mrsjono

10.30pm Singapore time set up my middle berth and prepared to sleep. It's been years since I slept in a middle berth of a three tier bunk. I almost let my guard down with regard to the position of my bags. An elderly lady in pink sari was on the opposite middle berth. She saw me shift my bags to a more secure position...

Read More...

*Udar met Ying at Yogi few years ago. It was low season and there weren't many guests in the lodge. Ying came with a friend and she was not feeling well. Udar helped take care of her and cooked fried rice for her. When it was time for her to go back to China, she promised she'll visit again. A year later, Ying returned as...

Read More...

I have never counted down the number of days to home and never looked so forward to going home. I miss my comfort zone. He sank into the seat opposite me and posed a sulking expression as I pointed my camera in his direction. We just had lunch after locating the real Shiva Guesthouse and the plan was to spend the rest of...

Read More...

Varanasi is the place Hindus would wish to die in. They believe spending their last days in Varanasi and being cremated along the Ganges River will free them from the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation. Everyday, approximately 150-250 open air cremations take place along the ghats of the Ganges River. It's a raw and fairly quick affair. He watched the entire process...

Read More...

Sudhir Kumar (top right corner) is from Manipur. He's from the army and he's swimming to Andaman Nicobar. Kidding. He's on his way to Delhi to take a plane to the islands for military training. Rajdhani Express trains link Delhi with the regional capitals in India. We are not going to Delhi (yet) but alighting halfway. We decided to pay for the full...

Read More...

I was trying my best to stay still but it was no use. We were hurled around at the back of the jeep with nothing to hold onto. We could not even hold onto each other as our vomits were already in our throats and we were going to throw up any time. All the shaking was making me dizzy and I had to...

Read More...

We've been asking around for public transport to the lake but we were told there isn't any so we joined a half day tour with Simvo. It included three other sights and the lake was the last stop. We turned up punctually at 8.30am only to find ourselves wait 45 mins for 10 West Bengal tourists staying at Lower Pelling to finish their...

Read More...

A lady descends from Pemayangtse Monastery in Pelling, India. ...

Read More...

Footprint described Pemayangtse as "awe-inspiring" and "the highlight of Sikkim". My expectations were unfortunately and naturally raised and I know it's no good. If you know the rules, having expectations when you travel will only lead to disappointment. It turned out to be a small and quiet monastery. There were many wall paintings and religious artworks but they were mere visual arts to...

Read More...

Few jeeps head to West Sikkim without passing by Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. I was so relieved to find this syndicate at the end of the motor stand. Darjeeling to Jorethang takes about 2.5 hours and costs Rs 110 pp. First jeep departs at 8.30am. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance. We weren't gonna sit at the back of the jeep again (tested and...

Read More...

Darjeeling is blessed with stunning vistas of Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. Don't miss the incredible viewpoint on Tiger Hill, where you will be able to see a breathtaking panorama of the Himalayas. Avoid the crowds, go after sunrise and you can have the entire view to yourself! While a massive exodus of tourists leave around 4am to watch the...

Read More...