Gangtok Trip

Gangtok is the capital of Sikkim lying at an altitude of about 5800 ft. After Darjeeling, Gangtok is another sought-after hill station in the north-eastern part of India.The distance between Darjeeling and Gangtok is 94 kms and it takes somewhere between 3-4 hours to reach Gangtok depending on the driving skill of the driver along the steep precipitous road of mountains. We reached Gangtok towards the evening and lodged in an army guesthouse the credit for which be given entirely to Virender for his father worked in army. The first thing we did on our arrival to Gangtok was lunch with our friends. Then we headed for ropeway ride. Pics are below:

The next morning, we went to Tsangu Lake. Tsangu Lake also spelled as Changu Lake is a beautiful lake surrounded by snow clad mountains. Situated at an altitude of 12,400 ft, it takes about 2-3 hours from Gangtok to reach Tsangu. The roads are quite treacherous and steep. The hairpin bends through landslide prone zones will give you goosebumps at every turn. I took some shots of vodka before starting the journey to ward off cold. However, the hair-raising drive through the narrow steep roads of mountains diluted the euphoria of drinking. The first thing that touched my skin once we stepped out in the biting cold of Tsangu was the freezing cold wind numbing my sensation of fear and excitement.We managed to take some pics while shivering in stinging cold.

The Tsangu lake was a treat to the eyes. The blue lake with the reflection of azure sky glistening in the transperant water amidst snow-clad mountains is quite a sight worth taking the journey for.

Another interesting thing was the yak ride from Tsangu Lake to a nearby mountain where you can indulge in trekking. I had some funny moments during the trekking. I have height phobia popularly termed as "Acrophobia" . Encouraged by my hubby, I started climbing the mountain and during the climb, I not once looked back down below. But suddenly I stumbled against a rock hidden under the soft snows and fell a step down and then my eyes travelled down below and to my utter shock, I realized I have climbed quite high up than I was planning to and with that realization I lost my confidence and lying prostrate, I started sobbing. Self-confidence is one of the requisite items to carry while undertaking a venture like trekking and if you lose that in the middle of your dare, then nobody can help you unless you try gaining your confidence back and help yourself. I sobbed there for some several moments resisting every attempt of persuasion by my hubby and friends to budge from that position. Some playful friends took video and snaps of mine then:

Later Debu and Sashank diverted my mind by talking about this and that and I sat bolt upright. The person who suffered a serious fall was Virender and he received a hairline fracture at the joint of hip bones. He writhed in pain throughout the rest of our journey back to NJP station and therefrom to Kolkata.