Sikkim

02.05.2008 to 18.05.2008

Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest in area after Goa. Today the majority of Sikkim's residents are of Nepali ethnic-national origin who came to the province in the 19th century. The native Sikkimese consist of the Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 14th century, and the Lepchas who are believed to have migrated from the Far East. Tibetans reside mostly in the northern and eastern reaches of the state. We spent around twenty days in Sikkim and we had a wonderful time here. This was the place were Janet decided to cut her braids, where we were lucky enough to stare at a clear sky dominated by the mighty Kangchenjunga and where we stayed with a Nepali/Lepcha/Bhutia community on a hill, amongst other things.

Trekking would have been an option had the weather been nicer, but it was not the case and, given the trek we liked was not an easy one, we decided to go trekking some other time. We visited Gangtok; Pelling; Khecheoprai Lake; Tashiding; Ravangla and somehow Borong....these are our stories.