A hotel Booking Fraud,Landed Us Up In This Place

"Everything Happens for our own Good"-I read this quote in my school days and this came true last year on my trip to North Bengal. In late May, last year,I and my parents set off on a trip to North Bengal and Sikkim. We had 8days at hand and planned to visit Mirik, Darjeeling and Gangtok. Since I was travelling with Parents and my grandmother, I did not want any uncertainty during this travel and had booked all hotels and vehicles in advance. Our trip to Mirik, turned out to be awesome.

On the last evening in Mirik we packed our things as we had planned to leave for Darjeeling early next morning. Our stay at Darjeeling was already booked through an online website and payments were made already and there was nothing to worry. However ,on next morning just before checking out of Mirik I received a message from the booking site that my stay has been cancelled and there was no mention regarding the refund of my money. I called the hotel manager (I got the number from the site itself) with whom I had earlier talked to for confirmation of the booking and have also transferred him the money. He did not receive my call and later on I found out that he had blocked my number. May being tourist season in Darjeeling I was worried about the availability of rooms right on that day. I tried to book through phone while on the way to Darjeeling but either prices were awfully high or they were unavailable. We reached Darjeeling and went about asking at hotel receptions for rooms but all seemed to be fully occupied. Finally, I found a homestay available in Sittong on another booking website. Sittong was another two hours journey from Darjeeling but we decided to visit Sittong and we started our journey and Sittong proved to be a place out of Novels. All our worries eased away as the sceneries started changing. Our Jeep sped across dark pine forests and hanging mists. One moment we in the clouds and then again we were out of it. We all fell silent mesmerised by what we were witnessing. There were greenery and white Orchids here and there. We came across lovely colourful flowers standing bright among the Dark pine forests. Our driver told tales of leopard sightings in these areas and finally we reached Sittong. Sittong is a small hamlet situated in Kurseong region of West Bengal. This hamlet is known as West Bengal's orange village and when you reach there you would find lots and lots of orange trees everywhere. However, the orange season is in October and hence we couldn't see the fruits. But rain kissed nature made up for the absence of the oranges. Our little cottage stood among fresh greenery and distant hills and Mist. Our host was a Nepali family and we had all our meals from their kitchen. We spent out entire day walking up and down the beautiful hilly roads absorbing the beauty. We hiked up to an old British era Church. We were guided by two dogs who never left our side. It was a different way of life altogether. No rush, No schedule, No traffic, No crowd. Just nature and us and the few Nepali families who inhabited the area. In the after we could see little children coming back from their schools running and jumping all the way. These children walk up the hill every day to reach their school. I envied their life. Mountains are their home and I am only a visitor. Next day we planned to visit Kurseong. We booked a jeep and we visited the Chimney Garden where there is a tall chimney standing as the only memory of a British Bungalow. There are view points from where you usually can get a glimpse of the flowing Teesta River. However, we were greeted by mists and clouds and it felt like we have arrived at the kingdom of clouds. I loved the experience. There were orchids, white ones,blooming here and there among the rocks. Oh! did is mention that the word 'Kurseong' means 'The land of white Orchids' ? .From Chimney Garden our next destination was the Makaibari Tea Estate.On the way we crossed some lovely tea gardens where women were plucking tea leaves. We stopped briefly to click a few photographs with them. At Makaibari tea estate we were taken around the process unit where we actually saw the processing of tea leaves. Makaibari tea is famous all over the world and their tea is in demand during the world cup tournaments as well. Next, we visited the hundred years old Victoria Boy's school and the haunted house and Church located nearby. There are lots of ghost stories surrounding this area and local people would swear that Ghosts do exist in these area. The nature around would also make you believe so.We visited the forest museum and also drank tea at 'awesomest' cafe ever-Margaret's Deck. The cafe over looks the green tea gardens and having a cup of Darjeeling tea there is one of the most satisfying experiences one could ever have. After this, we headed back to our sittong homestay again. Next Day we left for Gangtok.Our stay at sittong was brief but the memories have been etched deeply in our hearts. I wish to visit Sittong again, and yes, during the orange season to pluck and eat a few from the trees directly. I would choose to stay at C'tong homestay again and again. This trip was totally unplanned but you must keep faith in god overhead. God usually has better plans hidden behind messy happenings.