Travelogue #Sikkim --Part 1

It seemed an advantage to be traveling alone. Our responses to the world are crucially molded by whom we are with, we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others......!!

-The Art of Travel

land slide near Zorthang 

Thoughts of Sikkim always portrayed images of monks and monasteries, beautiful glaciers and a clean city without any traces of pollution. It was in May when i decided to go solo in my travelling quest and to find the purpose of my life. I still remember it was searing summer in Patna when I checked for the tickets to Siliguri from Mithapur Bus Stand (In Patna) in May 2017. I checked the gears of my DSLR and was set to go on the adventure of solo travelling.

I decided to go Yuksom, a small hill-lock village in West Sikkim, and started my journey to Zorthang from Siliguri. It was drizzling outside and music was set to volume 8 on my iphone. Unfortunately i never reached to Zorthang. 1 km before Zorthang i met with land slides. Plans to stay in West Sikkim was no more on my list. As someone has rightly said; "Plans have a way of changing themselves, so they do". Some connections are just meant to be like me with adventures. Thankfully Gangtok helped me to heal both physically and mentally. It was a tiring journey of 7 hours from Siliguri to Zorthang and then to Gangtok.

First thought after reaching to Gangtok was the city's cleanliness. People's life style and the calmness that the city caries within. I was feeling refreshed, rebooted and i felt a new vibrant energy within. I checked with few of my budget hotels and got the one near MG Marg.

MG Marg

Checking further to the cities best places i sorted out to spend few hours to Rumtek Monasteries & Tsomgo Lake and Baba Harbhajan Singh shrine the next day.

Travelling solo gives you an opportunity to look within you. What you want in your life? Are you happy within or is there any conflicts within? you will get the answer if you spend few days alone in solitude in the majestic hills of Himalayas. I got mine.

Travelling to the new lands and seeing through new eyes is what i found gives me inner peace.

Fishing by the side of water stream near Banjhakri falls

You can access whole picture of my sikkim here. I will continue the detailed itinerary of Sikkim in upcoming post. 

--praveen

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