Drinks at Seven,Dinner at Eight

Again too many days have passed, so I will start with what is most recent and work my way back. As of yesterday we have been ensconsed at the Windamere, a hotel straight out of the Raj in Darjeeling. Our rooms are lovely in a very British way, the service is unbelievable, the meals really good. This morning I got up and out early, around 5:00 AM to watch the sun rise over the mountains. I went out in PJs, bathrobe and jacket, knowing it would really not matter. Especially since my PJs are the same sort of fabric that is used extensively here. Anyway, a waiter came a long to ask if we would like tea or coffee and we accepted. In the meantime we climbed up into an observation deck for a better view. Instantly someone appeared to take the tarps off the table and chairs, set them up comfortably for us, and brought us our tea. The turn down of the beds at night includes a fleece covered water bottle. And all of this in the midst of the beauty and serenity of the hills.

Deliberations were held this morning out on the veranda about how to proceed with all we have seen and learned. We developed a set of questions for each of the organizations we visited and each of us has an assignment for contact purposes. My job is the Etah schools.

Before lunch I walked to the zoo with Jimmy, a totally downhill 2.5 kilometers. We saw snow leopards, tigers and black bear, among others. the zoo was much better than I had anticipated. The animals are magnificent and obviously well cared for. There was no way we could have made the uphill trek back to the Windamere and were relieved to find a taxi to take us back. Lunch was followed by a trip to a Buddhist temple, very new and dedicated by the Dalai Lama. this afternoon was a round of shopping with Margaret. The supply of fabulous tea I bought should last for a decade of drinking and gifting.

At dinner Elizabeth Clark, the Manager, brought me a lump of Himalayan salt which I had asked about at lunch. It looks like a chunk of dirt, but at only 40Rs, I am glad to have it. I know it can be attractively packaged for gifting.  Now I am hoping she comes up with my other request, curry leaves. we had a grand old time with her at the bar this evening. She is an actress and chanteuse at heart and endlessly entertaining. She runs this place with vigor, maintaining high standards for all staff.

Yesterday was our travel day from Kalimpong. It rained like crazy all night and well into the morning, but the trip to Darjeeling was uneventful except for the scenery. The hillsides were glistening from the rain and the rice paddies and tea gardens provided contrasting greens against the forest. We arrived at the Windamere in time for lunch and then tea. No meals were missed, although we did skip tea today. And probably won't be here for lunch tomorrow.

We were met at Badogra Airport after our flight from Delhi by young men from Kalimpong sent by Enos. Two vehicles were used for us and them and all our luggage.The trip was not an easy one as there was a landslide on the road which held up traffic for a long time. On their way down there was an accident with 11people dying in a vehicle that went off the road and down a hillside. We were taken to the Komfort Inn where Enos and a couple of men from the church met us. It was good to see him again and we were garlanded with white scarves, in Bengali fashion. The hotel proprieters were very helpful and welcoming. They do all the work themselves with the help of just one girl. Marketing, meal preparation, serving, cleaning of the establishment, repairs, etc. They are planning to add on a few rooms as the hotel is frequented routinely by various church people that come to Kalimpong.

The next day we were taken to downtown Kalimpong for a little shopping and then on to Enos' new house for lunch with church/school leaders. The house is very large for two people, with generously sized rooms and plenty of balconies. We went from there to the site of a vocational training center they are building. Students will be people who have dropped out of school and have no skills. One of the issues in the area is that young women and girls who leave home seeking employment are often caught up in the sex trade. By providing a path to employment the hope is that they will not be easy prey for traffickers. I loved the site visit and looking at the plans for the center. We also looked at other property the church has and talked about plans for expansion of the school programs. We had some free time after that meeting and were able to make a short run into town to look for a couple of things we didn't get to in the morning. I found a beautiful rug that I hope will fit in my kitchen with great colors and a Tibetan style dragon design. Kalimpong and Darjeeling are Gorkha land, where there has been a move for independence from India two years ago. People are ethnically and culturally different from the Indian population at large and the general feeling is that the government ignores their needs. We got back in time to meet with a group of church elders and leaders (all men) to talk about their hopes and dreams for improving outreach to youth and populations in need in their area. our discussion ranged to issues we all face such as how to encourage the participation of the youth. Dinner was then served and once again we got to bed late.