Walking in Clouds

Today Kerri and I find ourselves in Darjeeling, a ‘hill station’ established by the British in the 1800s as a way to escape the incredible summer heat of the plains. As we rode up the mountain in a small, bouncing Jeep with 8 other people, the stunning views reminded me of Germany, or a drive to Fianarantsoa, a plateau town in Madagascar, or even a trip through the Smoky Mountains. You could see the clouds sifting up through the mountain range from the valleys below, and the sun on the tops of the clouds made it seem like lakes stretched out to the horizon, floating in mid-air. It was beautiful. At first, this trip was accompanied by evocative Indian movie themes (orchestra and all), but then the driver put in a CD of 1994 club hits - oh, well! The ride may have reminded me of many mountainous places, but Darjeeling smacks of Britain. It is cold, clammy and cloudy here, just like London or Edinburgh in mid-summer. I understand why those Raj-era citizens picked this place - it must have reminded them of home! After hot showers, we are off to drink high tea, look at tea plantations, buy tea, and otherwise accomplish tea-related activities. It’s lovely, and we are ever so happy to have a reason to shiver.

The rest of our time in Kolkata was uneventful. We saw the Victoria Monument and other British buildings (now that REALLY reminds you of London) in an area called BBD Bagh. I saw the Indian Museum, the oldest collection in the country, with a phenomenal collection of small bronze work. It really is amazing, the verisimilitude of figures in the 4 - 10th centuries here, when Europeans were busy making stony-faced saints. Thankfully, the bronzes were really worth seeing - it was an ordeal to enter, as they force you to check even your handbag. So I wandered the museum carrying my laptop, passports and a wad of cash. Graceless, perhaps - and I know I offended the head of security - but too bad! I am not about to have my laptop filched or, just as bad, damaged by someone storing a heavy bag on top of it.

On Saturday evening, Kerri didn’t feel so hot, so we stayed in and watched American re-runs of Gray’s Anatomy. (Shout out to Courtney, we missed you!) But not before I had a chance to explore New Market, the busy area around our hotel. It was like an Indian version of Times Square! So busy, so many lights, so many people! I really enjoyed wandering around, checking out a ridiculous variety of merchandise, and sampling tasty food. (Pen light, anyone? Ball bearings? Dance costumes for small children? Clothes, underwear, shoes, lightbulbs? Really, you could probably have bought a car there if you tried.) So, here’s a photo of Victoria Monument, a photo of me in front of our favorite snack place (Hot Kati Rolls! Perfect! And yes, I really do look that bad here!) and I promise beautiful shots of the Himalayas tomorrow.