Chatakpur & Sittong: The paradise near you

                        

If you are unfortunate enough to live in a city, stuck up inside a riddle of concrete and shopping malls, maze of grey roads and noisy traffic jams then I know how it is to be to constantly look for a place where you can actually breathe. I already made a pact with the mountains that I’ll visit her once in a year. As I am a self-proclaimed stalwart of keeping oath, I started my quest to gather people who perfectly match my insanity level. Finally, with a bunch of weird friends and the help of a great human being we decided to head toward Sittong and Chatakpur.

What are these places? Sittong is a small village, near Darjeeling staged on the Riyang River Valley. This vast landscape is also known as Orange garden. From NJP it took three hours to reach this place. But the journey toward this 5-thousand-feet hilltop is incomplete if you forget to savor the yummiest momos and thukpas on the way. This tiny village appeared to us wrapped in a foggy cloak. We found our best warmth in a homestay conducted by a small family. These people are so welcoming that we felt like we are staying in a ‘home-away-from-home’. After lunch we decided to head out to a village fair. 

We chose to trek the way so cling onto the homestay manager and their family for the safest companion on the road. The fair was small, hardly lit, but the happy faces surrounding us depicts that, for this ‘Maghee Fastival’ they wait for the whole year. Merry-go-round has never pleased us more as here we were experiencing the breath-taking panoramic view of the whole hilly region from the top of the ride. We could hear the local music which we could barely comprehend. We left the place on a sweet note with candy floss and coffee. The hurdle is now. We had to return back through the road of jungle. Our smoke soaked lungs and weary legs were just about the give up. But throughout, the serene moonlight kept pushing us toward our destination and taa-daa “we are at home(stay).”

On the next day we set out for Chatakpur. Though it is located nearby Darjeeling but it has successfully dodged the urban cacophony. It is located at about 7,800 feet height. The place is a part of Senchal Forest area. On the entrance we needed permission and had to ensure a token amount. This is not a typical tourist place stuffed with monasteries, temples or shopping destinations. We were eager to witness the rawness of nature and Chatakpur quenched our thirst with flying colours. Here we crashed into another family. After a heavenly lunch we went to visit the watch tower of Chatakpur. A sea of cloud covered us and the blinking lights from the distant villages led us to an utopian world. When we got down it was already dark. We returned to our home(stay) and this time we came up with a mug of steaming black tea and pakodas. On the next day, we; all the sleepy heads, head out for sightseeing in Ahaldara, Peshak Tea Garden, Lamhatta Park. We again dived into momos during our lunch. On the way back, we witnessed that 'visible darkness' inside the forest. The whirling road, clear sky with a half moon and the misty encircling could easily turn into a scary movie set. Well, we called it a night after a bundle of adda and ‘not so sober’ hurly burly.

Next day morning we woke up with the vision of frost on the ground. But we had to leave those ever-smiling faces who never cease to serve us with our all kinds of tantrums.

Three days rolled by and now we had to head to our pavilion. On the last day, travellers realise that their heart is unexpectedly heavy, their mood is off with some unknown reasons and they can’t swallow the fact that they have to put themselves back to their old dingy life. We felt the same. On the way we peeped into Margaret’s Deck. It is a hanging tea lounge run by Goodricke Tea Company. It still holds the old school décor and etiquettes along with a vast a la carte menu of tea pots and foods. Though I think the main attraction is the hanging balcony from where we onlook a vast valley of tea garden. We soothed down our pain of homecoming with their lip-smacking foods and a pot of Castleton Autumn Flush.

                                            

Finally, that journey ended and all of us were scattered again with our separate destinations. But I will be back to that snowy hamlet and the foggy village to pump up my soul with a whiff of fresh air.

This whole trip could never been accomplished without Vinayak Chowdhury and his Trek Break & More. We, the whole herd of lokkhicharas are truely thankful to you and your early morning knocks, responsible warnings, friendly assurance and many more unassigned useful tasks. Power to you and our never ending upcoming trips. Ping him anytime he is very considerate.

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