That's it: we arrived in Sikkim, the Northest part of India, between Nepal, Tibet and Buthan.
And we must say, this is not really India... this is a special universe in between a lot of different cultures.
First of all, they don't look like one would normally define as "Indians"... they look much more Asiatic, as one would expect from Tibet or China. Then you have this strangely beautiful streets with no garbage in it, flowers everywhere, street signs, pedestrian zones, messages forbidding to spit on the streets, etc. etc. A parallel universe, indeed. Then you have the majority of Buddhists, even thought you also have a lot of Hindus and even some Muslims and Christians... all of them living toghether peacefully, mixing up cultures, influences, tastes and flavors...
Sikkim might be the richest (or at least the most prosperous) State of India, and still have it's own rules (for those who learned Asian History at school, this was an independent country until 1975, when it got annexed by India). We needed a special permit in order to enter here, which was easy to obtain (and totally for free, even if we heard of some travel agencies charging fees for it). As always in India, you just need to bring thousands of photocopies of your pass, as well as dozens of pass-sized photos. Then you fill a long, endless form, and that's it. Once we crossed the border, we got a new stamp on our passports, isn't that great?! ;)
The way from Darjeeling to here was incredible. Our jeep driver was great and drove safely, the landscapes are really astonishing, and the roads are somehow really well kept. Great news, travelers, because you must see all this before you die! Everest is really close, India's highest peak is just nearby, Himalaya people are great and helpful, Buddhist temples with colorful flags and paintings welcome you all the way long... what more to say?... We found our Shangri-La!
Sikkim's capital is called Gangtok. There's not much to do here, but the city is like... how to describe...? insane! It just looks like Europe! We heard that the former king once went to Bern and then decided to come back and recreate Swiss street concept in his own territory. The result is an interesting mix of feelings, like being at home in the middle of some of the world's highest mountains... :) except you see Chinese dragons everywhere, in every building. By the way, also souvenirs and products around here are Chinese, so don't think that we got it from some cheap Chinese market in Europe if we offer you something from here! :D
Here we also met Vitória, our first Brazilian traveler fellow! Great!!! We are still looking for other Portuguese, while French, Germans and British/Americans can be found everywhere, also this high. We left the last Spanish people far away in Kolkata - thank God!, they were really noisy, and were everywhere! :P
Tomorrow still in Sikkim, or already on our way to Nepal? Still no idea. Any tips?
And we must say, this is not really India... this is a special universe in between a lot of different cultures.
First of all, they don't look like one would normally define as "Indians"... they look much more Asiatic, as one would expect from Tibet or China. Then you have this strangely beautiful streets with no garbage in it, flowers everywhere, street signs, pedestrian zones, messages forbidding to spit on the streets, etc. etc. A parallel universe, indeed. Then you have the majority of Buddhists, even thought you also have a lot of Hindus and even some Muslims and Christians... all of them living toghether peacefully, mixing up cultures, influences, tastes and flavors...
Gangtok main street
Sikkim might be the richest (or at least the most prosperous) State of India, and still have it's own rules (for those who learned Asian History at school, this was an independent country until 1975, when it got annexed by India). We needed a special permit in order to enter here, which was easy to obtain (and totally for free, even if we heard of some travel agencies charging fees for it). As always in India, you just need to bring thousands of photocopies of your pass, as well as dozens of pass-sized photos. Then you fill a long, endless form, and that's it. Once we crossed the border, we got a new stamp on our passports, isn't that great?! ;)
The way from Darjeeling to here was incredible. Our jeep driver was great and drove safely, the landscapes are really astonishing, and the roads are somehow really well kept. Great news, travelers, because you must see all this before you die! Everest is really close, India's highest peak is just nearby, Himalaya people are great and helpful, Buddhist temples with colorful flags and paintings welcome you all the way long... what more to say?... We found our Shangri-La!
Sikkim's capital is called Gangtok. There's not much to do here, but the city is like... how to describe...? insane! It just looks like Europe! We heard that the former king once went to Bern and then decided to come back and recreate Swiss street concept in his own territory. The result is an interesting mix of feelings, like being at home in the middle of some of the world's highest mountains... :) except you see Chinese dragons everywhere, in every building. By the way, also souvenirs and products around here are Chinese, so don't think that we got it from some cheap Chinese market in Europe if we offer you something from here! :D
Chinese influence
It's quite a relief to be here after all the stress in "real India". Even thought Joao is now sick... yes, after having tasted all the most strange (and carnivorous) food you ever imagine, he finally got the "turista". Which, by now, didn't stop us yet from exploring around, but just slowed it a little bit.
Here we also met Vitória, our first Brazilian traveler fellow! Great!!! We are still looking for other Portuguese, while French, Germans and British/Americans can be found everywhere, also this high. We left the last Spanish people far away in Kolkata - thank God!, they were really noisy, and were everywhere! :P
Tomorrow still in Sikkim, or already on our way to Nepal? Still no idea. Any tips?
Hey guys!
RépondreSupprimerJ'espère que tout va bien! Ce pauvre João se remet de sa turista?
Et vous ne vous êtes pas pris les grosses pluies diluviennes qui frappent le Nord de l'Inde en ce moment? ça me fait un peu peur tout ça! Rassurez-nous!
Soyez prudents et bonne route encore ;)
salut mon grand,
RépondreSupprimerpas de pluie diluvienne pour le moment. Je me remets peu a peu de mon petit souci. Nous sommes au Nepal... tu pourras lire tout dans le blog.
On t'embrasse.
Joao