A smartly dressed family shared our area in the train. They were very nice. Just before bedtime our tickets were checked followed by a visit from some men dressed as ladies. There is a proper Indian name given to these people but sadly we can't remember it or exactly what they are. However, we think they operate in gangs and a lot of Indians are a little scared of them. If you don't hand over money when they ask you, they clap their hands and curse you, a bit like a witch! One of them looked at Darryl, said something and stared deep in to his eyes, then suddenly clapped their hands!
A good night's sleep was had by all followed by 'Chai in bed' served by a local hawker. Once we were all up and sleeper bunks collapsed into normal seats, we were joined by an extra person. He was in the Indian Border Force patrolling the north and eastern borders. He was due to get another train but decided after finding out there was a 12 hour delay, to jump on our train. We talked about; the beautiful countryside rushing past the window, the different crops that were growing including pineapples in their thousands and our first glimpse of tea plantations. We exchanged information on mobile technology and the smartphone revolution in India. He even showed us a great train app, displaying all the trains in India and you can see exactly where yours is.
The countryside warrants a further mention. It was so green and stunning. It is toward the end of the rainy season so all of the paddy fields are full, the fishing streams are flowing ... a beautiful scene.
After our 14 hour train journey, we stepped off into the large station at NJP and searched for a hotel.
The first was unable to take tourists, so we walked in and found a little hotel nestled amongst the other buildings. We received a warm welcome, were shown a room and and here is where we will stay!
Searching the streets for food was hard today. Most places were closed or not places we would choose to eat. We crossed the rail tracks at Siliguri and found a man frying pakoras, so we knew at least they were fresh. We handed over our rupees and he wrapped a few in newspaper and gave them to us. We searched a few stalls for some snacks for tomorrow's journey up the hill to Darjeeling. We didn't actually find anything in date except, a packet of biscuits and we checked a lot of things!
Next, we found fried rice to eat where we were joined by a huge cow. We bought some very, very sugary Indian sweets and flaked out in the hotel.
After a power nap we ventured back out. What earlier seemed like a fairly non description place had come to life in the darkness. The disgusting air pollution seemed to have eased and fairy lights lit the busy streets. We stopped for chai and were treated like special guests.
Christine's highlight of the evening was watching Darryl get his hair cut at the market. In fact, not only did he get his hair cut but also a shave with a 'cut throat' razor and an Indian head massage, shoulder massage, oil in his hair... In fact it could be called a pampering session but Darryl described it as more of a beating. The Indian head massage included a lot of slapping and rather unsightly neck clicks. It kept Christine entertained anyway!
Back at the hotel we spent some time chatting with the owner's son. He explained a lot about the politics of his country and the obsession with Indian people spending all they earn!
A good night's sleep was had by all followed by 'Chai in bed' served by a local hawker. Once we were all up and sleeper bunks collapsed into normal seats, we were joined by an extra person. He was in the Indian Border Force patrolling the north and eastern borders. He was due to get another train but decided after finding out there was a 12 hour delay, to jump on our train. We talked about; the beautiful countryside rushing past the window, the different crops that were growing including pineapples in their thousands and our first glimpse of tea plantations. We exchanged information on mobile technology and the smartphone revolution in India. He even showed us a great train app, displaying all the trains in India and you can see exactly where yours is.
The countryside warrants a further mention. It was so green and stunning. It is toward the end of the rainy season so all of the paddy fields are full, the fishing streams are flowing ... a beautiful scene.
After our 14 hour train journey, we stepped off into the large station at NJP and searched for a hotel.
The first was unable to take tourists, so we walked in and found a little hotel nestled amongst the other buildings. We received a warm welcome, were shown a room and and here is where we will stay!
Searching the streets for food was hard today. Most places were closed or not places we would choose to eat. We crossed the rail tracks at Siliguri and found a man frying pakoras, so we knew at least they were fresh. We handed over our rupees and he wrapped a few in newspaper and gave them to us. We searched a few stalls for some snacks for tomorrow's journey up the hill to Darjeeling. We didn't actually find anything in date except, a packet of biscuits and we checked a lot of things!
Next, we found fried rice to eat where we were joined by a huge cow. We bought some very, very sugary Indian sweets and flaked out in the hotel.
After a power nap we ventured back out. What earlier seemed like a fairly non description place had come to life in the darkness. The disgusting air pollution seemed to have eased and fairy lights lit the busy streets. We stopped for chai and were treated like special guests.
Christine's highlight of the evening was watching Darryl get his hair cut at the market. In fact, not only did he get his hair cut but also a shave with a 'cut throat' razor and an Indian head massage, shoulder massage, oil in his hair... In fact it could be called a pampering session but Darryl described it as more of a beating. The Indian head massage included a lot of slapping and rather unsightly neck clicks. It kept Christine entertained anyway!
Back at the hotel we spent some time chatting with the owner's son. He explained a lot about the politics of his country and the obsession with Indian people spending all they earn!