21/05/09 - 25/05/09 Sikkim, India

Sikkim is a very beautiful, quiet, unspoilt part of India which feels more like Nepal and is spotlessly clean (unlike the rest of India!) - and it is mainly Bengalis' that visit (in their hundreds) with very few Westerners - we saw a dozen at the most. However, it also attracts a lot of Tibetans as it is supposed to be very similar to their homeland.

We actually met a very nice Tibetan, Sanjay, who over a couple of days told us about his escape from Tibet 9 years ago. He fled across the Himalayas when he was 18, which took 22 days, and meant walking in the winter and mainly at night to avoid being shot by the Chinese, and with only flour and butter to eat and mix with water when they had the chance. He really wants to go back to Tibet, as his Dad is now 75 and he may not see him again, but if he does go he has to go back over the Himalayas and if he gets caught he will most likely be put in prison. His story made us realise how lucky we are and how much we take for granted being able to visit all these countries and come home whenever we want. Tibet sounded such a lovely, peaceful country and we hope Sanjay gets to go home one day soon.

Although, later on in Sikkim we had our own very small (and more amusing) introduction into what not being allowed to do simple things feels like. Basically, Sikkim's borders have made it a bit on the paranoid side so when we booked on a tour to go to Tsomgo Lake we didn't give it much thought. But we hadn't realised we had really booked onto the "NOT ALLOWED" tour! Basically, if you are a Westerner they like to keep close tabs on you and don't want you to run away so they stop you from doing stuff! Here are the things we were NOT ALLOWED to do:-

1) share a jeep with Indians - NOT ALLOWED, had to book a jeep on our own so adding 2,000rps to the cost;
2) go on the trip without a guide - NOT ALLOWED, even though all the guide did was remind us what we were NOT ALLOWED to do;
3) after arriving at 12,000ft we were NOT ALLOWED to walk all the way round the lake (only 1/2 way for us);
4) our white skin meant we were NOT ALLOWED a fair price for a Yak ride, so we had to disembark quickly; and
5) I was NOT ALLOWED 5 minutes to pee as a wee boy kept banging on the door telling me I was taking too long!!

So, in conclusion, we felt Sikkim is a lovely place but it isn't quite ready for westerners, as we're NOT ALLOWED to do much. Saying that, there was 1 thing which we weren't actually allowed to do as it was a "dry" day but we did! That was to sample the local "Tongba" brew. This is made from fermented millet seed, served in a tin, onto which you pour boiling water and then drink through a bamboo straw. It was actually quite nice, bit like fortified wine, but you had to watch because when you stirred it - it got really strong! We also tried a little Yak meat alongwith it - pretty nice, bit like jerky. But, sadly for the Yaks it turned out to be cheaper for us to eat them than go for a ride on them - not good marketing Yaks!

We also managed to see the mountain Kanchenzonga at long last, only took a week! And Graham finished off our time in Sikkim with a visit to Domino's Pizza - you can take the boy out of Paisley.........