Day 1 (Kolkata to Gangtok, 15 hours, 700 km)
Three cars met at the Dankuni toll at 4 pm on 1st April. The date being the 1st April, I was relieved to see that the rest of the cars were waiting and the trip was actually on!
It was smooth sailing through Burdwan, SH7 and we reached Moregram BP by 8 pm. We took a tea break for about an hour, since having dinner by 8 pm would have been too early.
So we decided to have dinner at the Pardesi Dhaba, in Malda. Reached the Pardesi Dhaba by 10-45 pm and their piping hot Chicken Biriyani managed our hunger.
By the time we left Malda it was 11-45 pm. Instead of taking Botolbari Road we decided to take the Dalkhola Bypass which is still under construction.
A couple of kilometres before reaching the entry of the Dalkhola Bypass the traffic was stranded through lines of trucks. Small cars were able to squeeze through the gaps. We managed to evade the traffic snarl in about 10 mins and enter the bypass.
Google maps was not our best friend. By standard definition, what it understands by roads, the Dalkhola bypass was far from it. The three cars lost each other completely. It was an interesting drive all the same with fields of paddy and sugarcane on both sides and not a car or soul in sight. Finally, all three cars managed to reach NH31 through three different exits!
All the three cars were split, we decided to catch up at the Reliance petrol bunk in Bagdogra. Even after taking a 2-hour break we were running ahead of our estimated time. All cars met at the petrol bunk around 3-30 am.
After an hour of chit chat, we resumed our journey by 4-30 am. From here we drove straight up to Gangtok. We checked in at the Hotel Eulophia by 7-30 am.
This hotel is located at Indira bypass before the Gangtok city and has proper parking with comfortable rooms and good view.
In the evening we got the information that it was snowing heavily in North Sikkim and most of the roads were closed. Bhpian mi2n confirmed the same from his friend who is in the Army.
After talking to the person who got our permits, we zeroed in on Lachung and our target was to head out for a snow drive on the very next day morning towards Yumthang or Katao.
Day 2 (Gangtok to Lachung, 7 hours, 105 km)
By the time we started, it was already 10-30 am.
Pic courtesy- Bhpian Mountain_Deep
Our first target was to reach Mangan and collect the permits for entering north Sikkim.
We reached Mangan by 12 pm refueled our cars, as post Mangan there wont be any fuel station.
I met the
permit guy at around 1 pm. After collecting our permits, I walked towards the Pajero, parked behind my car to hand over their permits to them.
Callous on my part to have forgotten my face mask. Sikkim police came in and asked for a fine of Rs 300 for not wearing a mask. They had a friendly, stern and logical conversation about missing the mask. It was my fault, so without arguing, I paid them the fine and got a money receipt for it.
The entry gate to North Sikkim.
View from Mangan.
A picturesque drive from Mangan to Lachung -
Is it snowing? Oh yes, it's indeed snowing - as I realized! Though I have driven many a time through inches of snow, sleet, ice, and black ice, this was definitely a first - driving when the snowflakes were actually dancing on my windshield! In that little play of light and shadow, my heart literally jumped with joy.
We checked in at the Hotel Himalayan Residency. The hotel offers an amazing view with good food, proper parking with nice & cosy rooms. But anyone going to Lachung expecting hot chicken momos will face disappointment. The food is vegetarian but delectable by all means. Powercut is another issue. After 10 PM, you will be left with dimly lit rooms and no heating. But when I looked out of the window and saw the snowcapped mountains changing colours and the stream next door gushing and gurgling in a live concert, I did not mind the food or electricity much!
Few night shots from the balcony.
My dual-tone hot and cold Duster!
The dual-tone Nexon parked opposite my Duster.