Submitted by Meghan Rogers on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in India…
This first week in India has transported me to a whole different world. From the monkeys to the traffic patterns to the pictures with locals, every day so far has brought us so much joy, laughter, and enough memories for a lifetime. As we are moving around the country so often, our first three days in India were spent in New Delhi. Our group enjoyed amazing Indian cuisine each day and we visited Qutub Minar, Delhi Haat Market, India Gate, and the Lotus Temple, to name a few. Many locals stopped and kindly asked us to take a photo or selfie with them at many of these crowded places which was funny to all of us. Something that was especially surprising to me was the amount of stray dogs in this country, they are everywhere. They are mostly very kind and love attention from tourists considering they get little to no attention from the locals.
We then flew to Bagdogra to drive to Darjeeling, a city built into the side of the mountainous outskirts of the Himalayan mountains. Our 3 hour drive to Darjeeling consisted of windy roads, beautiful villages built into the mountains, and spectacular views. This city has taken us to a new world. In Darjeeling, I haven’t stopped smiling. We visited the Tibetan Refugee Center, a tea plantation and tea tasting, and the Peace Padagoa, where we had the opportunity to experience and take part in the evening prayer. At the Refugee Center, we visited their monastery and learned about the current Dalai Lama and those who preceded him. On this day, we also visited the local zoo where the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute headquarters are located. We were able to walk through the HMI museum outlined some of the most important Himalayan exhibitions and the history of the institute. As a museum lover, this was one of the most fascinating museums I have ever visited.
As we prepare for our two-day trek in the Himalayan Mountains, it was a privilege to hear about this mountain range and those who have conquered it in such detail. Thanks to Karma, the best tour guide anyone could ask for, we have been able to experience this city firsthand and meet so many of the locals who call this beautiful city home. Monday morning, we left Darjeeling and drove to Marjanbang to begin our 10 mile trek to the top of Tonglo. Once we reached the beginning of our trek, we struggled through the first 3k as it was borderline a straight shot up. At our first stop, we found a stray puppy and Karma told me I could pick him up (so I did), which in hindsight may not have been the best call considering the mom was only about 30 feet away.
We then began the next portion of our trek which was less steep and much more beautiful. Because we were on the border of Nepal, there were 2 checkpoints along the trek where Indian border control would check our passports to ensure we were staying within Indian borders. At our first checkpoint, this is where we met Sheru. Sheru was a stray dog who strutted out of the base to meet us. We chatted with the guards and joked about how we were taking him with us. Because he was a stray, they didn’t seem to care. We called him along and funny enough, he began to guide us through the the path we were taking to the top of Tonglu. Sheru would run out of sight along the path and sit and wait until we reached him and then he would run ahead once again. We joked that Sheru was our spirit guide and that this was his final voyage to reach nirvana. Sheru became our best friend on this trek.
During our trek, we stopped about halfway up the mountain at a shack for a local homestyle lunch with noodles, chicken, potatoes, and tea. This is where we thought we had lost Sheru as he continued along the trek while we stopped to eat. After we picked back up on our trek, we found Sheru waiting for us about 45 minutes up the path. We were thrilled. He was so excited to see us. He then hiked up through the final stretch with us leading us to the top of Tonglu and then to our trekker’s hut where we were sleeping that night. We said a sad goodbye and parted with our friend Sheru. In total, Sheru guided us through the last 5 hours of our trek. While staying at the hut, I spoke with many of the locals working at the hut and staying at the hut as well to hear about their journeys within the foothills of the Himalayas. The next morning, a couple of us woke up to watch the sunrise with Karma and it was one of the most breathtaking scenes I’ve seen in my entire life. We had a great breakfast and trekked back down, ate momos for lunch in a local village, and made our way back to Darjeeling. We spent our evening decompressing at our favorite bakery/cafe/restaurant/bar (yes, it’s ALL four), Glennary’s where we hung out with the owner Abel who gave us great insight into what everyday life looks like here in Darjeeling. We are sad to leave Darjeeling but are looking forward to our time in Assam.