Day Three:

After an early breakfast of pancakes again at the quaint Pineridge, I set out for the trip to Happy Valley. It was quite a tricky cab ride along sharply sloping, narrow, twisted paths. Finally, at the end of a steep climb, the emerald-green expanses of the tea plantation, shrouded in the early morning mist, came into view. The factory officials were incredibly kind and welcoming and proceeded to give a wonderful tour of the facility. They explained the various stages and processes right from picking of the leaves to the treatment of the leaves. It was a great experience indeed! Then it was time to visit the tea gardens. Being a Monday, it was the day off for tea plucking. So that was a bit of a disappointment not to see it. The Happy Valley Tea Estate is as beautiful as a painting. The rolling hills carpeted in various shades of green, seemingly endless stretches of tea bushes, swirling mists, scattered little huts – it was so picturesque! It was truly a happy valley! I signed off my trip with a grateful note at the visitor’s book, and of course, by purchasing some of the famed Happy Valley tea.

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That marked the end of my short but immensely gratifying sojourn to Darjeeling, as I was scheduled to travel to Kalimpong in the afternoon. Darjeeling was beautiful and captivating. I’ve always been in love with the mountains, preferring a trip to hill-stations over a beach holiday. I feel mountains have a kind of ever-changing, mysterious beauty. There’s sun, the next moment there’s rain. You go up a path, and suddenly as you turn the bend you’re racing downhill. Also, I am enthralled by places that ooze a quaint old-world charm, a lingering sense of nostalgia, and this was an aspect that fascinated me endlessly about Darjeeling. And I can hardly wait to go back!

 

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Also, read the Part I  and the Part II of this blog!


Author Bio:

Bidisha Das Gupta

Bidisha

Bookworm. Cinephile. Travel-addict. Reluctant IT Consultant. Forever dreaming of exploring new places & people; and making memories all over the world. A song that echoes my fondest desires:
“Just a small town girl livin’ in a lonely world,
She took the midnight train goin’ anywhere.”

Read more of Bidisha’s writing at her blog!