Hustling Kaushik.

For a loooooong time I was thinking of spending a few quiet days in the Dooars alone.. well, not exactly alone, but with the company of one or two who would not disturb every now & then with sundry requests/orders/problems.

A view of Mangpoo from the Bungalow of the Director of Sinkona Plantation

(Now Abandonned)

After searching a lot I finally zeroed on Kaushik.


He, being an internee, can manage his own expenses, can treat my broken neck in case I fell from the hill, can...... well, in short he is the ideal company.

So I cajoled him to accompany me. I lured him with 3 star free accommodation at Mangpoo. I also asked him to take a couple of his friends if he liked.


He took the bait & asked Bishan & his friend subhodeep to come. I knew they won't come. So it was not a surprise when I learned that the the other two could not make it. So Pinu was included.
Kaushik, I believe, would have been glad if I had cancelled the trip after his friends declined. But being Kaushik, he could not spell it out & I gave him no such option either.


PWD Rest House (Courtsey Dilipda)

I hope, after the trip is over, he is not repenting.

I chose the Darjeeling Mail not because it charges 30 rupees more as superfast surcharge but it solves the problem of dinner in the train. It gave us ample time to have our meal before the train left.


& , like our previous journey with Kaushik, this time also he went outside the station premises 5 minutes before the departure ( I guess the excitement of a train journey demands a cigarette from him to ease his tension -- & I also guess that his absence demands cigarette for me too, to relieve the tension caused by his absence-- but as I am inside the train & with GRPs around I can not take the chance).



The train left in time . We made our beds & discovered that Kaushik had not brought any blanket for the train.( He kept his bag small--- a habit his alter ego Vivek( parikshit) exercises-- but we are no छोड़दी (chhordi).

(morning preparation before leaving Mangpoo)

If someone does not bring essential cloths, it is his problem-not ours.

The train was only about an hour late. Dilipda was waiting at NJP with our passes for Mangpoo & Lataguri.


(Powerless drawing room @ mangpoo )


Pinu wanted to use toilet at waiting room. So I had my morning tea with Dilipda & started bargaining for a transport to Mangpoo. Kaushik was also in the waiting room & taking bath( You will see that he takes bath quite a few times in a day & all at inconvenient hours.)

So after an hour P & K were ready & by that time We arranged a nice car for Rs.650/-.

Reaching Sevok we had our breakfast -- परोटा . Kaushik had a समोसा too. But the samosa caused a mini diahorrea later.


Reached Mangpoo & as we entered our room we were shivering. I told them that we'd put 2 room heaters on in the night else we'd die from freezing.

(Ramprasad cooks well)

& then we heard the good news. The 1st floor of the bunglow had been without electrical power for the past 15 days or so. The entire switchboard was blown off.

So we merrily had our lunch. Made a trip to the Sinkona Director's pictursque Bunglow. Then a trip to the Rabindra Bhavan(Maitriyee Devi's house), but it was closed. Took pics. of Oranges hanging from the tree, bought a dozen of orange, walked & searched in vain in the dark for non existent oil-cakes(तेलेभाजा).

Came back to Bunglow about 6 or 7 pm. Had our Dinner ( Kaushik wouldn't have chicken again, so we already ordered egg for dinner.) Then went to bed.

I knew about carbon mono-oxide, so switched the kerosene lamp off. But Pinu & Kaushik thought it was unnecessary as we will be emitting carbon di-oxide in our sleep & if Di-oxide can not harm us, Mono oxide ,surely, would not harm too.

I was fortunate enough to see them alive the next morning.( how ignorant I was!)

Day-2

The Share Jeep was to come to our place at about 7.30. We were ready before that. रोटी - सब्जी
was our breakfast. It was a dificult decision not to stay here for another day( Dilipda, once again, arranged for that provision--(I will not insult him by thanking him again) & leave for Rangpo, where,we knew from the internet, rooms were already booked.

