Submitted by Dimple Swain on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in India…
Wow, what a crazy week it has been. Being an Indian who visits almost every year acting as a tourist was something very different than what I am usually accustomed to. For me, a culture shock is not expected since I know all of the little things the others were shocked by: the amount the stray dogs, the long license plates, the indescribable traffic and constant honking of vehicles, and the
locals constantly wanting pictures with foreigners. Knowing the language, Hindi, I was so happy I was able to help the 6 others understand what is being said and the environment as a whole. In Delhi, we visited the common tourist sites such as
the Qutub Minar, Dilli Haat, and the Lotus Temple.
On Saturday, we arrived in Darjeeling, a city on the side of the mountains known for its flavorful tea. It was a 3-hour drive up the mountains to our Hotel Dekling. This is where we met the amazing Karma, our tour guide. We tried different types of teas even ones that no one would think of: Chocolate flavored tea. We visited the Tibetan refugee center and visited many monasteries where we learned so much about Tibetan Buddhism. I was so honored to be able to sit during a prayer. I’ve never been to a monastery, let alone know much about the Buddhist culture, so I really felt at peace. Darjeeling introduced us to a well-known hang out place,
a bakery, restaurant, and bar: Glenarys. The first night we visited there was a pop-funk band playing: Chromatic. And all I could think about was the female drummer. We were also able to meet the owner’s son, who is not far in age from us all and he told us a little more about Darjeeling and Nepali culture. Monday was the day I had been looking forward to the most. The trek up. The
initial parts of it seemed so exhausting, especially at such an intense incline, however, slowly and steadily, we trekked up. Going in and out of India and Nepal during the course of the trek allowed for border patrol checkpoints to make sure we stayed within India’s boundaries. The first border patrol check came around 12, which was around 1.5 hours since we started the trek. This is where we met Sheru. At first, he was just a cute dog guiding us to the top but we soon realized he was much more than that. He felt like a spirit animal. He would trek ahead of us so fast that we would lose him for such long periods of time but eventually
reconvene with him 40-minutes later. He took us to our final destination at Tonglu and we never saw him again. It felt as if he was an actual spirit that guided us. At the top of the hill, he ran around with horses and it seemed as if he had reached nirvana. The trek was beautiful. We saw views you could never imagine seeing. The night at the trek was a night I’ll never forget. The mega bed with all of us 7 girls huddled together in the freezing cold with our dirty clothes on, hearing the sounds of rats at night. It was definitely an experience. The next morning a few of us decided to go watch the sunrise at 6. The blazing sun and the scenery of the
Sleeping Buddha Mountains is a vision no picture on the phone or camera will ever be able to replicate.
The next morning we trekked down 7 km, yapping away with one another, and created a great bond between us all. We stopped for lunch in a small town called Dhotrey for Momos, which we’ve been eating almost every day since reaching Darjeeling. Momos have become an obsession among us all. The last morning in Darjeeling was definitely a sad one, especially when saying goodbye to Karma, the absolute best tour guide, and the amazing view of the Sleeping Buddha Mountains (3rd highest in the World). Now, we’re off to Assam, Dr. Barua’s home state, and who’s to say what more great adventures will be encountered. (Submitted on January 11, 2024)
