Sunrise on the Kanchenjungha in Lachen (picture by the author)

My friends and I had been contemplating a trip to north Sikkim for a long time. We knew the journey would be quite hectic and expensive too.

The route was pretty convoluted. First, we would have to take a train from Calcutta to Siliguri, and then hire vehicles from Siliguri to reach Gangtok. From Gangtok, we would have to hire Sikkim vehicles to go to Gurudongmar and Yumthang, and return.

There were 12 of us with a whole lot of luggage — 11 from Calcutta and one joining us in Siliguri. We knew this trip was not going to happen unless we reduced the number of heads or arranged our own cars.

We wracked our brains for days. Then, I suddenly remembered that I had a few friends in the Army who would be able to guide me. I paid a visit to my friend Colonel Barik at his Fort William office. He asked me to chalk out a tentative plan. I typed out a list of people who were accompanying me and also the cars we could take (my car from Calcutta and our friend Bachchu Chakraborty’s from Siliguri).

Sabyasachi with Havildar Tripathi

Col Barik promised to take up the matter with his seniors. We kept our fingers crossed, hoping the Army would grant us permission to tour north Sikkim in our own cars.

Finally, the green signal came from GOC Eastern Command, Lt Gen V.K. Singh, AVSM, VSM. The Army allowed us to take our cars all the way! We were overjoyed.

We set out for Raiganj on September 30, halting at Raiganj Tourist Lodge for the night and leaving for Siliguri the next morning. We arrived in Siliguri in the afternoon, had lunch at Bachchu’s place, split up in two groups to fit into the two cars and started for Gangtok. Our address in Gangtok was the New Orchid Guesthouse and Havildar Tripathi was the man from the Army who had been deputed to escort us.

Next morning, we left for Lachen. It was evening by the time we reached Lachen and checked into the Shangrila Hotel.

(Next week: Feluda checks out Gurudongmar Lake)