Anyway, we decided to move on & take our chances- the lure of WBFDC bunglow & Chandraman Bhujil's chicken curry was too much to resist. We got into the only bus that ply between Mangpoo & Siliguri. It was to leave by 8.30 & left at 8.45. Got down at Rambi Bazar & from there took another bus to Rangpo. It took about two hours to Rangpo.

At rangpo Jeep stand we were enquiring about a hotel to stay for that day ( we thought that we might stay at Ravangla but the fare form Rangpo to Ravangla turned out to be Rs.1200/-,quite beyond our budget) when a known figure emerged. He was Chering- son in law of Chandraman who knew me. He took us to the forest bunglow. Chandraman was delighted to see me as he thought it was I who booked the rooms.


But when I told him that it was not so & suggested that he allow us to stay at servant's quarter for that night, his heart broke. But we insisted & he made the quarter thoroughly cleaned

(Chandravan with Pinu)

(The Servant's Quarters)

But he made up for the servant's quarter with his preparation of Lunch. The legal guests had not yet arrived & we used up the time with our cameras.

After meal we went to walk instructing Chering to come next morning to take us to Algarah.

(Lunch at Rangpo)

When we came back, the guests were there- a big family of 9 including children. But as the dusk fell, they shut themseles off inside the house lest some Cheetah/leopard came out.

So we were practically alone there & tried our hand at night photography.

Chandravan served Dinner around nine or ten & after that we went to bed.

Kaushik got up twice-- Norflox was slow to act ( hospital supplies are usually slow acting!)

I went out at five in the morning( even the possibility royal bengal tiger would not force me to use the toilet attached with this quarter).

This is the most beautiful bunglow Kaushik & Pinu have never stayed.

Rangpo at night as seen from

DAY-3

------------------------

K-P were still asleep when I had my first cup of tea. Phoned chering to bring 2 packs of cigerette when he comes up to take us to Mungsong-Jalasa sinkona bunglow. ( I forgot to mention that this Jalasa bunglow came up in our discussion with Chering last night when I asked him to suggest a place to stay for today--we didn't want to reach Rishop today)

Chering, a nice boy, came up around 8.30 . Can you imagine that he brought a copy of Anandabazar for us! ( & can u imagine that I forgot to pay him for that newspaper & cigerette !---though I later phoned him from Lataguri & promised to pay when I next visit that place).

After रोटी- सब्जी again, we started for Mungsong.

A local guy, who got into our car in the midway & was heading for Mungsong, tried his level best to get us the Bunglow or at least the private cottage run by the head clerk. But he was informed that all were booked.

But we decided to go there nevertheless as it was on our way to Peyong ( 17th mile). 17th mile aka Peyong was on the Kalimpong-Lava road & 2 Kms before Algarah. Chering was to drop us at jalasa bunglow & go back to rangpo to take those Leopard frightened family to the safety of Siliguri.

( But we had secreatly decided to take Chering upto Peyong- else we would have to trek 7-8 kms.)

When we reached Jalasa bunglow( about a kilometer from the sinkona office wher booking is done), the sheer beauty of that place made us dumbstruck.

The caretakers were corrupted & would love to let us stay but they feared the Garden Manager who has taken over an week ago & is ill tempered. But the main problem is that the new manager is a diabetes patient & walks up to the bunglow twice a day. The earlier manager Mr. Pal was good & it was during his tenure the head clerk converted his quarters into two private cottages. Now everything has come to a standstill . Neither the present manager will let travellers stay at the bunglow officially nor the clerk had the courage to lend his private cottage.

It took us a long time to try all the avenues . In the meantime it was already past eleven & Chering was getting restless as he was to reach Rangpo by this time. But he was a good boy & took us upto Peyong(17th mile). He was in a hurry & I gave him Rs.400/-.

Jalasa Bunglow

We waited in the sun drenched highway for half an hour when we realised that ther won't be any Kalimpong-Algarah jeep for a long time to come.So we started walking stopped a Maruti car on our way. The car agreed to drop us at Algarah. The driver, knowing our final destination said that Algarah-Lava share jeep will be available only after 2pm . So we asked him to drop us to Lava for Rs.300.00.

