Trip to Guru Dongmar Lake

‘If you want to see the god’s manifestations in its true colors, then visit Himalayas

If you want to see their mightiness visit Sikkim.’

When we reached Jalpaigudi on 27^th we had already went through a lot of drama. Out of 9 guys who planned the trip we were already reduced to 5, two backing out before the start of the journey and 2 backing out at the start of the journey. This may sound awkward but the truth was, thanks to the chilling winters and fog covered Gangetic plains (we were distinctively different in our selection of locations. In summers we used to sit at our homes and as soon as the winters used to come we used to make a plan for a trip to some below Zero temperature place), two of us returned from the stations since the train was running late by almost 16 hours. So Kirt, Gangu, Sardar and Dassi boarded the train on 24^th and I joined them the next day.

As soon as we got down, the nuances in the big brain of sardar started to take control of the proceedings. So curtsy to the turban-ator, we got our tour plan made by IRCTC without spending a single penny. The tour plan was…

1^st day in Gangtok

2^nd day Nathu La and Changu lake

3^rd day sight seeing near Gangtok

4^th day Darjeeling City

5^th day Darjeeling Sight seeing nearby spots and back to Jalpaigudi.

Well dis would have been a good plan but we never followed plans and I think we will never follow. We believe in destiny. So as soon as we reach Gangtok we forgot the plan and started to look around the city. Gangtok is the best planned hill city in India. I wont regard it as a hill station because Sikkim has so much in store that Gangtok stands nowhere amidst those beauties. But the city is important as it is the capital and is like a base camp for any tourism in the state. The mall at Gangtok is very less commercialized when compared to other hill capital like Shimla, but you can easily found a wine shop after every two stores. Strolling in the hills after sunset is always incredible and exploring. After dinner we were just walking when we accosted this photographer. The chat started gradually and at the end we almost finalized that we are going to North Sikkim. The pictures of Guru Dongmar lake and Yumthang Valley were luring us and we fell in love with the places in the first sight. We finalized everything before midnight and next day we headed to North Sikkim, a journey as adventurous as it ever can be, a journey

With picturesque views and beautiful cascades and amidst all these thrills and excitements we were meandering through the mighty Himalayas towards the Indo-Tibetan border.

First night we stayed at Lacheng 35 kms away from Yumthang. It was an alpine resort and was beautiful. Next day we started our journey to yumthang. Well, the place is at 12,000 fts. and is also known as valley of Flowers and Switzerland of East. The scenaries were thrilling and can captivate anyone's imagination. Well, at once u will think why not settle down in such a beautiful location away from the cacophony of our timeless lifes. The river flowing through the valley with a curent of blue water, on the sides the velvet cover of conifers extending and then giving ways to white cover of snow. it was a sight the beauty of which is inexplicable. None of us wanted to leave that place but as the nature of life is to keep on moving, similar was the nature of our

journey. We needed to reach Lachen the same day. Hence, we cut short our journey to Xero Point and then started heading towards lachen. Lachen is a small village at a height of 10,000 fts. and is the last place with a BSNL tower. After that only Indian Militry habiliments are there. At night the temperature was below Zero degree celsius.