Day 25

Distance covered: 93 km
Total distance 4204 km

We began the day with a ride to Deolo point the highest peak in Kalimpang but again the mist obscured any chance of catching sight of the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. The largest mountains in the world and they were doing an excellent job of hiding from us. I was beginning to believe that fate had decided to play a bad joke on us and somebody up there had a real wicked sense of humor. With nothing to gain here we decided to continue towards Gangtok and hopefully better climes. Just when I was thinking the route could not get any better it does just that. The scenery along the Sikkim sector is like riding into a masterpiece. There are a range of hills spread out before you in a wide panoramic view, all tree covered with small waterfalls and a river running between the hills. There are the quaintest bridges running over the river at various places- suspension bridges, wooden bridges, bridges that look ready to collapse, bridges that have already collapsed. Each bend brought with it a new vision and uncontrolled excitement. And finally we caught our first sight of the Himalayas. The disappointment of the days before were forgotten in that brief moment and I had to stop and stare in awe at the towering peaks all capped in white with icy tentacles stretching down its time worn surfaces. With a whoop of joy we raced on to Gangtok. Just as we arrived there the rain Gods decided to gate crash the party and I almost found myself shedding tears of frustration but luckily it was a short spell and the skies kind of cleared up. We headed for the tourist information center, got all the required details and suggestions and then went ahead and did the exact opposite. We checked out 3 viewpoints Tashi, Ganesh Tok and Hanuman Tok, all of them offering spectacular and expansive views of the mountain range. Finally I was content. The mist began to creep in and the sun disappeared behind the clouds leaving us cold and with no choice but to head back.
One really excellent feature about Gangtok is that all traffic in the main market is stopped after 5 pm. Vehicles aren’t even allowed to park around the area leaving the streets calm and ideal for a pleasant stroll. The market exists at different levels along the hill with narrow steps leading from one lane to the other. The streets are lined with curio stores and eateries. A nice dinner later we retired to our room at the Shikara lodge.
For the first time we came across other tourers today. They were a group of riders from Kolkata who had just completed a journey of Sikkim and were headed back. It was nice to meet some other like-minded bikers and we stopped to swap stories. On hearing about our venture they responded with enthusiasm and motivation, wishing us luck as they sped away into the distance. I hope I meet more Indian riders along the journey.