The driver agreed & we bought two packs Britannia Good day Cakes & Biscuits for Rs 65/- as our lunch at Algarah. Also had tea & a जिलाबी each.

Reached some 4 Kms before lava at about 2pm. This is the place frm where a steep shortcut road goes up to Rishop & another nice road goes down to Loley-Gaon(Kaffer) about 25 Kms away.

The shortcut to Rishop was too much for a citygoer like me. It took a neverending one hour to Rishop. Had to take 4 or 5 breaks. Our luggages made it harder. However none of us died.

Shortcut to Rishop

The joy of reaching Rishop did not come from the nature's splendour but it came from the fact that we survived the 1 hour journey . The realisation that we won't have to climb up again that day produced overwhelming sense of contentment. I realised the feeling that goes in the mind of a climber who had just reached the summit---- no more bloody climbing, only downhill from now. Sense of achievement & victory comes long after he stops panting.

So, there we were, at Rishop. It was not very difficult to find hotel Sunakhari.It is the oldest hotel there & at the best spot.

Pinu came here before. He knew the hoteliers but the reverse was not true.

However, we got the room @ 400/- a day.Had Maggy Noodles & tea & then set out to explore Rishop.But before that P-K got fresh( they have the nice habit of getting fresh every now & then). Fortunately the shortcut journey worked in tandem with Norflox & Kaushik did not feel the urge to use the loo.

Our room at Sunakhari

Exploring Rishop is easy.Every house is a hotel & all hotels are interconnected by means of shortcut unofficial or official roads.

We even went to Neora Valley resort ,where I stayed last year with Debuda. Called Debuda from there over phone.Came back to Sunakhariat about seven. There were two other families there who'd leave for Loleygaon the next day & we'd be alone then. The season was practically over for the hoteliers & in most probabality we were their last visitor before the next season in starting from March end.

The SunaKhari Hotel

We had Chicken Curry( or so they said) & roti. Kaushik had Cauliflower & Omlette, Animal protein hinders norfloxacin's efficacy. ( oh! egg is actually a vegeterian item- ask any Iyenger Brahmin).

What about cold ? well, I was shivering. Temperature may not be below 3-4 degrees but it was very chilly.

Already the cold has taken out our desire to trek to टिफिन॒द्दॉड़ा next morning (it is the highest point & takes about an hour's steep climb with a guide-- the hotelier's son agreed to take us there at 4.30 am).

In fact, not only did we cancell the trek, we even seriously thought of cancelling the whole trip & come back to calcutta if railway tickets were available.

We even instructed over phone to my wife to find out train ticket availability. When we knew no tickets were available, we decided to carry on but cancelled the trek next day nevertheless.

Rishop was starting to feel very boaring for me & Kaushik.

Took a bottle a warm water & went to sleep with our stockings on. I put on 2 blankets & a quilt,so did Pinu & Kaushik between us had shared all the six from us.

Hours later, I felt that I have taken the shared portion from Kaushik but felt no compunction for it.

End of day 3 or Night 3.

Day-4

Getting Fresh as a Fresh Lime-Juice
(all the dirts that he slept with last night had been washed away with)




So , after all the fresh maniacs were ready, we started for Lava--mainly to confirm the Bus/share Jeep departure time. No breakfast. The cakes of Algarah were still there.
Had them on the way to Lava.
Early Morning Kanchenzongha as seen from our room at Sunakhari

The road to Lava was not as steep as the way we came by, but we had to take 3 or 4 breaks for 5/10 minutes each. When we started to hear the motors/ loudspeakers from Lava after about an hour, we saw another way going upwards. Upon enquiry we discovered that it was a route to Tiffin-Danra. Those from Lave willing to go there uses this route. we also discovered that it also takes about an hour to reach there.
We had enough time to spare & enough stamina left to give it a go.

So, we were off to tiffin-Danra.

