High Side

Of course, there are other reasons to go to Darjeeling apart from the ride. There8217;s the temperature, for starters. Darjeeling is, at 2,134 metres, India8217;s highest hill station, and even in sultry August-September, the mercury hovers between a cosy 9 and 13deg;C.

Then there8217;s the stunning sunrise over 250 km of the Himalayas. Tiger Hill has been drawing the crowds for the view for the past 168 years, but you have to be lucky to catch the sight. The locals say if the stars are visible in the night sky over Tiger Hill, the next morning is clear8212;though, truth be told, the weather is far too capricious to allow such 8216;predictions8217;.

If you get lucky and catch the sunrise, the next thing to do, if you like food of the non-veg variety, is to head for Keventer8217;s. Kev8217;s, which has been around for aeons, runs its own piggery. While this ought to sort out any qualms you may have about hygiene, Kev8217;s also makes irresistible pork products. Order the gargantuan sausage, bacon and eggs fry-up, and sit back and sin.

I confess, I spent a considerable amount of my trip there eating8212;but when you get to that cool, clean, appetite-whetting mountain air, so will you. The epicurean delights are not over yet. Walk down to Glenary8217;s for the most luscious chocolate rolls, cinnamon buns, croissants, quiches and jam tarts. Or a little further down to Stardust, which serves the best hot chocolate in the world for the princely sum of Rs 15 and an amazing vegetable stew with the flavour of home. Also, check out the food stalls at the Lower Bazaar, which sell half a plate of vegetable chowmein for all of Rs 5. And it8217;s pretty good, especially when washed down with a tin glass of steaming hot chai.

Talking of chai, the place to buy it is Nathumull8217;s. From Broken Orange Pekoe to Flowery and Golden, to tea from Sikkim8217;s Temi estate, famous for its organic produce, you8217;ll find it all here. Then there8217;s the time-honoured tradition of afternoon tea at the Windamere.

The Windamere is not just a hotel, and the afternoon tea is not just tea. It is an experience. If you8217;re not staying there, you need to request the management in advance, and no, you can8217;t walk in in your dirty sneakers8212;not unless you want to be ticked off by waitresses in lace aprons and caps. 8216;8216;Tea will be served in the sitting room,8217;8217; we are informed. We find ourselves whispering inside the sitting room, as we sense the ghosts of long-gone governors and rao-sahebs, the bulwark of the Raj.

It soon arrives8212;a tray with two thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches, two ham sandwiches, a delicious butter cookie, a generous slice of cake and a large pot of tea. It makes for a very pleasant afternoon, sitting by the fire, gazing at paintings by long gone artists and chatting with a British family seeking to sample a bit of the Raj in this charming time warp.

If you can shake off the nostalgia, take a longish walk towards the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park or just ask for the zoo!, where you8217;re sure to meet Kiran Muktan. He is the soul of the snow leopard breeding programme established in the 8217;60s. When we visit him on a drizzly day, he appears promptly8212;and proceeds to script a tableau straight out of Born Free. He calls to a female snow leopard, Rambha, who, like a domestic pussy cat, licks his hand, purring with contentment.We are really lucky.

Urvashi, one of the female snow leopards is in heat this happens 3-4 times a year in captivity as compared to once a year in the wild and Tyson, who is setting himself up as a prospective mate, is evidently amorous. At periodic intervals, there is coupling, accompanied by loud yowling, after which Urvashi stalks proudly to her corner and sniffs, as if to say 8216;8216;So you think you8217;re good enough for me, do you?8217;8217;

All things, good and bad, soon come to pass. So it was with me. But weeks after my trip, a whiff of golden orange pekoe, old-world politeness, and momos brought back memories of the original summer capital of the Raj.