Kalimpong and the Himalayas

Greetings from the Himalayan Hotel in Kalimpong, Indian. We boarded an overnight train from Calcutta to Jalpaiguri late last night, and upon arrival this morning we drove 3 hours to Kalimpong. The Indian railway experience was unlike anything I have ever done before. The sheer number of people on the train was overwhelming, and the toilet facilities were a humorous challenge. I was able to get a few hours of sleep amidst the noise and commotion, but I am looking forward to a more restful and quiet sleep this evening. Kalimpong is a small town located in the Himalayan mountains and is approximately 4000 feet above sea level. The area used to function as a major trade route between Llhasa, Tibet and India but that ended when Tibet lost their independence. Today the area is a mix of Nepalese, Tibetan and native people and still has many of the English style homes built by the British East India Company. The guest house that we are staying at was formerly a vacation home owned by the MacDonald family who were good friends with the 13th Dali Llama. In fact the room that I will be sleeping in this evening has also housed the 13th and 14th Dalai Llama’s as well as Richard Gere! I was lucky enough to draw #5 when we were choosing rooms, and am enjoying sitting at the same desk as so many distinguished individuals (and also sleeping in the same bed!).