A Breathtaking sunset by the mountains

Darjeeling, the queen of hills which has recently been named one of the most polluted hill station, a crowded place to be in. But, no matter what, Darjeeling has a feel of its own. People are always drawn towards this place. Especially people from West Bengal. This is my n-th time in Darjeeling and still it amazes me every single time.

We stayed right in the heart of Mall Road. Pineridge hotel, a very old British made hotel with vintage chimneys, beds, tables and an eerie feeling about it which makes it even more exciting. It was one of the oldest hotels in Darjeeling, the hotel was mostly made of wood and had a very rustic look to it. As a person who loves vintage and antique stuff, I instantly fell in love with the place. The tariff was a little on the higher side but c'mon, we were here just for a day.

After a cup of hot coffee, I left for mall road. I always like to explore the place alone first and then take my friends with me. Aah, what can I say about darjeeling, the people, the atmosphere, it's so energetic. You get a different feeling over here. I thought post lockdown scenes would be different but it was pretty much the same.

Explored the place for a few hours, bought artefacts from the Tibetan stores, ate an apple pie from the famous Glenary's (do not miss out on the apple pie, it's heavenly). Brunch at the famous Keventer's was a must, so we had to. After a hectic morning, we rested for a while in the afternoon.

At around 4, I left the place and went for a walk by the scenic view of Mt Kanchenjunga. Took the road less travelled and halted to a view point. There were scores of people there so I decided to not follow the herd and move to a different secluded spot and after walking for a very long time I came to an empty place with the best view of the mountain I could get from a town. With a cup of chai in one hand I stood there seeing the beauty standing in front of me. It was almost the end of sunset and as I was about to leave, I saw the sky turn orange. I had no idea what was going on then the sunset rays fell on the third highest mountain in the world and I witnessed probably the most amazing sunset in my life. It was like a slow motion dance in front of me as I can still recall that moment. The shades of orange changed from light orange to the deepest of orange and then pink. It was a sight to behold, breath-taking. I forgot about everything around me and just looked as that in astonishment. I would've missed the best thing on this trip if I had not waited a minute longer.

For me, the trip ended here. We ended the evening with a perfect dinner in Glenary's and a roadside momo. Also, we went back to our rooms and almost burnt down the hotel while lighting up the chimney.