This is my first timd in rural India. I left Phuentsholing this morning on a bus to siliguri then came to darjeeling to meet brady at the youth hostel, but it seems to be closed. Now I’m in an internet cafe hoping to find a message from him. Losing travel partners is a frexuent event for me and one I can no longer blame on others. I must be doing it myself.
I should have realised that it wasn’t going to be a good day when the bhutanese customs officer tried to have me arrested for still being in Bhutan even though I’d checked out yesterday. He grudgingly apologised when he found out that I was a resident.
Darjeeling is much friendlier than delhi or Kolkata on first impression, but it’s just as crowded. Not a surprise given it’s built on a slope steeper than a bhutanese road. More to come when I get to know the place a bit.