Rain and Cloud, Clouds and Rain

The next few days it just rained and rained. I felt sorry for those who were only in town for a couple of days, they would have seen nothing of the beautiful landscape surrounding the town. We’d head out armed with umbrella, pop into Glenaries for pastries and coffees, the internet wasn’t not working, but they fixed it later. When I asked them what they’d done to fix it and why it was so damn slow, the chap explained that all eight computers were now hanging off a shared dialup!!!

At the post office I couldn’t send Supi’s wax because there was no wrapping guy there, and as no shops sell jiffy bags, therefore I don’t get to send my parcel. Perhaps later. Walking back and through the town I’m beginning to get seriously stressed at the beeps – in England using your horn repeatedly for long blasts is seen as fairly aggressive, not here, but that doesn’t stop it short-cutting to my anger nerve!



We pop over to Hot and Stimulating Café for some more momos, try to avoid sweet tea by ordering a pot, but they’ve put the sugar in the pot, and as we’re passing, head into the District Magistrate’s Office for my Sikkim permit that I won’t use.


Hot and Stimulating’s toilet. Seriously. It’s a piece of canvas hung between two bushes.

Walk back in the rain we’ve obviously hit school closing time as there are thousands of the little ones, all uniformed up. I walk down to the post office again, but am told that they finish accepting parcels at 3pm for no particular reason. Marvellous. Tomorrow is Independence Day (Post office closed), then the following day we travel to Delhi, Amritsar and onwards, so not only will I not be able to post this parcel for a few days, but I’m heading further and further away from Thailand as time goes on!

Taking some money out at the bank, I’m amused to see this message up on the screen in between transactions:



Here's some food. Nothing much else to talk about really!


Glenaries




Here Kingfisher is not necessarily beer

The following day, Independence Day, is a national holiday, though a few of the restaurants are open. Everything else shut. Lots on – parades etc, and a football match between Darjeeling and neighbouring Bhutan, which I’m quite excited about, Sonam will take us.

But the day is a wash out. Clouds early on turn into torrential rain, and to be honest we are not brave enough to venture out. Sanrup tells us that everything will still be taking place, but I don’t want to get soaked to the skin the day before a multi-day travel with no means of drying anything.

So the furtherst we venture out is to Kunga Restaurant, which we find has closed down, so next door to Dekevas for similar fare on Clubside.



Then Glenaries in the evening, which we find is not serving alcohol because of it being Independence Day!


Dry

It’s also quiet, which we didn’t expect given that it’s one of the few places open. Where have all the foreigners gone? Perhaps sheltering in hotel from rain…


Friendly helpful Sanrup (left) and helper