Himalayan Traffic Jam (and Other Stories)

Really India? You managed to make all this happen in 24 hours?

It all started in a Jeep bound for Darjeeling, the famous British Himalayan Hill Station. I smelled rain and got excited for MOUNTAINS. Unfortunately, the driver got excited, too. If that was his rain driving, I shutter to think how fast he goes when he isn't being cautious. Luckily, we hit a Himalayan traffic jam: a one lane road with no shoulders and 10 cars trying to go each direction!

In Darjeeling, my Finding a Hotel adventure began. First, I fell into a storm drain (and lost a Chaco... RIP!). Then, I spent two hours learning that businesses in Darjeeling shut down at sunset. Finally, a nice Indian guy realized that I was out alone at (Gasp!) 9:30 pm and got a hotel to open up for me. Of course, I thought wandering around at night in the mountains was the best thing since Philmont, but that's another story.

The next morning, I cocked an eye open at 4 am and decided it was too cloudy for sunrise. Since two heavy blankets and all my clothes were barely keeping me warm, staying in bed wasn't a huge disappointment. And I wasn't trying to see the Himalayas here (Nepal tomorrow!) so much as how British India handled the Himalayas. I took a joyride on the Toy Train, a mini locomotive that alternates between people's front yards and the sides of cliffs. Here's to colonialism.

The real adventure was leaving. I hopped on another Jeep and was chatting with the four Indian guys inside (Their favorite bands: Bryan Adams, Ricky Martin, and the Backstreet Boys), when I realized the engine was quiet and the breaks were jerky. Were we driving downhill or rolling? Pretty soon, the driver was messing around with a wrench in the hood...

He finally got the car working and we barreled down to a rest stop, where the boys insisted on buying me momos (dumplings) and tea. They poured shots for themselves and we were having a grand time until I realized that the DRIVER was holding the flask. "No worry. I do this every night," he said. As soon as we got into the front seats, he looked at me and asked, "Hey, you drive?" See, totally sober.

So, I almost skidded off the road, fell into a storm drain, and then--maybe I'm not getting across how much fun this was? Because when I didn't think I was about to die, I was having a blast.

Safety first, people.