Silk Route Trip before Covid 19 Changed It All
Hello Folks,
Hope All of you are fine!
I know most of you are super bored in this lockdown for COVID 19 Outbreak and especially those Hodophiles like me. Ahh so let's not sulk you with more of the Corona Virus Updates let's get lost in the reminiscent of my East Sikkim Trip. Let me make a humble try to light up your day.
Silk Route & More:
Well by Silk Route Trip I mean our first destination was Silk Route but it is not that we stopped at Silk Route only. It was a 7-days-long trip and we visited 5 different places. First Zuluk, then Padamchen, next it was the turn to reach Rishikhola to Sillery Gaon and finally to Icchey Gaon. It was out perfect getaway.
(Zuluk) Silk route View Point
The Trip Plan:
We made the trip plan along with two of our friends as our getaway from the hustle-bustle of the polluted city and get some fresh oxygen to our lungs. It was the month of May and it was occasionally raining in places. We did not expect much from the trip we were just extremely bored and wanted to be out of the city. Well, I must say I don't know about others but I was expecting some wildlife photography for sure when particularly we were going to Zuluk which has a fair population of Himalayan monals.
Apart from this there also a special reason that this trip was very special to me. It liberated me from 6 and a half years long BPO career which I was not enjoying at all. I was going through a hell lot of mental issues being trapped in BPO career. I literally resigned from my job, to go on this trip. So finally bags packed and we boarded the train on 5th May 2019.
Part I Day 1 At Zuluk (Homestay Snow Lion):
It was my 1st time in Sikkim so I was eager to get down from the train and breath the mountains. We got down at NJP station and boarder a cab that was pre-booked rather sent from Snow Lion Homestay based at Zuluk.
Image by Snow Lion Homestay Zuluk
Yes, that's the beauty right there is the Snow Lion Homestay of Zuluk.
Snow Lion is called the best homestay of Zuluk.
We boarded the cab and the more it was getting closer to the mountains my heart was leaping to get a glance of the greens, blue sky, floating clouds or just the romantic mountain rains. I love mountains in any season. By the time we reach Padamchen, it started drizzling and the fresh cold air was like a balm to my aching heart. The mountain roads and thick foliage of pine were so welcoming that I feel this is it, this is the place I belong to. We reached Zuluk in an hour from Padamchen. It was cold and the rain continued.
We were taken to our rooms and to my surprise we got a room that had a huge window view of the breathtaking mountains. I slid the curtains on a side cutting the darkness of the half-lit room. Laid down in the bed and watched the never-ending layers mountains. I was almost transported to a land of dreams when I heard a knock on my door. The staff came to call us for lunch. The excitement of watching mountains right from my room was so much that my hunger was almost forgotten.
I was warned about the food in Zuluk that it's not gonna be very tasty or we may not get a fancy meal at Zuluk because of low supplies in that area. But then we were served a nice Bengali meal served along with fresh cucumber and tomato salad. The food was simple but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was very tired, cause of long drive from NJP to Zuluk hence I laid down for a bit to rest. About 4:30 pm I heard another knock and I opened the door to find the staff brought us tea in nicely painted cups. The tea served at the mountain is just nothing you can compare with tea available in plain land. The aroma was of a different level. My friends were in the next room and they joined me & my husband. We sipped into our tea and planned to walk around the place before the sun goes down.
Tea Served At Snow Lion
Evening Walk:
After finishing the tea we went for a walk in nearby places. The evening was mesmerizing, the daylight was still there and the sun was playing hide and seek amidst the cloud and fog. I walked down the foothill and entered into the village of the residents of Zuluk. Brightly coloured small houses along with orchids hanging from the veranda and small fur ball dogs resting in front of the house is a common view you can enjoy at Zuluk. My vision was occasionally blocked by intensified fog and some times the whole Snow Lion Homestay was vanishing behind the clouds. It doesn't happen in every season though but it was raining in Zuluk and every season brings a different level of beauty to the hills.
Village Below The Hill On top Is Snow Lion Home Stay Disappearing In Dense Fog
Just beside the snow Lion Homestay is a military camp and restrictions were there for taking photographs of that place so couldn't do much but definitely captured a cute temple where Ganga Ji was coming out of Shiv Ji's head. I would love to share that moment with you.
