kalimpong forever

The Journey to Siliguri

The ride from Kalimpong to Siliguri (our nearest major "city") never
ceases to enthrall me. As the journey begins, the road takes a near
vertical dive, plunging from an almost alpine 5000' AMSL to a very
tropical 600' AMSL in just 30mins. But what unfolds in the half an hour is
truly surprising. For one thing the vegetation changes from a few
vanishing fir trees to slopes laden with rubber and hardwood trees interlaced
with a dense cobweb of vines. The smells also change; and the fresh
mountain air gradually transforms into a decidedly fetid miasma of
decaying tropical vegetation. And the sounds? Well, they change too as you
descend into the steamy depths of the valley with the drone of the
cicadas being replaced by a more ominous sound....the roar of the Teesta
river as it crashes down to the plains of North Bengal, gnawing at
everything in it's path.
Thereafter, for much of the 50 odd kilometers to Siliguri , National
Highway 31 as it is called, meekly meanders and slithers alongside the
raw arrogance and explosive power of the Teesta river. But drive down
this road in the early morning or late evening and bear witness to a
sheer magical interplay of shadow and sunlight against the ever changing
backdrop of the Teesta valley.
A ubiquitous primate on these roads, besides those whizzing up and
down on vehicles, are gangs of rhesus monkeys which silently stalk the
highways waiting impatiently for handouts from passengers traveling up
and down these roads. But some of them can get pretty insistent and
bellicose like the huge, muscular male which pounced onto my car, lunged
in and made off with a paper bag full of bananas from the dashboard…
thank god! it was just bananas and not my wife’s handbag..
The 87 Road Construction Company of the Border Roads Task Force who
have the onerous task of maintaining this road have gone overboard
warning travelers of the dangers of driving on these treacherous mountain
roads. "Driving with whisky is risky" cautions one such sign, "Go
gentle on my curves" is a more "sexed up" version of the sombre warning but
my personal favorite is " Better to be Mr. Late than late Mr....".
Smile but beware!