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Oh Crystal!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Oh Crystal!


Crystal ware has an effortless ability to make you cry....
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...if it breaks...

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

BHUTAN DIARY - GETTING THERE

Yeah. Even getting there is interesting!


The way I did it was to fly up to the town of Bagdogra in West Bengal and then hire a vehicle to Bhutan for the next seven days, driver and all. But Bagdogra and Siliguri themselves merit a mention here!


BAGDOGRA AND SILIGURI


I’ve been to Bagdogra twice before, both times en route to Sikkim. It’s a quaint little airport which is now woefully inadequate to handle the volume of air traffic it experiences. I believe it is primarily an Air Force runway and hence the frantic gesticulations of the airport security guy whenever one of us wanted to take photographs. Can never understand this particular paranoia as I’m sure hi-resolution imagery of the said airstrip is available freely on the internet!

My arrival at Bagdogra was significant in that it was the day when Durga Puja celebrations kicked off in the region. Not one to really factor these kind of things into my plan, imagine my horror when I was told it could take up to three hours to reach the sister town of Siliguri – an astronomical 10 kilometres away. “Pandals Sir”, said my driver with a resigned manner. Anyway, it was decided that Siliguri would be visited that evening. I will not recount the drive for it will refresh the noxious exhaust fumes I inhaled on the way, but suffice to say, we reached the business end of Siliguri town on the same date as we started.

We went to the market. Now I have spent a reasonable amount of time in Mumbai and have done more than my fair share of peak hour travel with the office rush on the legendary Mumbai locals. I have manfully braved stale hair oil and sweaty armpits in these trains and never quailed at the Crawford Market crowds either. But nothing prepared me for Siliguri market on Puja Day. At this point I am reminded of the wisdom of that idiom “A picture speaks louder than a thousand words”.




The Hong Kong market (if you please!) at Siliguri on Puja Day



After futile attempts to make any headway into that sea of humanity, and managing to unwittingly prod a few members of the fairer sex in embarrassing places, I chose the wiser option of beating a retreat back into the relative luxurious expanse of the vehicle. The rest of the evening was spent in a fruitless search for an additional battery for my Sony RX100 Mark II – an outstanding little piece of technology – before settling for a half-decent meal at Hotel Sartaj. 



By then the Pooja Pandals were in full swing and believe me, the scale of decoration and creativity on display is jaw-dropping. This particular one was made entirely of canvas cloth. 


Durga Puja pandal at Siliguri made entirely of canvas cloth

Yes you read that right! Canvas...

Its 8:30 p.m. and I'm back at Bagdogra. Let's make it an early night I decide. A terrific crash of thunder followed by almost alien lightning shatters my peace at 9:00 p.m. It begins to rain by 9:15 p.m. I watch and hear this frighteningly impressive display by Mother Nature till 10:30 p.m. before I finally fall asleep.

I wake up at 7:00 a.am. It is still raining. I am told it hasn't stopped throughout the night. It hasn't even looked like pausing for a deep breath. That's the way it rains in these parts.

It is about 9:30 a.m. and this is what it looks like:


Did it really rain throughout the night?
Well, as they say, never give up hope! especially in the hills!!

Refreshed and recharged, I head across to Bagdogra town to visit its only claim to international fame - Litto ki Dukaan! Anyone who has spent even a day at Bagdogra knows this diminutive shop with a surprisingly wide array of crystal ware and decorative items. After making some purchases that I'm sure I will regret later, I begin the 170 odd kilometer drive to the Bhutan border.

  

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

BHUTAN DIARY - A PREVIEW

Mumbai. It is October in 2016. The monsoon has already overstayed its welcome this year and still the rains go on. Sick of a succession of gloomy months, I am looking for a break. Suddenly, sheer providence, and everything falls into place for a visit to Bhutan.



Why Bhutan?


Why Bhutan? you might ask, just for the sake of argument I suppose!

Well why not? would be my reply.

After all, the fact that 1 Ngultrum is equal to 1 Indian Rupee should itself settle that debate!! Add to it a certain air of mystery – nay, Mystique sounds a better choice – that is associated with Bhutan and the fact that one does not require a Visa to visit. And Oh did I mention the free border between Jaigaon on the Indian side and Phuentsholing on the other? If you live in Jaigaon, you can stroll across and have your evening cuppa at the Kizom Cafe in Bhutan – and pay for it in Indian currency to boot !!


Still reading? Then I can safely assume the moot point has been adequately addressed. Watch this space as I get on with my recollections about the Land of the Thunder Dragon...