Finding Rhododendrons!! Sikkim

 When I heard this name for the first time, I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams that this could be a beautiful flower species near the Himalayas, that in full bloom in myriad colours and varieties could make anyone mesmerized. This time my trip to the North east was to Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary in Sikkim with 8 other like minded women who were also on a trekking spree as me.

It's quite an offbeat destination and therefore doesn't have a lot of tourist/commercial activities. Barsey shares border with Nepal and is home to an exquisite flora and several endangered species of animals like the elusive Red Panda, Himalayan Brown Bear, Yellow Throated Marten, Musk Deer and lots of birds. It’s a perfect place for those seeking solitude, a connection with nature and some adventure.

Spring is a perfect time to visit Sikkim with the clear mountain views and abundant pink blossoms. The next trekking season commences in October and runs up to December. But there won’t be rhododendrons during this period but the clear weather could make trekking comfortable and pleasant. The wet months are best to be avoided as the damp forest houses numerous leech colonies and it's not going to be a pleasant experience.

Landing in Bagdogra Airport in WB, we drove to Okhrey Sherpa lodge which is around 140 kms in 6 hrs. Next day morning we headed to Barsey to kick start our trek. A permit is required to enter the sanctuary. A nominal fee and camera/video/porter charges must be paid at the Sanctuary gate. Every day in our trekking expeditions, we were accompanied by our guide, porters with the help of Dzos (a hybrid of cow and yak) carrying our luggage, cooking pots, provisions, and tent setting up materials. They used to be so quick in their hikes that by the time we reached our destination for the day, Lasune in 6 hours, the tents and steaming food were ready.

It was a new experience to be totally disconnected from the rest of the world with no network and electricity. The drinking water had to be gathered from the near by streams and boiled to use. We slept with loads of warmers, gloves, woolen caps, socks and still shivered to our bones in our sleeping bags. The use of waterless makeshift commodes, to be covered with mud each time a person uses, was another novelty for us. The clear starry nights reminded us of the light polluted smoky skies we have back home. The nights were full of entertainments with indian and nepali songs around the camp fire and the chinese whispers to make us laugh out hearts out until tears rolled down our cheeks. The early mornings greeted us with ice formations on our tents. The stunning views of Kanchenjunga and other snow-capped mountains were quite an exotic experience.

In the coming days we trekked to Joreybotey, Thulo Dhap, Chewa Bhanjyang and Utterey. The trail inclined gradually through the colorful rhododendron forest. In the short walk, we walked past many glacial streams. The slightly wider streams had wooden bridges over them. The forest exploded with a burst of colors with the pink and white flowers dotting the entire route with subtly changing landscapes, the grassy trail ascended and descended slightly, never too much to leave you breathless if you a moderately fit person.

From Utterey we drove around 2 hrs to Pelling and finally reached Chumbi mountain resort. It was a luxury to have hot water bath, heaters in the room, cozy beds and blankets. We slept our hearts out and all the tiredness of the week washed away. Only that we were left with tanned body and skin peeling off here and there due to sun burns. They remined us of the memorable expedition we completed.

Next day we had a local sightseeing in Pelling, visiting a lake and the oldest Monastery in Sikkim and had lovely Sikkim traditional meals at Daragaon homestay. Last day we drove back to Bagdogra to board the flight to reality.

We had mixed feelings as the trip came to an end…I would miss my trip companions and the wonderful place always…but the accomplishment of completing the trek gave goosebumps. The tough trek and the terrain had made us soulmates. We shared stories about our lives, relationships, political views and what not…pouring our heart out was very easy and enthralling with least chances of being ridiculed and judged….

Finally, there is much more to see and feel, much to cherish and much to bring back from Sikkim. I have got loads of experiences, memories, companionship and so will you…