india’s north-east
The north-east of India is an area – just like the others in India – which is so different to the ones next to it. By that I mean that each state or province differentiates itself from another in ways that you might expect, but are still amazed by.
My visit to the north-east states of Sikkim and West-Bengal earlier this year showed me a very different part of India than what I was used to. This region, bordering the countries of China, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh is a very high-altitude area that produces topographical masterpieces in terms of the views it generates. From very low valleys to very, very high peaks, the terrain that I had driven on was both exciting and frightening at the same time. Climbing up very high ranges with unbarricaded roads extremely uneven and narrower that those found in Italy, it was both an exciting and stressful task navigating the streets and ‘’highways’’ in these two states.
Besides from the difficulty getting to where you want to go, the journey in the end was always well worth it. The views of the sprawling hills that never seemed to end were breathtaking. Each mountain larger than the other in the distance; the silhouette they created against the blue-hues of the sky were a sight not to be missed. The climate here, usually much colder than other states in India, would on most years provide it’s guests with some snow but unfortunately while I was there, the temperature was a moderate mid 10s (it was winter, mind you) and I, like most times, stood out with my shorts and windbreaker among all the locals with their beanies, long pants and thick jackets.
Being such an isolated area as well as one that is almost completely controlled by the military (you needed a special permit to even enter the state), there were many places I wasn’t able to visit. Much like the well-known Nathula Pass that teases itself along the China-Indian border, or the Gurudongmar sacred lake in the very north, a few gems like this were what I had to miss out of this time around. I did still have an amazing time however. The resort I stayed at in Martam was surrounded by rice paddocks in a very small village, nestled on top of a very big mountain. The tea-fields I visited in Darjeeling, very lush and green. It’s fair to say this was closest I came this trip to complete nature. The main point of this was complete isolation from the world and at the time its just what I had needed.
The food here was amazing. A cross between Tibetan and India cuisines – there was something from momos (dumplings) to curries to fried noodles. The local specialties were incredibly tasty. What was also tasty was the architecture. No, I didn’t bite into it, but you know what I mean. There were plenty of beautiful shrines and monasteries, overly-large religious statues and also very modest, basic-material houses. The placement of buildings like Lego blocks along the topography of the hills were both fascinating and concerning. But hey, if they’re still standing after heavy snow and monsoons then who am I to question their Engineering?
The most surprising thing here for me here was the people. It was very intriguing to meet Indians with very Asian features. I met so many that spoke the native language of Hindi but looked more Tibetan. This was very interesting to me and opened my eyes to just how vast this land really is. The people were incredibly kind and warm and made my stay over here very pleasant. Warm people always mean a lot to me.
