5/2011:
Sikkim – what can I say - A totally life changing experience. The mighty Teesta, the majestic Himalayas, the relentless monsoons, an encounter with a landslide and having the privilege of meeting the most sweet natured people I have ever come across.
10/2011:
Your gentle world has been rocked.
5/2011:
Yumthang Valley in North Sikkim- Our first brush with the mighty Eastern Himalayas ! It was a cloudy misty morning with a lot of white fluff surrounding us. As we drove up with very little visibility, we presumed that we must be on the top of a mountain and the valley must be below us. But then suddenly the clouds began lifting and we realized that we were actually on this piddly little hill surrounded by these gorgeous snow capped ...
10/2011
Really a valley of flowers but now - .everything is thrashed.A total mess
5/2011:
The many streams we drove past, fit for an artist’s canvas – water softly rumbling and whispering, almost mocking you to follow it .To eventually hear it become a deafening water fall
10/2011 :
From an aerial survey I saw on tv, this image had been replaced by gashes. Landslides.
5/2011 :
Gangtok city, MG Road. Bata by choice of dragon motif. Above it, a very chilled coffee hang out place called Hangtok. Nice music too with extra amazing effect of BOSE speakers tagged in the lamp posts everywhere in the road.
5/2011 :
Sikkim’s Buddhist ethos resides in how people interact with you , also in its peaceable monasteries.
10/2011 : Rumtek, saw a few cracks on your walls .Also heard that your oldest monastery near Yuksam, has 90 % damages.
5/2011 :
5/2011:
We visited in early May ,We were on very short schedule So we made our way towards Lachung and Yumthang valley, where we got caught in a landslide. The road had caved in and boulders and rocks had rolled on to the road which now looked like a river bed. But, within 30 minutes the Border Roads Organization (BRO) people were there and they cleared a path for the vehicles to pass through. I was so impressed – thoroughly professional, focused and quick.
BRO is hard at work. Lachung hurting. More landslides than even locals have often seen. That is the aftermath of the aftermath of the quake.
2010 :
OF COURSE SIKKIM WILL EMERGE STRONGER FROM THE FACE OF THIS DEVASTATION , AS WE`RE A BUNCH OF RESILIENT PEOPLE. NATURAL CALAMITIES CAN NEVER BE A DETERRENT , ITS AN UNAVOIDABLE PART OF LIFE BUT THE HOSPITALITY OF THE PEOPLE, THE BEAUTY AND SERENITY AND THE PEACE THAT PREVAILS OVER THIS STATE WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO ATTRACT MORE AND MORE TOURISTS.
I would like to express my feeling. Yes, the earthquake was massive and we are lucky to have survived such a powerful shake. We are all feeling very bad for the people who lost their lives and were injured.
But the most depressing thing about the whole affair is, media has blown up the issue so much that other than people in Sikkim, everybody else is scared because of the picture being shown to them. I wish people get the right picture. It is absolutely safe to visit Sikkim. Travel agents both in Sikkim and outside, tour operators in the region are all aware that the damages are not so intense which will effect the smooth operations of the tours. On top of this everyone must realize that highly capable Sikkim Govt. and the assistance from the Central Govt. of India are putting things back to place. Most of the things will be back to the normal state in a very short time.
Hence I suggest everyone not to jump into conclusions watching what media has to say. It is their work to highlight the things. And they know by showing things repeatedly and showing from different angles will make things look scary. Let media play their role but please listen to what people of Sikkim has to say.
This comment of mine is to guide the tourists wanting to visit Sikkim in the coming months. Believe us you will be absolutely safe under the efforts of Govt. of Sikkim’s and your travel agents/operator.
All the best!
The End
