Return to Siliguri

After that exhilarating trekking experience, it was hard to leave Yuksom. I would have loved to stay back for a week or two and simply rest in this peaceful village. But, I had to get back. That plan is for a next time. 

On the 24th of April, at 7AM, Shubam, Divyesh and I left Yuksom on a shared taxi. We occupied the last seat. In shared taxis one has to adjust. There would be four people sitting in a seat meant for three. The route was not very long, so we managed. We had booked a cab to Jorethang (Rs 300). Apart from from us, there was one other lady trekker returning back. The rest were all villagers. 

At Jorethang, Shubam and I wanted to eat as we were hungry. Divyesh decided to head directly to Siliguri on another shared taxi. I looked up for a good restaurant and found this nice cafe called Three sisters. Their Fried veg momos are simply amazing. 

The lady trekker who was in the same shared taxi as ours also came to the same cafe. I learnt that she was working with Indiahikes and was here on duty. I suggested that she order fried veg momos, which she did. Meanwhile, on the next table there were a bunch of migrant workers perhaps from Bihar or UP. Some of them had ordered momos and they struggled to eat it. They were eating it with ketchup. I went to them and asked them to try it with the red chutney. That bit of information helped them and they readily did so. 

Shubam and I then walked to a sweet store and had some Bengali sweets. We both agreed that they were bad. We then walked back to the taxi stand. At the ticket counter, we booked another ride to Siliguri. It cost us Rs250 per person. 

There was some confusion with the seats. The man at the counter had assigned two seats to four people. However, things were quickly sorted. One of the migrant workers who had a confusion with our seats was sad that we both had occupied the window seats. So, I switched and offered him mine. 

The ride to Siliguri was tiring as we had less space. The four of us somehow managed to fit in but it was uncomfortable. The driver drove nonstop and an old man seated in front of me kept complaining. He wanted the driver to stop so that he could at least stretch his legs. The driver cared less about the comfort of his passengers and chose to silence the old man with a rude and sarcastic response. 

By 3:30PM, we were in Siliguri. Shubam came to our hotel as his train to Kolkata was leaving at around 9PM. We freshened up and took a shared auto to Vega circle mall. Now, Siliguri was a familiar place for Divyesh and me. We ate at Subway and had some Rashagola and other sweets at a store near the mall. It was amazing. So was the Dahi Wada. Shubam left at 7PM and we decided to relax in our hotel room. The long jeep ride had definitely been tiring.  

Next morning (25th April), I woke up early and went out to have some tea. I like the tea here. They prepare it like I do at home - By adding little milk to black tea. That retains the flavour of the tea unlike others who forever boil the tea leaves directly with milk. Eventually, it taste ore like milk than tea.  

For lunch, I walked to a Bengali restaurant because I wanted to try some authentic food. But the place turned out to be a mess and they do not serve food there. I requested them to do so just for me and they obliged. In a small room, they served me a tasty meal - Rice, Mochar sabji (Dish made of banana flower, like in Mangalore), Jackfruit and Aloo sabji and Dhal. 

After that heavy meal, I met Divyesh at my favourite sweet store in Siliguri - Koality sweet and snacks. The meal had to end with some tasty dessert - Rashagola. 

In the evening, I went to another Bengali restaurant called Koshe Kosha. I had Mochar chops (Croquette made of Banana flower) and Begun Baja (Eggplant croquette). It was very delicious but I could not finish it due to an already heavy lunch that I had had earlier. So, I packed half of it and shared it with a homeless man outside. 

At a paan shop, I tried some Nolen Gurer ice cream that is made of date palm jaggery. I headed back to the hotel with a happy stomach. 

On the 26th of April, I got up early and went for a walk around the town. It was my last day in Siliguri. It is always an interesting feeling when you get to know a city. You enjoy discovering how it functions. I like this city for being so convenient in terms of accessibility and transport. Also, the cost of living is much lower than that of my city. 

We got ready by 9:15AM. We had arranged for an auto to pick us up at the hotel and drop us at the airport. He charged us Rs400 for that ride. I bid farewell to my friend Divyesh and waited for my flight. The journey back to Bangalore was uneventful. 

I returned home full of memories - Memories of Siliguri,  Yuksom and the trek. Goecha La will always remain one of my favourite Himalayan treks. I am physically back home, but I know that I have left behind a part of me in Goecha La. Someday, I shall return there to reunite with that part of me.