Life in Sikkim- Part 1

Sikkim- as a school kid this was just one of the names of the 22 states in India (back then). Schooling during our times was boring- learning by rote, no computers or internet, no field trips, no activity based learning, no videos or graphics. Rote wasn't certainly my cup of tea as by temperament, i hate boundaries. So geography was my most hated subject- there was no logic to use and facts were facts and you could do nothing but learn by rote. So i excelled in languages and science where i could use my thoughts, logic and expression and geography felt like a jail.

Thankfully, after schooling geography exited my life. The many years were spent completely focused on professional studies - yes, i was too boringly studious. When i now look back, i feel stupid about myself for having missed out on the best years of my life. Who said academic excellence is the key to success? Rather, what is the definition of success And which is the right one?

Then somewhere in early 2000s during one of my birding trails, Sikkim cropped up. Someone was sharing with his about his recent mesmerizing trip to Sikkim. But his experience of how they managed the logistics was a little discomforting especially for a lady. Nevertheless with his description, my mind conjured up some fascinating visuals from its imagination and somewhere deep down a desire to see Sikkim took birth. The question was how, when, will it happen in this lifetime? Mind you,the infrastructure and connectivity across the country 15 yrs ago wasn't like it is today,-why, i didn't even have a cell phone then, and the furthest east i had only been was to Kolkata and Darjeeling as a 12 year old child. 

In the subsequent decade, a lot changed in India and in my career too. Between 2011 and 2013, work took me extensively to the north east- innumerable trips to Guwahati, 2 visits to Shillong and Agartala each, a visit to a far off place in Arunachal called Ziro, multiple visits to imphal.... I became a fanatic about north east and now the dream of seeing Sikkim seemed real and closer. I did my first birding trip to north east in 2013 to Mahananda, Lava and Neora and decided then itself that the next one had to be Sikkim. 

We had planned it for May 2014, but a bad slipped lumbar disc some months before put paid to our plans. So April 2015 was the new tentative date. Planning started way back in Nov 2014 and the experience wasn't too pleasant when we tried arranging for a vehicle and driver to be with us for 10 days. Not only was the cost exorbitiant @ Rs 5000 per day, but anyone we spoke to, insisted on a 100% advance payment in Nov itself for a trip in April !! In my travel across the length and breadth of India, I have never faced this kind of demand and friends said,'Well the Sikkimese aren't too hospitable towards Indians. They don't consider themselves to be Indians'. I wondered if the visuals my mind had conjured up over the years would feel distasteful after the hospitality experience. We left the vehicle booking to be done closer to the visit date, hoping to be able to find something. The plan was Ravangla, Yuksom and Okhrey. North and East Sikkim was left out of the itinerary, as this was to be our first visit and we didn't quite know if managing permits would be smooth sailing. West Sikkim needs no permits.

Done with the flight and hotel bookings 5 months in advance, I continued to read blogs about birding in West Sikkim and came across names and phone nos of 2 drivers who were highly recommended. I called up one of them and he happily agreed to be with us for 10 days. Just give me 5000 advance a month before your trip and the rest when you come. Wowww, so we were finally all set with the logistics as well!!! A month or two before the trip some health issues kept coming up and I was wondering....will I make it??? As if this was not enough, our driver met with a ghastly accident 5 days before our trip and his arm had to be amputated. Gosh, this was cruel of destiny for he is a young chap with a family to support and his only livelhihood was driving. I tried calling up the other person whose number I had found and fortunately for us he agreed. But then again, whether he will really turn up, we will know only after landing at Bagdogra, I thought. We carried a laundry list of phone nos of taxi hire services in case we needed to arrnage for something at the 12 th hour. Meanwhile, 2 days before the journey, i was down with a health problem again and had to start antibiotics......was Sikkim really jinxed for me? Will I be able to make the trip satsifactorily, i wondered as I packed my bags. The solace was that the team with me was my friends whom I had known well for years and I knew would help out in case of any downturns.