Monday 2 April - to enter Sikkim we had read that we needed a Sikkim Permit. Having unsuccessfully tried to get this at the airport, where the staff of Sikkim Tourism were clearly not over enthused at dealing with the challenge, we decided not to leave Darjeeling without one !
The process is on the face of it simple - first stop the Foreigners Registration Office where we fill the form and the details are entered in one ledger. The form duly stamped we are sent off to the Office of the District Magistrate - which unfortunately is located at the other end of town.
However the walk it self was quite fun through the market and the bus station - which is not really a bus station but rather where the jeeps drop off and pick up before heading off to all parts of the surrounding area.
The Magistrates office is a sprawling building clearly dating back to British times and in need of a good coat of paint. It consisted of a series of offices each dealing in the issuing of licenses, permits etc which despite its reforming zeal still continue to dog Indian daily life.
The Sikkim Permit office lay on the first floor - one more form and big stamp in each passport and we were done ! No pictures or photocopies of passport pages all of which we had brought !
Back to the hotel and we were ready to set off on the day's sightseeing but first stop Darjeeling railway station to try and get tickets for the Toy Train "Joy Ride".
Now how hard can buying a rail ticket be especially as the sign proudly proclaims -"computerised ticket reservations" ! Problem one the queue is somewhat hap hazard but on the advice of a hopeful fellow ticket purchaser we stand our ground and first ask " are there tickets for tomorrow?". After some moments yes at 4pm. Next step fill out a Requisition Form - names, passport numbers, train number, destinations etc ! More queue jostling but the for INR 240 each we have tickets !
So back to the car and off on the tour. Our first stop was the Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The Zoo specialised in Himalayan animals most of which are endangered. The layout is quite spacious and of course the habitat fairly natural. The animals include Himalayan bear, wolves, sheep, various rodents and deer. The HMI is in fact India's training institute and the small museum chronicles the historic attempts to climb Everest including India's first successful climb to the peak.
From there we headed via the tea terraces to the Tibetan Refugee Centre. This is a small community out of town with a number of workshops including carpet weaving. Although very reasonable we did not really see a design we liked so we settled for buying a hat.
The process is on the face of it simple - first stop the Foreigners Registration Office where we fill the form and the details are entered in one ledger. The form duly stamped we are sent off to the Office of the District Magistrate - which unfortunately is located at the other end of town.
However the walk it self was quite fun through the market and the bus station - which is not really a bus station but rather where the jeeps drop off and pick up before heading off to all parts of the surrounding area.
The Magistrates office is a sprawling building clearly dating back to British times and in need of a good coat of paint. It consisted of a series of offices each dealing in the issuing of licenses, permits etc which despite its reforming zeal still continue to dog Indian daily life.
The Sikkim Permit office lay on the first floor - one more form and big stamp in each passport and we were done ! No pictures or photocopies of passport pages all of which we had brought !
Back to the hotel and we were ready to set off on the day's sightseeing but first stop Darjeeling railway station to try and get tickets for the Toy Train "Joy Ride".
Now how hard can buying a rail ticket be especially as the sign proudly proclaims -"computerised ticket reservations" ! Problem one the queue is somewhat hap hazard but on the advice of a hopeful fellow ticket purchaser we stand our ground and first ask " are there tickets for tomorrow?". After some moments yes at 4pm. Next step fill out a Requisition Form - names, passport numbers, train number, destinations etc ! More queue jostling but the for INR 240 each we have tickets !
So back to the car and off on the tour. Our first stop was the Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The Zoo specialised in Himalayan animals most of which are endangered. The layout is quite spacious and of course the habitat fairly natural. The animals include Himalayan bear, wolves, sheep, various rodents and deer. The HMI is in fact India's training institute and the small museum chronicles the historic attempts to climb Everest including India's first successful climb to the peak.
From there we headed via the tea terraces to the Tibetan Refugee Centre. This is a small community out of town with a number of workshops including carpet weaving. Although very reasonable we did not really see a design we liked so we settled for buying a hat.