Learning about Goukaland & Darjeeling....

              Sustained by a full breakfast eaten at my hotel, dramatically overlooking the town and high mountains, my first task was to investigate the UNESCO recognised toy train track that originally ran for about 70 kms in the lowlands up to Darjeeling. It had been my plan to ride at least a short section of the route. Apparently, seats are much in demand and reserved well in advance--- so out of luck, it was. The

Mount Kangchenjunga,  at  26,600ft., world's #3 highest.

railway is currently operational for approximately 50% of the full route and appears to be suffering from neglect. A newspaper article recently read stated that UNESCO is considering withdrawal of its prestigious recognition until full service is resumed.

                    With time on my hands, I retreated to the local coffee shop to plan a walking itinerary. The distances are not great in Darjeeling town as the available land is constrained by the precipitous topography.  I learned that Darjeeling is viewed as a jumping off point for hiking routes up into Bhutan & Sikkim. This explains all the mountain gear shops on the main street.

               Conversations with other tourists, underlined to me the necessity of viewing the snow covered high

Himalayas from lookout positions around Darjeeling at 5.30 am as the sun rises, casting a pink glow over the mountain panorama.After 8 am cloud and mist forms and for a good part of the day, at this time of the year, the high peaks are not visible.
               In the 1880's, Darjeeling and the frontier region of west Bengal received massive immigration of Gurkha people from Nepal, who, beneffiting from close ties with the colonial power, moved into the area, such that they became the dominant racial group. Over the 20th century, the Gurhas supported an independence agenda, adamantly rejected by India.This errupted into serious violence in 1986, with large scale damage resulting in Darjeeling. Subsequently, a self-governing Goukaland region within West Bengal was agreed upon.

                                                          +++++++++++++++++

              I have noticed a fair number of what you might class as very mature, long haired hippies during my strolls along the alleyways and lanes of Indian towns & cities. Mature? I would place them as mid-sixties in age & that would make them former war protesters & ‘flower children’ of the Beatles generation. Cannot claim that I have conducted any meaningful surveys on the issue, but wonder if this is not a case of these elderly, guitar carrying hippies taking a nostalgic late life retro stroll, along the highways and byways of a drug crazed and misspent youth spent wandering around Asia. No criticisms here—is n’t it the same youth extension elixir thing with the current crop of portly senior gentleman who currently ride around in leather, atop Harley Davidsons (US,) or drive too fast in renovated TR7s (UK)?