The Dainty Lenses

As I had already mentioned in my previous post that I might be visiting Gangtok, well I have already visited and returned some few days back. Expectations were high but were not fulfilled as expected. A land-locked country and with loads of love in the air but the scenic beauty didn’t pleased my mood so much. As for the tourist places, one has to go a long mile to see something of natural beauty. Gangtok is the heart of the state Sikkim. Its the capital after all. But its nothing in comparison to Kashmir, Nainital, Mussorie, Manali, etc. To see something natural, one has to travel to other districts of Sikkim and especially to the North Sikkim. Though certain things were present that pleased me lot. So, I decided to share some of my captured moments of Sikkim with everyone here in my blog. As I am new to photography, I didn’t take such good shots. I am presenting all raw photos without any sort of editing being done to them. Hoping its good enough.

I’ll be updating it in my blog according to my visits to different places within the 4 days of my stay there and according to the updates in my mind’s diary!

Day 1 (03-06-2012) – Reached our hotel in the hills in the evening of 2nd June. Our room was booked in another hotel situated just beside this. But the manager said we had to stay here for some hours till 9. Well, it was 4 in the morning at that time. Some hours more and I was off! My stomach was churning like hell and I hoped to get some good breakfast as soon as possible. The hotel looked new and the service wasn’t that apt. I hoped so much that my vacation goes good. Sitting near the window and thinking such nonsense pleases me sometimes. The view of the mountains was good there. And my mind decided to take some pics.

The clouds were hanging so low that in the previous night I assumed them to be a river. My eyes though later deceived me in the morning but at the same time, I loved the way the clouds moved along and away far into the oblivion till they faded into the distance. I was feeling sleepy. Mum and dad were already asleep. I thought a nap was surely needed before I wake up for my breakfast.

It was about 9 30 now and I was excited about my visits to different places. The panoramic view of the little valley here was pleasing my mood to some extent. I hoped that the places were good enough to visit but the crowd and the cars are really irritating here.

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A visit to some garden with a weird name (I honestly do not remember the names of most of the places because they sound weird, difficult to pronounce and very forgetful words!). Life seemed beautiful in that flower exhibition down there due to the presence of loads of flowers with eccentric beauty and heavy fragrance. Fragrance wasn’t so much but colorful were the flowers. Its difficult to find such beauty here in our place. After all this is a hill station. Its got to have something different from other places.

The flowers contained contained their botanical names pinned right in front if them! Phew! Seriously hats off to the botanists. Its difficult to remember those names. At least for me the names go above my head. I only stuck to the colors and the variety and I didn’t even bother to look at their scientific names.

The flowers were awesome but the only problem was I was unable to get perfect shots. This shot is a good one but others are like hell because the crowd of tourists was immense and it was really impossible to take certain shots. There are some other pics that look good and I was really glad I managed to click them.

I took some other pics too but they are not good enough. Just random clicks. The crowd of tourists, the poor lightning as well as the high intensity of certain lights, made it awful.

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Our next visit was to a monastery situated on the top of a mountain (I think so). We had to walk uphil towards the monastery. My legs started paining at the end of the day.

A now a touch of religion from the north-east. Buddhism usualy prevails and this monastery proves it. I wanted to take pictures of the interior but it wasn’t allowed there. The front view of the monastery makes it altogether wonderful. Interiors were awesome. There wer intricate designs and a temple within the building gave it a touch of religous feeling (which I usually never feel).

The road to the monastery but I took this pic while returning back. Gave it a little more good effect. Mountanious areas and sliding roads, I love it! But I paid for it. I injured my both the knees’ ligaments while walking uphill towards a zoo. I’ll update the zoo pics later.

I do not of course understand whats written in those rotating ‘kind-of’ wheels but its something of very valuable importance to the people. They just go on whispering some prayers and rotate these wheels while going up to the monastery as well as while returning back. That day, they had some festival. So there were more buddhists people around. Lots of prayers and the temple was highly crowded.

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When I returned back from the garden and that flower exhibition, I spotted this light colored flower growing in the thick bushes. How nature surprises us, everyone knows that. A pure beauty in the midst of green hedges. I couldn’t wait to click of course!

Some more views on our way to our car in the parking lot.

(Ignore the wires please)

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Winding through the mountainous terrain, directly staring down at the invisible land, all covered with thick bushes and huge tress and going uphill, downhill and everywhere! It looked like, though Gangtok might be a land-locked country but it seems to have access to almost everything.

The start of the day was good. I still hoped better for the next day and the following days. Shopping is mania for me. I was wondering when the hell will I be able to get a chance to shop like shopaholic. I had heard about some M. G. Road from my cousin and that its the best shopping area. And now I was dying to pay a visit and just not a visit, but rather stay there till all the shopping craze of mine has been satiated!