Fortune Resort Central By Welcomgroup Darjeeling

... to the Happy Valley Tea Estate where we learned all about the finer points of tea growing and sampled the top product which apparently goes to Harrods. It's known by the catchy title of Super Fine, Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Number One! And was very flavoursome!<br><br>The HMI was next on the list - the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute founded by the famous Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. It's also his final resting place and there's a lovely statue in ...

ab heute abend bin ich dann alleine unterwegs. Aurelie faehrt nach varanassi, ich werde morgen weiter nach sikkim...zu schade das die grenze von sikkim nach china fuer nichtinder unpassierbar ist.<br>Habe naemlich das problem nicht zu wissen wohin....wiedermal nach bangkok? War ja schon ueberall... oder japan? Ticket mehr als 200 euros...<br>Irgendwer ne idee?<br><br>Die letzte woche oder so waren wir auf 3600 m hoehe ...

... and Chris, Chelsea and Linda had a little snooze! After lunch we headed off to cover some rather up, or as James says "a little up", and then some rather down before the finale of another little up. By the time we reached Phalut I was rather done with ups and downs. It wasn&#8217;t helped by the fact that our accommodation was nearly sub zero and really damp or as Linda calls it Fooked It (not the Swedish spelling for damp but I can&#8217;t remember how it was spelt ...

<br>We are now up in Darjeeling which is c.2000m above sea level. We have been successful in our mission to escape the heat of Calcutta! Perhaps too successful, as I look out of the window it is hailing with occasional claps of thunder. Ah, it reminds us of home. It's hard to believe that only yesterday we were sweating away in 36 degrees and tropical humidity. There are fantastic views of the Himalayas (when the ...

... The plantation is very close to town and dominates the hill side. We walked down through the tea bushes to the factory where we went on a brief but very interesting tour to see how tea is turned from the waxy green leaves growing here to what we drink everyday back home (although proper Darjeeling tea is a million miles from Tetley!) All of the machines still in use in the factory today came from England around 100 years ago. We of course ...

... it especially has in the economic decline in recent months, so the world has been watching this election closely. I wish I could have been back home to celebrate, but it was interesting to watch from half way around the globe also. Plus, no matter where I was, Obama won!!!!! Now, before I actually start recounting events I would like to put in a note about a topic I having been thinking about. Over the course of my time in India I have thought a lot about ...

... The don't bother you I'm told unless you have food &amp; then I guess its anyone's game. Things I notice: everything is in duplicate, sometimes put down 3 times....we'll have numerous forms to sign every time we check in a hotel. Nothing moves quickly. Waiting is just something that you do. for everything like hot water, meals.... things I've taken for granted in the past. Also, there are concrete covers over holes in the street but for the most part, the holes are just there. You ...

WOOO!!!! Arggghhhh!!!YESSSS!!! Get In!! Guess whose flying by helicopter this afternoon!!! So excited, can't wait!! Got the call last night, god knows how we managed to get tickets, there must have been quite a few cancellations. Anyway we have taken the seats of the VIPs!! Had to get up and share my excitement with you! We can only take small bags though so Helen and i are going to have to ...

... they confirm that no trains will be leaving from anywhere to go to Darjeeling. It could be a day before they are up and running again or it could be a week. Try the bus. Off we go in search of a bus. Oliver speaks to a few people who inform him that its not only trains that aren't going to Darjeeling but buses and jeeps also. Bye bye plans to go to Darjeeling hello plan B.

... Indian man named Tapon and his son as we left the Hogwarts pandal. Tapon guided us through the Salt Lake City suburb of Kolkata and took us to other pandals and eventually to his villages own shrine. I say village, but he actually lived in what we in the States would consider "the projects." Everyone was extremely friendly. We were honored guests, as everyone in the complex came to meet us and chat. We were given sodas, treated to a dance rehearsal for the festival, and also ...