Travel scribbles

Day 1 - 26th September - Pune to Delhi flight The journey began on a very sour note. I had intense stomach pain. I hadn't had food since afternoon.  Felt so much abdominal pain that I felt delusional.  I thought about abandoning the trek and going to a hospital but I held on.  I kept sweating profusely and the airport guard saw it as "suspicious".  It wasn't that hot. It wasn't hot at all.  Fortunately, the problem auto-resolved after having food. I still felt weak and disoriented. Forgot toiletries, cell charger and ear phones in Pune. The flight landed on schedule and I took an auto to Anand Vihar Terminal.  Day 2 - 27th September - Delhi to Kathgodam and beyond I reached way before boarding time, as a result of which I had to sleep on the floor in the waiting room, which wasn't as bad as my previous experiences with railway waiting rooms (mice and all). I made a pillow out of my thick cotton jacket and slept for an hour ...

Sandakphu peak in West Bengal. It is situated in a national park called "Singalila" and the trail is often the Ind-Nepal border. Day 1 : After bidding adieu to my sister's family, I set out from Darjeeling for a place called Maneybhanjyang. There is a shared taxi service from opposite old supermarket in Darjeeling for a fee of INR 50 for Indians to Maneybhanjyang. I met a couple in the shared taxi. John - An ex-german military person. Social worker now. Had spent 10 years in the military, quit to become a life guard and now works as a social worker in India with his girlfriend Catherine. Catherine - A circus artist, now a director, is also a social worker and helps slum kids realize their potential by teaching them circus nuances. They were really experienced hikers/trekkers and guided me a lot during the course of the trek. I figured it would be also wise to share the guide with them, since then I would have to pay less than if I take a guide for ...