Nepal 43, Pelling, Sikkim, India

I said goodbye to the staff in the Hotel at Gantok. They really had been so lovely especially when they realised I was struggling with my stomach. They gave me a heater in my room (which is not standard) and didn’t charge me for it. In the restaurant the chef came out to see what he could do about suitable dishes for me and the two waitresses were just delightful and really made me smile because they were always smiling. On the last evening one of them plucked up the courage to ask for photographs and I’m so pleased she did. Just look at the size of them compared to the lofty heights of my five foot four inches? I left them a hefty tip!

Kansar and I headed off towards Pelling a mountain Village in the shadow of Mt Kanchenjunga.

Before we got there though there were a couple of stops, first at Rabtentse Ruins. This was once the Capital of Sikkim(1670 to 1814), Now you have to go through a sort of tourist bird park and then walk for half an hour in relative peace through pine and mixed woodland before the ruins are revealed. I was quite surprised how stunning this place was. It’s high, and very high for a capital city. It’s really only the palace ruins left. It seems to have been heavily fortified. There are still the temple structures that the Royal families would have worshipped at. The history of this place is worthy of a Netflix Drama, with the royal wives, their feuds after thier husband Tensung Namgyal the Chogyal or King died. I can’t even condense it for you, it’s too complicated involving, betrayal, murder, strangulation with a silk scarf and the succession of the throne going to the child of a nun. Then the building was destroyed by the Ghurkhas. Simples really!

Now it’s just peaceful! Although there was a strange moment when I met a woman walking her cat. As usual I’d strayed from the usual path. When I asked her if the cat was hers in Nepali she got a fit of the giggles! In fact every time I said anything she just started laughing and that made me laugh. Two perfect strangers giggling at goodness knows what!

Next we went to the nearby Pemayangste Monastery.

It may not particularly look it but this place is 15th Century and again I was not able to photograph inside. This place had high ceilings and the frescos were very faded. It was also very dark inside. Access was allowed to the chamber’s upstairs and the stone steps were so worn and uneven, I nearly tripped. Again cavernous rooms with effigies and wall paintings. There was also a loft area around the room with a museum of artifacts used in the worship of Buddha. I would like to mention one in particular the Kangling, which is a horn made of a human thigh or femur. I’ve seen a number of these in each monastery. Sometimes it’s gilded, other times not. A criminal or a person whose death was violent is used usually.

Anyway I make my way to the final room at the top and wow! I’ve no idea what it can be called, it’s a sort of replica of a mandala (wheel of life death and rebirth) except it is a tower about 15 feet high, beautiful carvings inside and out, it’s almost like filigree. The more you look the more you see. In the garden at the bottom are skeletons presumably death and sometimes further up to. There are people doing all kinds of things including chores etc and there are God’s (I presume) sat in temples way over my head! I’ve never seen anything like it, utterly mesmerising. None of the figures are bigger than my fingers, just to give you some scale and it’s very oriental. Unfortunately there is no information about it anywhere.

This Monastery is nearly at 2100 meters above sea level and has a veiw of Rabtentse Ruins.

After this I go to that Hotel with the Spectacular veiw that I already mentioned.