The four-hour drive from Darjeeling to Gangtok went by in a flash. Every turn of the road presented a scenic beauty that we never tired of capturing in our cameras. Be it the lush green tea gardens, where women with baskets on their backs were busy plucking the leaves, or
the sight of the river Teesta flowing by, the experience was no less than a dream come true. Indeed, it was no less than that as our sojourn at Darjeeling had left us craving for more.
The two days at Darjeeling had passed equally fast as there were several things worth seeing there. Whether it was the early morning sunrise on the Tiger Hill ~ within minutes, the sun’s golden rays covers the whole range of mountains with liquid gold ~ or the thrill of riding the Toy Train to the world highest railway station of India ~ Ghum. Our visit to Darjeeling thus only served to whet our appetite for Gangtok. We left for Gangtok in morning as our driver turned into a guide. He told us that Gangtok meant “hill-top” and that till a few years back it was only popular among tourists from West Bengal but now it attracted tourists from other parts of the country as well. As he drove past the tea gardens one was reminded of a few Bollywood movies. The other unforgettable sight was the beautiful Teesta flowing in the opposite direction with a few rafters battling its currents. In fact, Teesta acts as a bounday between West Bengal and Sikkim and takes one to the town of Rangpo, where one enters Sikkim.

Sikkim welcomes
As we entered Sikkim we were halted by policemen, who demanded our identity cards. Our driver informed us that the security personnel were trying to check illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan Range and surrounded by the towering peaks of the Himalaya, Gangtok has been a major pilgrimage centre for Buddhists. As one enters the city, a visitor will notice that Gangtok is different from Darjeeling ~ it is less populous, more clean and roads are wider with good pedestrian walks. Our journey came to an end at the hotel Club Mahindra Royal Damazong, which was a far bit away from the main town but peaceful.

M G Road
We began our visit with Gangtok’s  popular market M G Road, which was recommended by everyone. Quite unlike any other M G Road or Mall Road located in other hill stations, the paved road was closed to traffic, and potted plants and benches were placed along the middle of the road, where people could sit and relax. But what struck us was that the street was so clean, it would not be wrong to call it the cleanest street in India. The entire stretch is dotted with quaint little eateries, sweetmeat shops, gift stores, glittering shops, restaurants and bars. There is one more market called Laal Market, which is bit less expensive, good for shopoholics and food connoisseurs ~ you can stop for hot momos and chowmein at one of the various cafés on the
street.

Nathula pass
The next morning saw us visiting Nathula Pass, at 14,200 ft.  It is a mere 52 km from Gangtok, but due to construction work it takes more than four hours to reach the place. The road is full of stones and boulders, rubble and dust, dotted with villages and army establishments. Our hotel manager informed us that the Union government was developing a passage to Kailash Mansrover via this route. This would shorten the journey to Kailash Mansrover to 2-3 days, from 18 days if one went from Uttrakhand. Ravines were so deep that looking into it was enough for our heart to skip not one but a dozen beats. But the beautiful view all along the way compensated it all. The more, we got closer to the border the more we found military presence. After some time, we came upon a board with the legend, “The Chinese observation area has started” and on the mountain to our right, “Mera Bharat Mahan”, indicating we had reached
Nathula Border. Through a gate that read “Nathula”, we walked up some stairs and reached a place that looked more like the portico of one of the two buildings. Behind me was a building with the tricolor proudly fluttering, bringing out the Indian in each one of us. On the other
side was a building painted in red, with golden pillars and a star at the top. That was China!
The soldier guarding the fence told us that Nathula Pass was the place through which the famous Silk Route operated until 1962. But after the war broke out, it was closed for some 44 years and again reopened in July 2006, allowing limited trade between India and Tibet. Items of
trade include yak hair and tail, silk brocades and clothes. Trucks from China come 8 km into India.

Baba Mandir
The next stop was Baba Harbhajan Singh mandir, which is popularly known as Baba Mandir. Our driver told us the legend behind this place. Harbhajan Singh was on sentry duty in October 1968 when he disappeared. It is said, while escorting mules carrying provisions, he fell into a stream and drowned. After a few days he reappeared in the dreams of one of his colleagues and asked him to make a memorial here in his name. The sentries and guards here believe his spirit is still alive and he is, therefore, treated as a living being. In fact, there have been reports of Chinese soldiers across the border seing a turbaned sentry doing his rounds at night. Many sentries here believe that Harbhajan comes here every night as his camp bed sheet gets crumpled every morning and his polished shoes turn muddy by evening. Many who come here leave a bottle of drinking water, which they arrange to collect a few days later. It is believed that one can fulfill one's wishes by drinking that water. On one side of the temple is Harbhajan Singh's office and next to it is his dining place. The base camp had a Baba Mandir, which apparently was built for the convenience of the visitors (“Duplicate,” said our driver). The original one and the bunker were about 6 km away from that spot.

Tsongmo Lake
The other halt was Tsongmo Lake (also called Changu Lake or Tsomgo Lake), which was calm and beautiful. Situated at an altitude of 12,400 ft, the lake reflected the azure sky in its crystal-clear water amidst snow-clad mountains. It is a sight worth taking the journey for. There were many Yak owners calling out to us for a ride. However, the time was running out and we had time to reach the hotel to try something hot like Thukpa and recall all we did and saw in the past 48 hours