Easy day

Today I wanted to do very little.  After breakfast, I decided to enquire about the bus to Siliguri.  Essentials like where it left from how long it takes, whether foreigners are OK on it in view of the checkpoint utilised.  Answered varied and but all that was confirmed was that it starts in Lower Pelling at 0700 and I can take it from outside the hotel a few minutes afterwards.

When I returned, the receptionist told me that I had an alternative of a jeep.  I had to head downhill again to find the shop unattended.  A helpful neighbour rang up and I was told to come back at 1600 (which I did but no luck again so I gave up).

In the afternoon, I went to Pemayangtse Monastery about 30 minutes uphill walk away.  The exterior wasn’t much to write home about but the interior was quite a nice small typical monastery interior.  It had a small museum which was filled with knick-knacks and was completely unattended.  Their stunning masterpiece was in the top (of three) storey.  It was a seven-tier pagoda-like structure which was intricately carved and painted with lots of rainbows.  It was pretty stunning but the cabinet didn’t render it in the best light.

I stopped by a cafe overlooking the valley for lunch and sat in the sun.  It was nice but when the meal took forever, it got too hot.

That was my stay in Pelling.  It was a bit of a mission to get here from Darjeeling but it was enjoyable to savour the peaceful clean green countryside of Sikkim.  Unfortunately, I think all the dust from the roads and the mildew in rooms have affected my chest and sinuses.