Nepal 42, More Gantock India

I had a day to myself in Gantock and I went to check out a few of the museums.

I visited the The Institute of Tibetology, Handicraft Museum,  the High Court of Sikkim Museum. All were interesting, all were small and like private museums you used to see in the UK and cost little or nothing to enter. In the High Court of Sikkim Museum I was treated like Royalty, I’m not sure they get that many visitors. I even got a cup of tea and they kept it open about half and hour so I could finish my tour!

It explained the system of justice in Sikkim over the  centuries and the huge difference between high or low caste in terms of treatment and punishment. I can see how Victorian class values dovetailed into this when the East India Company arrived and started exploiting the system too. It also showed me that the Kingdom of Sikkim has shrunk dramatically, it used to cover Eastern Nepal, part of Butan and Tibet.

A very sweet but small place was the Plant Exhibition, The plants were quite literally “Rocking it!” with The Scorpions (I think) blaring out over a speaker! It was surreal. Again it had an amateur feel about it. Unfortunately the gardens surrounding it were closed for the winter.

I think I should talk about the pavements here as I try to walk to places if I can. In Nepal they are hit and miss at best and often non existent. Here they are definitely trying to make things safer for pedestrians however sometimes you wonder how you are supposed to know where to go. I set off for the town and I could see a bridge and I could see the walkways up and away from the road. So I got on one of these. This lead me here! (see below)

I thought I’d got this all sussed, then wandered up some steps and then managed to wander into the armed police guardroom, well really you’d think there would be a sign or something! I was politely escorted out! I think I must have a magnet drawing me to police or military places!!!! Or maybe a death wish!