Way to Tiffindanra

Reached there in an hour. Stayed there for about 30 minutes. & in a way we saved Rs. 150/- as Guide charge.

Came back to Lava.








At Tiffindanra

Tried our luck at WBFDC for a nice lunch. But they served lunch only to those who stay there. So we asked if a room is available. We knew quite well that the rooms can not be booked on the spot. But the Managers are always crooked. & he showed us a beatiful room (Red Panda) for only Rs.500.00.

We seriously thought of shifting there as it would save us the problem of getting up early the next day & getting the 7o'clock bus would be easier.

But shifting there would also mean to go up to Rishop again to get our luggages & as it was already past twelve, we would've to pay for that day too.
So, with much reluctance we abandoned the idea of shifting over to Lava.

Found a very nice joint for lunch. @ Rs.45/- per egg meal, with unlimited Dal, aloo-posto & papad, it is really cheap at a hill station like Lava.

We saw the only Jeep that plys between Lava & Samsing.
The Syndicate won't take advance booking for tomorrow. They said that there was always a slim possibility that the jeep might not return the next day.

But we had already made up our mind & decided to catch that 12.30 jeep to Samsing the next day.

Came back to Rishop before dusk. Had tea at Neora Valley Resort. & as the sky darkened, came back to our hotel at about 7 pm.

Omlette & veg.curry for dinner.

we were the only boarder that day.

Spend an hour at the kitchen. & arranged for a porter to carry our luggages to Lava next morning. The porter was only 71 years old. He had converted his two room house just below our hotel as another hotel (Oh-Calcutta). He, the 71 year old young man would carry all the luggages of the 3 old persons named Saswata,Kaushik & Pinu.

& after dinner we called it a day.

Day-5

The porter dully arrived in time. He took all our luggages & started. Shared the leftovers( biscuits & cakes) with him as breakfast on the way. Half of the way was uphill & the rest downhill but they were evenly distributed. We took rest 3/4 times on the way. We were careful not to waste our energy talking but the man with all our luggages & an additional load of 71 years was greeting whoever happened to be see on the way.

However reached Lava by 10.30 & immediately ordered for lunch ( omlette curry this time).

The Geep came back from Samsing in time & we were given our tickets.

The driver was a jolly fellow & beside driving he acted as short distance postman. he happened to know everybody on the way & people were waiting on the way to send messages/ letters/money thro' him.

It took a long time to reach Malbazar & from there another one hour to reach Chalsa ( don't ask how it takes one hour to cover 7 kms-- everyting is possible with our driver in charge).

From Chalsa we caught a bus that goes upto Mainaguri. Our destination, Lataguri, is almost midway. I could remember the PWD resthouse & the bus dropped us there.

We entered the Bungalow & a new story unfolded. I'll try to put words to this story as much as I can but it takes a Nillohit or Kalkut to do justice to the materials available there.

We entered thro' the gate. No one was there to be seen. The moment we came near the house, a man appeared from nowhere. We took him for the caretaker & tried to convince him that since we had a genuine booking for the 6th , ther was no problem if he let us occupy the place on 5th itself. We also hinted that we'd pay unofficially for the courtsey extended.

The man, later we learned his name was Bona Munda & he was the Chowkidar, then called the caretaker.

The caretaker, a young guy named Devraj Mahato, came . He was dead drunk. He saw our booking paper. We had no idea whether he could make any head or tail out of that slip of paper in his drunken condition but nevertheless he took us upstairs to the rooms.

Rooms were ransacked. We learned that the party that occupied the rooms had left after lunch.The dining room between the two rooms was full of leftovers.Seeing the big utensils on the dining table & the amount of chickenbones in it one wonders about the no. of persons that stayed there. The party must have been a big pain in the neck of the caretaker. Devraj must have sighed a great relief when they left today & celebrated their departure with alchohol---so I surmised. He knew there was no booking for today & so he didn't waste time in cleaning the rooms & dining rooms----so also I surmised.

But as the story will unfold you'll see that I am a very bad guesser of human character.

