West Bengal

Wednesday 25th March 2009. No body can miss the toy train in Darjeeling as it runs along the roar criss crossing it in many many places. The train station is on the Hill cart Road in Darjeeling nearly at the center of the city. The train runs between New Jalbaiguri (NJP) and Darjeeling covering 88 K.M.in 7.30 hrs.It has completed 150 years of glorious service. One trai starts fro NJP at 9 AM every day and reaches Darjeeling at 415 P.M. daily.Another train starts from Darjeeling at 9.15 A.M. daily and reaches NJP at 4.30 P.M. The fare is only Rs.41/- plus reservation charges for 2nd class travel

During off season it has one reservation ,one unreserved and two first class compartments.Reservation compartment has 33 seats two rows of two seats facing each other. There is no parcel rack. Unreserved coach has no toilet. First class coach has 23 push back seats only. In March we went only half an hour before the departure of the train and got the reservation. But it depends od the season. They also have more copartments on store that they may attach one or two more if the situation demands,I think.

Darjeeling is at the height of 7000 ft. and one station by name Ghoom or Ghum, 8 KM from Darjeeling is at the height of 7410 ft. It is supposed to be the highest railway station in the world.Some say that it is the third highest, next to one in USA and one in China. We all (9) got second class reservation ticket for Rs.20/=( Unreserved Rs.4/= only) in the 9.15 A.M. train and first class ticket for this distance costs Rs.98/= It took 30 minutes to travel this distance looping via Batasia loop which is supposed to be an engineering marvel to boost the height of the train tract. On return, we boarded a share taxi for Rs.12/=each,close to the Ghoom station which left us at the Railway station in Darjeeling.

The railway also has Joy Ride Train in Darjeeling which runs every day two trips from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back. First trip is at 10.40 A.M which will be back at 12.40 P.M. and the second trip is at 13.20 PM and it will be back at 15.20 PM. It costs rs.240/= including free entry to the railway museum near the Ghoom station. This also can be reserved on the day of travel or few days before the travel at the Darjeeling station.

We,a group of 8 gents and one lady,hired a Sumo taxi from Gangtok, Sikkim for Rs.1300/= on 12th March 2009 at around 3 PM and reached Darjeeling at 6.30 PM. The vehicle belonged to Darjeeling Transport Corporation,established in 1926,a private concern,located at 30,Ladenla Road in Darjeeling ( Phone 91-354-2256061,Mobile 91-9832063417 ) Near to this office we found a cheap hotel to stay at 6,J.P.Sharma Road called Hotel Teshering Denzongpa. We paid Rs.400/= for three people for one day excluding food and it included all taxes. There was water 24 hrs. and Geizer was put on as and when we required hot water.

Next morning we all got up at 4 AM and went to Tiger hill to see the sun rise. It was very very cold. But tea and coffee were available for Rs. 10/=There is an entry fee.We had hired a taxi (10 seater ) from 4 AM to 5 PM to see all the sight seeing pointa in Darjeeling for Rs. 1500/=The points included Tiger Hill, Ghoom Monastry,Batasia Loop,War Memorial,Mountaineering Institute,Zoo,Tensing rock,Tea Garden Gorkha Handicraft center,Japanese temple,Peace Pagoda,Ava art Gallery,Lal Kothi viewing only,Gangamaya Lake and Rock Garden. Next day we utilsised for shopping, maily around Chowbazaar area.It is not complete if I miss out the toy train. It is very funny to see the train running along and across the road in Darjeeling.One may be able to touch it from any side shops or houses.I have blogged another page for this. You are welcome to read that too. The Darjeeling train station is on Hill cart road and one may find many logges near by. Our lodge was only 5 minutes walk away.

Again we arranged for a vehicle and started leaving Darjeeling at 10.30 AM to reach New Jalbaiguri (NJP) at 6 PM via Pashupathy Market in Nepal and Mirik for Rs.1300/=. Pashupathy market in Nepal was very disappointing.We,Indians needed no passport. But we made an entry of our names with the border officer in Nepal and showed our Indian Idendity cards. They charge Rs. 150/= for a Maruthi 800 car (4 Seater) for the up and down trips (Both ways) since the market is 2.5 KM away from the border.There is nothing much to see in Mirik,an orange producing area in West Bengal, but for a beautiful lake. There are a few hotels and Lodges. Generally, indian staple foods such as Chappathies and Poori Subjees were cheap Rs.10/=) and chicken fried rice one plate was for Rs.40/=. Then we boarded Utter Banga Express at 8.15 PM and headed for Kolkatha.One thing we missed was bycycle. We could not find a single cycle on the road. More over, taxis are plying like town buses with taxi stops here and there on the roads.