour theory.

It all ended in misery and the vanishing of Simon E-manhood: after about 20-21 kms, I gave up and jumped into a taxi jeep.

Getting to Catch-a-perry, I checked out my feet: two blister had appeared, both competing for the prize of most gruesome blister ever (in the history on Man!). And with these, another bout of stupidity hit me: why not go on another hard trek the next day, only this time not alone. Noo, this time it would be with a guy who trekked at about 6kms/hour (TREKKED! CROSS-COUNTRY!) and had done Mt. Everest several times (not to the top, but not far off).

So! With punctured blisters and aching shoulders, I did my best to keep up with his break-neck speed up and down the close-to vertical hills/mountains.

Again, misery: admitting to weakness and realizing that I might just die if I didn't have a break, I stopped after about 3 hours or so. Gottfried (the German Hercules of Trekking) got us some tea from the locals and after twenty minutes or so, I managed to get up the hill and stumble into the 'Dragon Hotel' in Yuksam.

Never(-ever) have I felt so physically shat upon and shattered. I might as well admit to Gottfrieds age while I'm at it: fifty-bloody-seven! And he beat me wholely, completely, but at least not ruthlessly - all the way, this Yak-Oxe of Men kept me going, coaxing me on with constant promises of hot tea'n'omelettes! :))

Anyway, I survived (if only just!) and as I'm sat here in Darjeeling, I can only regret to not having taken more pictures while on the treks. Had I just had slightly more energy I could have snapped 'perfect post-card photos' all the way, but alas... Next time, it'll just have to be next time around.

Lastly, in this final of blogs (there might be more, but not many), I guess I have to tell "ya'll" how and when I'm going home:

Tomorrow evening I've got a sleeper-seat on the train down to Kolkata. There, I've got a full day of enjoying heat, pollution, noise, getting run down in traffic. On the 13th, I'm catching a flight to Delhi. Haven't got a clue what I'm doing there, but on the 15th I'm heading for Heathrow (more than 4000 kms and about 9-10 hours) then from there, on to DK (Kastrup).

Should be a breeze - I've booked and confirmed all my tickets and really just have to fill in the gaps with relaxing/exciting things to do. :)

I'm sure I'll be fine.

All the best. There's still time for a few greeting in the guestbook! ;))

Simon E