Meanwhile, our rooms were made up. Nice large carpeted rooms. They even had big sized UPS--yes uninterrupted powe supplies( not just simple inverters).Kaushik or Pinu( I forgot who it was) went inside the bathroom for a late bath.

I took the other room & thought of using the toilet.

I opened the attached toiet door.

Long ago, I stayed for a few months at Durgapur HCL guest house ( a DPL querters-DN56- if I am not mistaken). It had a refrigerator. We used to keep milk in it for making tea. Once during weekend when we all left for our homes switching the refrigerator off, we forgot to remove the milk. When we came back on monday & opened the fridge door, the odour that came out made two of us jump off the window & break their neck. The other two got senseless & somehow escaped gallows.

The old memory revived when I opened the tolet door. It took a few millisecond to close the door & shout for the caretaker.

Devraj came back with a guy-- supposedly the sweeper-- . But the sweeper had a cell phone & talking over it. He opened the toilet door & was as fast as myself in closing it. He declared that he needed acids & many such complicated chemicals to clean it & that the chemicals were there in the other toilet.

But Kaushik was inside the other toilet. So he left stating that he'd come after a few minutes.

Asked Devraj to arrange for tea. But he said it'll take time as he'd have to bring it from outside.

Devraj left with his wife witha a thermoflask in his hand.

He didn't return in an hour. Neither did the sweeper with a cell phone.

So we decided that devraj will not come back today. Not that we were worried about the dinner.Devraj informed us long back that the previous occupant had left him without any fuel to cook ( he was running short of logs to cook that day but next day onwards he'll cook for us & for today he phoned a nearby resort to cook for us).

So waiting in vain for either Devraj or the sweeper for more tahn an hour, we too came out of the bungalow in search of Tea. The tea stall was a mnute's walk. When we wete havin tea there, Devraj appeared. It seemed he kept the flask there .By his silent gesture, the stall owner charged us Rs.3/- a cup.

We were very dissatisfied with Devraj & threatened him if te toilets wete not cleaned today itself.

He feigned ignorance & cursed the sweeper with a cell phone. Then we learned that he was not the sweeper- but sweeper's son. Anyway, Devraj brought the sweeper himself this time & the toilet was somewhat cleaned( Pinu would not allow him to clean the other toilet).

It was already half past eight & we had no idea whether our dinner will be brought here by Devraj or we'd have to go to the resort. & there was nobody to ask. When we got down to find somebody, the mysterious Chowkidar,Bona Munda appeared from nowhere & told us that it is better for us to go to the resort ( Aryanya Resort). he showed us the direction-10 minute's walk towards Neora More.

The restaurant at the resort was well decorated. Dinner costed us around Rs.250/-. But we were glad that next day onwards Devraj would cook.

Came back to our Bungalow. The moment we netered the gate,the Chowkidar appeared from nowhere. It was all very thrilling- a touch of mystery-- like those ghost stories.

We went to bed. But phone calls kept coming for Kaushik . It seemed there was a shortfall of manpower-I mean Internpower in his surgery unit & he was tryin frantically to arrange substitutes.

within 10.30, I was asleep.

The penultimate day

When I woke up it was a new day. Everything looked beautiful & smelled beautiful till I entered the toilet.
After a brief encounter with the alien smell I came out & saw the doors of the other rooms still closed. Sound of snoring told me all I needed to know.
So, I went downstairs where the ubiquitious
Chowkider took me to manager's room. He was either sleeping or watching television in that wee hours or sleeping with the TV on.
He came out & smelled like a country brewery . He assured me of making our meals today & when I asked about the local fish ( we were bored of chicken) he told me the genus & species of all available fishes that are found in the local rivulets.

I believed him as much one should believe a dead drunk. So I offered to buy the fish myself & he gladly agreed & instructed the chowkider to accompany me to the Lataguri market.
Though, in normal circumstances, I don't buy the rations myself as it robs the caretakers of their profits- but I felt no compunction in this particular case. The caretaker is getting more & more disgusting with the time.

