The Wobbling Sprocket

Keith is a trooper.  He's had back problems which put Sikkim in doubt for quite awhile.  However, recently, he has been on his bike and "all systems are go" (he's in the rocket business).   This will be his first venture with Far and Away Cycling.  Most people actually do not start with biking the Himalayas in Sikkim.  He's picked a good one in "The Last Shangri-La".

I'm not completely sure that Keith has seen the training video yet.  With a sore back, I think the biking might be a lot easier than the Far and Away  training regime.

I've told Keith that his first Tongba is on me. 

Anyway, we are absolutely thrilled Keith is on board.

I think this was taken in Columbia. Reminds me a little of Harrison Ford.

Clara debated Sikkim.  She has her own business and taking time off has the double whammy of meaning less $$$ coming in addition to the cost of of the trip.  In the end though, the pull of adventure was too great… you only go 'round once and when else would you get to the "The Last Shangri-La"?   Never. 

Clara ventured to Spain with us last year.   Four others on that tour (Janice, Adrienne, Graeme and yours truly) are now headed to Sikkim.  It will be a mini-reunion of sorts.

Clara cruising in Spain last year

Tres Amigas! From L to R: Clara, Alexandra, Janice outside Grazalema, Spain in 2010. Clara and Janice now in for Sikkim. Alexandra, it will not be the same without you.

At dawn, I opened the curtains and stared out our window at 28,170 foot Mt. Kangchendzonga. The view of Kangchendzonga, the third highest mountain in the world, seemed reason enough to have traveled half way around the world. Tiny Sikkim, just a bump on the map between Nepal and Bhutan, only became part of India in 1975 and still feels like a separate country and a world apart. Sikkimese border guards check your entry permit as if it were a visa. With undisturbed forests, glacial streams and snow-covered Himalayan peaks, Sikkim is both rugged and beautiful. My wife, Chantal, and I explored Sikkim for three weeks by bicycle. These are “must-do’s”:

1. Visit the 250 year-old Tashiding Monastery and turn the giant ten-foot-tall prayer wheel. The wheel looks like moving art, with raised, gold colored inscriptions on the dark bronze wheel. It’s so big that you must walk around it to turn it. A loud gong strikes at every revolution as if to recognize the effort and to acknowledge your prayer.

   
   

2. Stay at the Modern Residency in Lachung. The “Residency” is built to look like a Buddhist monastery. There are great views from every room. It is full of traditional, hand-hewn furniture and there is a sitting area on each floor with a firebox where you can warm up while sharing stories with fellow travelers. Ask to see the small museum on the top floor where you will be greeted by a two-foot-tall bird of paradise, intricately carved from bamboo.

   
   

3. Visit high Yumgthang Valley (elevation 12,000 feet) and its several hundred varieties of rhododendrons. As much as I loved the colorful flowers, I was charmed by the Indian families who were visiting from the hot, low-lying plains just to the south. Most had never seen snow before, and their wide-eyed amazement was endearing. Be sure to continue four kilometers past the tea stands at the head of the valley. On a clear day, you will have an awe inspiring 360-degree view of jagged Himalayan mountain peaks stretching as far as you can see in every direction.

   
   

4. Try the traditional millet beer. Prodon, our very earnest Sikkimese guide, who accompanied us up Yumgthang Valley, insisted that this was just what we needed to relax at the end of the day. You will get a leaky wooden mug, called a “Toomba,” filled with millet grain. Pour hot water into your Toomba and let it steep for a few minutes. Then suck the “beer” through the bamboo straw. It tastes like earthy coconut milk, is slightly alcoholic and, as Prodon predicted, it works.

   
   

5. Take in the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in the capital city of Gangtok. The Institute, which is full of 300 year old Buddhist manuscripts, has a fascinating photography exhibit on the top floor. It includes many pictures of the last Chogyal (King) of Sikkim and his family. The stark, black and white photos captured the personal anguish over the death of the Chogyal’s 25-year-old son, the heir to the throne, who was killed in a tragic auto accident. They also depict the national anguish over the end of an era when the last Chogyal subsequently passed away.

   
   

6. Order the “momos.” We would call them pot-stickers, dumplings. A popular traditional food, they can be either steamed or fried and are filled with minced or shredded chicken, pork, or yak meat as well as vegetables and spices. I’m a fan of fried momos which have a pleasing crunch. They usually are served with a tangy tomato sauce spiced with garlic, cumin, cilantro, ginger and chilies.

   
   

7. Get a haircut and whatever comes with it. For 30 rupees ($.60), it’s a great value and fun besides. As in the rest of India, barbers do the job expertly with handheld scissors. Foreigners are not their usual customers so don’t be surprised if you attract a small audience. I have never had a “head massage” before, but it came with the haircut and I couldn’t refuse. It was no wimpy, gentle massage; rather, it was the head, neck and ears version of a Thai foot massage. In other words, it hurt “real good.”

   
   

8. Use the public jeeps. They have destination placards which make them easily identifiable and are inexpensive. When tired, we made good use of jeeps (our bikes were strapped on top). The charge is only 80 rupees ($1.60) to travel 60 kilometers. The jeeps more easily negotiate the twisting, turning mountain roads than buses, but the downside is that it’s always four to a seat. That’s nearly an impossible squeeze. I had to laugh when we were seated in the front of a jeep and the driver had to reach BETWEEN Chantal’s legs to work the manual gearshift.

   
   

9. Visit the Tibetan Refugee Center in nearby Darjeeling (just outside Sikkim) and watch carpets being made. From spinning the wool to weaving the carpets, they do it all by hand. It takes two women two months to weave a single carpet. The carpets are terrific deals at $370, including shipping, for a 6’x 9’carpet. Despite the nine month waiting list, we ordered two.

   
   

10. Go with the flow. The infrastructure of Sikkim is not up to Western standards. In particular, the electrical service in Sikkim can be erratic and, in some towns, it is subject to planned daily outages. It’s not all bad though; we used it as an opportunity for some romantic candle-lit dinners. I do recommend, however, that you take a shower only when the power is on (Himalayan cold water showers are no fun.) Also, be prepared for road detours and keep your itinerary flexible. Most roads are carved into steep mountains, and landslides are common.