Darjeeling Tea party

11th Nov, I have to ask what day it is, Ah Thursday.
Following on from the Tiger Hill morning visit, by the way Katchenjunga is 50 miles away from the roof garden, we chill out and walk up to the temple of flags (Hindu) it is bedecked in red, green, yellow and white flags, that hide the independance movements colous of green and white. Its high up, coverd in Japenese Cedars, that hide the views of the hot valleys. Families of monkeys roam around looking for something to swing on.
That evening we eat in the Snooker Hall restaurant, wonderful plates of prawn rice and steaming noodles (all veg) for 2 pounds. We return to the hotel and chill out on the roof, we meet a whole lot of English travellers, its a real hoot with lots of beer, Olmer plays guitar, Stones, Bob Dylan and would you believe it the Pixies.
Yesterday moning we get up early and I check out tickets for departure. Darjeeling is steep and narrow, stalls line the streets with gaily coloured clothes, hats gloves ear warmers etc for the forth coming winter. We head off for the Zoo, well for such an out of the way place, its excellant, you are very close to the animals, you stand very close to them, smell them even. There are snow leopards, black panthers, tigers, but the favourites are the red pandas, they are indiginous to the area and scampe around their open enclosure, their red amber fur stands out beautifully against their furry faces.
We walk back along this road with magnificent views, passed the Windermere hotel, but decide to have afternoon tea in the town. Darjeeling White tea cost 1.5o a cup but is refreshing and delicious.
Street food is fab, flat parata's covered with whisked egg fried and he rolled and stuffed with onions and chilly.
We go to a small cafe and have home made food, and play PICTIONARY with a group of Americans who suddenly discover that they know the same people in a bar in Pheonix. Its a very funny evening.
Iam woken by a gaggle of Buddhists monks coming down the lane passd our cheap room aT 5am. They are obviously up for it, they are banging gongs, singing loudly and ringing bells.
I thing Darjeeling is fabuolous, I am reluctant to leave.