Fri - walked East
- I couldn't find any change in the whole village so I suggested I leave the 200Rp at the hotel in Yuksom, but she didn't like that idea... So I waited a little longer as her neighbor was walking to Yuksom and I could give the change to him. As it happens 15 minutes later we passed a shop and I was able to give him the 200Rp then.
| - Yuksom |
- Actually Yuksom was not so far from Tsong we arrived in about 40 minutes total. Being off season half the hotels were shut. I found a very clean and female organised one for 150Rp.
Thursday - I met an interesting character Alvaro from Oviedo who is cycling around the world for 4 years. He does free clown shows to bring laughter. Biciclown.com
- He's been on the road or 4 years ro get through all of Africa to here. I think he's carrying far too much stuff : 85Kg including the bike -I think he could ditch the cooker, PC and tent for a start.
|
Yuksom not Wonderful|
- The Lonely Planet says "Wonderful Yuksom", I disagree it's OK, but not so special. It resembles a valley village up inside the mountains, the main thing is before 10am between a narrow gap between nearby hills you can see a couple of snow capped peaks.
- You can go 45 minutes up to the monastery for a better view, but I didn't see the point.The people are friendly enough, but they have seen enough tourists.
- yuksomview
- yuksomview
- yuksomview
| | | |
|
Thu- Day Exploring Yuksom
- yuksomview
- After another dodgy internet PC, I went to the park which has a few ruins from 350 years ago when Yuksom was Sikkim's first capital. .. - Walked around more through both ends of town. 1Km SE Tashi Tenka is a peak site of old palace (no ruins), but good views across the valleys both to Tashiding and Pelling. .. Friendly small dog followed me for 2 hours. - Dinner with Alvaro .. Tongba (millet beer)..good ..
| Friday - walk Yuksom to Pelling
|
- The normal walk is steep down to the valley then steep up to the Kechopari Holy Lake then the next day steep down back to the valley then steep up to Pelling. Since Alvaro said the Holy Lake isn't so interesting I cut that bit out to get to Pelling in one day.
- The region is like a U shaped range with a small mountain island in the middle. So to get from Yuksom to Pelling on the opposite side you go steeply down a partially concrete path, then West until you are around the mountain island and then you cross a river and walk steeply upto Pelling.
- I left Yuksom and went back up the hill to Tashi Tenka for a daytime view. Eventually found the right path down. After 45 minutes I was at the road which goes around the U of the range, but has lots of bends. Across a big road bridge
- and 45 minutes later I was at the waterfalls, not so big. Another hour I was at the turnoff for the Holy Lake, but I continued along the road for another 30 minutes and down to a new river bridge .. Lunch
... And then steeply up for 1 hour before reaching a road below Pelling. The local children showed me how my path crossed the road and continued in a mostly concrete diagonal for another hour. So I arrived 3.30pm in Lower Pelling ..and could look back at almost all the route I had come, over the last 3 days.
|
To me this West Sikkim trekking was disappointing
| - the scenary wasn't special and the sights and good interactions were comparatively rare.
- When you walk you see things and things happen, but in someplaces less than others. Look in Spain or the UK there's often good scenary and something or some event every 30 minutes.
- maybe at other times of the year their are more flowers and better views cos of less cloud.
- I am a good walker, but I don't like to walk up and down for the sake of it. Good trekking is when there are interesting new things and experiences like passing old castles or like when I passed the people tredding grapes in Spain. True the sight of snow capped peaks is photogenic, but for me this soon wears off and on this walk there are no such views anyway.
- boring 1 - sights were rare : Hongri Monastery building, a small waterfall.
- boring 2 - little interaction - you need to speak Nepali or bump into good people who speak English, not just kids screaming for pens, but the paths don't pass through villages very often so that there aren't many opportunities to stop and have a tea. Occasionally you pass houses, but most peoole are away working - I did pass large path workgroups, but then it's too intimidating to stop you can't interact with 40 people. In 3 days walking I spoke to few people, e.g. On Friday only the waterfall tea sellers
- 3. Different for others ? I'm a man and I tend to walk fast.. so people don't often catch up with me, but there weren't many people in front either. | | | |
|