Shiva temple Behind Snow Lion Home Stay.
The Romantic Evening:
I walked back to our homestay and by that time my husband and my friends were having another round of tea. I saw a momo shop where fresh momos were being made and the aroma was indeed mouth-watering. I quickly asked my husband and friends if they want to have some momos and ordered accordingly. We were having a good time when the evening turned even better.
The mountains were awakened with the Sprinkle of rain. The sound of pouring rain and the crawling droplets over the glass window made the evening even romantic. We opened a bottle of red wine and indulged into some healthy intoxication. We played songs on our phones and danced a little to celebrate the best evening of our lives.
By 8:30 pm we were called for dinner. We quickly finished our dinner came back to our room hit our beds and the rest is history...!!!
A Fresh Morning:
I woke up at 5 am with the sound of the drizzle and chirping birds. I did manage to capture some of the moments from my room. By 7 am it stopped drizzling and we finished our breakfast to check out from Snow Lion and go for sightseeing till Kupup Village.
Bird chirping view from Snow Lion Zuluk
Kupup Lake is called Bitan Cho by locals. The shape of the lake makes it look like an elephant hence it is popularly known as The Elephanta Lake. People of Sikkim consider this lake to be a sacred one.
We checked out from Snow Lion Homestay and got into our car and as we rolled the twists and turns of the zigzag road was looking like the way to fairyland. The visibility of the roads was very poor because of the cloud and fog. The sun hardly showed up. We found a coffee & tea stall, got down there to have some hot coffee and to pack some chips for the journey.
My Life's 1st Snow Fall:
In an hour or so we reached the Old Baba Mandir although it was the month of May and there was hardly any chance to encounter a snowfall but we had it. It was my life's 1st snowfall ever. The soft snow sweeping down the glass window of our car and gradually melting down was such an amazing feeling. We stopped and danced in the snow and started our photo session then and there.
My Friend & her Husband In the snow.
Within minutes the whole place was wrapped with a white blanket of snow. The roads, the hills, the leaves and the flowers everything turned white in a matter of 5 to 10 mins. At that moment I thanked God for making me see this day. The beauty of the snowfall was so alluring that took off my gloves to touch and feel the snow on my skin and started playing snowball fight. After 10mins I realized wow I feel pain in my fingers. We grabbed hot coffee from Baba mandir. Sipped in the amazing coffee and continued our journey.
As the snowfall continued and it was freezing us we grabbed a bottle of brandy to cut the cold. No wonder we did not expect snowfall in the month of May. We gulped the brandy and gazed at the snow-covered roads and villages. We found some wild Yak grazing even in the snowfall. The white land and the blue sky above it was creating a heavenly contract that we captured with our cameras and would like to share some. The best part is on one side of the mountains it was snowfall while on the other side the sun was shining bright.
Snow Fall
Snow-covered Roads
Friend and Husband capturing Snowfall.
Somehow we managed to reach the Kupup lake or Elephanta Lake but we could not reach the viewpoint though because of heavy snowfall. The road was slippery so we returned to the viewpoint of the Silk Route. However, we got some distant view of Elephanta Lake and sadly I did not get the view of a single Himalayan Monal in that constant snowfall.
Nathang Village.
Wild Yak Grazing In Heavy Snowfall.
The Silk Route:
After the extravagant snowfall, we moved to the view-point of Silk Route. The name of this road was called Silk Route because that was the road through which China used to trade Silk fabric in India. There were about 14 to 15 folds of the road. The clouds floating over the mountains and gradually sun was pouring its liquid gold over the mountain villages and the greens. That was the most beautiful thing to watch and forget the emotional and social complications of life for the moment and unite with the soul of the earth.
Time Capsule (Play Me and Be patient. Trust me you won't repent.)
Famous Silk Route
My husband received a call from the homestay we booked at Padamchen because we almost forgot it was about 4 pm and we have not taken our lunch. The host Mr Padam called us and reminded us that they are waiting for us. We wrapped up the memories of Zuluk in our cameras and rolled to Padamchen for night stay and begin the next amazing day.
Way to Padamchen
See you in Part-2 for Day 3 At the Silent Vallery - Sillery Gaon the picturesque and haunted Village of Sikkim.
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