In DARJEELING, Glennary's downstairs pastry area (CRASH by DM playing and clouds, which were dense fog earlier, starting to lift. It's cozy in here, the coffee’s strong and I'm warming.)
Was grumpy and cold last night, sorry if the post reflected chilled fingers and grim anticipation of a chilly night neath musty covers.
Woke within the hot water window this morning so had a shower. Steamed up the room, all the mirrors and even the windows along the veranda - two rooms separated. Let the run off fall into the plastic bucket - suds and all - in case there's nothing with warmth later, can at least wash hands it what was once.
Not great fun emerging from the water into the see-your-breath air of the bedroom in a thin towel, but all well now with a few layers on, scarf roped around neck (still smelling like perfume, nice reminder of home) and coffee and porridge now in me. The cold outside it only a few degrees change from the room temp so now just fine.
To report - only change at the Main Olde Belleview is the Newfoundland-like couple (actually a Tibetan breed) who reside at the top of the stairs all day and, moved into a cement enclosure around 6 in the eve, bark thought the night, have had a litter of 6 puppies. Recently I think. Had assumed they were brother and sister - and they may well be - but they've mated now and the puppies look just fine so there you are. They're very cute, mom's protective, and if it were no small matter bringing one of the litter to New York...
Had a short and quiet night last night. Ali and I went for a hot toddy at Joey's (only pub in town, run by Ghurka Joey with pension money from the Brits), shared a jaffle and feeling sort of spacy/whoozy called it a very small night and went to burrow. I bedded down in two upper layers of long underwear, pajama bottoms, socks and warmed my space beneath the blankets with breath. Fell asleep easily, dreaming of Sikkim.
News from the world seems good. Nepal's Royal coup is softening at the edges - internet restored and heard from Nina in Kathmandu. She reports that life for the non-politico, non-NGO circles has remained relatively normal for the last 6 days - albeit with little info of perceptions outside the valley. She also assures that trekking routes should be unaffected. Good news - will keep plans to go there in two weeks.
Also, from The Statesman newspaper (Calcutta), the North Bengal and Sikkim supplement report:
No Action to be Taken Against Professor in Siliguri - "The police are still hesitant to take action against Mr. Joylal Ray, Secretary of Jote Junior High School, for whose alleged lengthy pep talk on morals and discipline at least 20 students of the school, including 8 girls, fell ill."
No mention of length of the talk.
50th Anniversary of the Summit of Kanchenjunga - celebrated at the Indian Museum in Calcutta.
Asked about the summitting in May, 1955, (the team stopped 5 feet short of the top – retaining its “viginity” in respect of the mountain’s holiness, maintained by the lamas of Sikkim), Norman Hardie said: "What made our work easy was the absence of television cameras and sponsorships".
North Bengal Wild Elephant Census in April
The census - to update numbers last taken in 2002 (a count of 292) will be collected by 306 census teams, 1,200 forest personnel, 11 NGO's and "Fifty captive elephants will also be mobilized for the census."
"Silk farmers in Masimpur accuse a contingent of local villagers of stealing mulberry leaves each night to feed cattle."
Still no word from my contact in Gangtok so may spend one more night here and head to Gangtok early tomorrow morning (via Rongpo to get my permit). Or may motivate and get myself there today. Stay tuned.
Love to all from D,
C
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