Sunday market at Lataguri seemed to be special. There were four or five fish vendors & all except one were selling fishes from Andhra Pradesh. The fifth one had चारा पोना।


Bona Munda, the chowkidar suggested that sometimes fresh local fishes are found at Kranti More. It took 10 bucks to go there by van only to find out that on sundays the local market is off ( all to the Lataguri market on sundays).

So we returned & I decided to get local chicken( Desi Murgi). Bought a kilo of that @ Rs.110/- which will ultimately yield about 650-700 gms, enough for three of us ( to hell with the chowkidar, caretaker & their families -- I am not supposed to treat them with Desi Murgi).

After that Chowkider suggested to buy Oil to cook it. When I asked about the other ingradients, he said that it is better that I buy them now.
I felt suspicious. Is he going to deprive the caretaker from the commission? But he said that the prevailing system of the Bunglow is that the guests buy the raw food & the caretaker cooks them & charges for cooking only.

So I bought rice, flour, spices, potato, onion, sugar, salt & all that is required except LPG.

It was well past 11 am & when I returned with the provisions ( worth about 350/-), kaushik & pinu started getting worried. I bought egg & flour & ordered the chowkider to make us Roti- sabji for breakfast.
In 10 minutes he returned to inform that the caretaker is crying & he is not likely to make breakfast.

By this time I took a firm decision that if the caretaker does not cook for us & I am to waste 350 rupees worth of provisions, I'll not pay him a penny for the 1st day of my unauthorised stay here.

So I asked the chowkider to make us 3 omlettes & decided to give it a last try with the drunken caretaker.
Surprisingly, the caretaker didn't make any trouble. He again assured me of making the lunch himself.

So he did.

He cooked everything I bought & served us with the whole lot. Since we didn't ask him to make ant fry or curry to go with दाल, he didn't make any! But the chicken was plenty & delicious. So there was no problem.

In between we walked thro' the forest along Mal- Changrabandha abandoned meter guage line.
Took lot of photos there. ( one is just below)


After a nice post lunch nap, we spend the rest of the day at the bunglow.

Dinner went without any hitch. Though the caretaker was nowhere to be seen ( he was always sleeping with the TV on).
Both the chowkider's & the caretaker's wife together cooked & the chowkider served.

After dinner when we were going for a stroll, chowkider appeared even though we were careful enough not to make any noise-- same when we came back.
When we found that water was not coming out from the aqua-guard & decided to call the chowkider, to our utter surprise we found him at the pump room putting the pump on.
He seemed to know what we need all the times & when we were going out or coming in!
I wonder if he could read minds & that too from a distance!
I don't know we I got asleep thinking about his supernatural abilities.

The last day

As usual I got up first. No point in knocking the other room as there will be no tea. So I let them sleep for a while & went to market. There were the unsold fishes of yesterday but fresh vegetables. I bought "lau-shak, posto,alu,dal,ata,& disi-dim". Came back & asked the chowkidar to make Roti-alu sabji for us. Also Instructed him how to prepare "lau-shak bhate with posto-bata".

Went out for Tea & from there set out to explore the other side of the Jungle thro' which the rail track went.

Came back around 12, packed our luggages & had our lunch.

A new group was scheduled to arrive & we thought we could take their vehicle to get us to Malbazar. But the driver turned out to be a hard nut & we came to Mal by bus.

In the meantime Dilipda informed me that he'd wait at siliguri station with our dinner. I didn't want to deprive him of the "punya" heis likely to gather by feeding an honest Bhattacharjee brahmin. But poor as he is, he said he got "desi- murgi" & was worried whether we could manage with it!

Well, even though he could not get us "broilar chicken", still, we had to manage with"desi".

We didn't find him at Siliguri. But he was at NJP waiting with 3 packets for each of us.

It had only 2 sweets & begunbhaja apart from that desi-murgi & ruti. Not good! But we forgave him for such paltry dinner. U see, we are not very choosy.