Going Organic in Darjeeling
byI’d planned on being a plain old tourist in Darjeeling: Nothing to do but eat, drink, trek the Singalila, and visit the sites my…
India
Just Another Darjeeling Sunrise
byMount Kachenjunga was not visible this morning. In fact, I’ve only glimpsed its mighty mass twice during such a cloudy week in Darjeeling. But…
Fellow Tranquilo Travelers
byMartin-from-Wales spent a week in the room across the hall from us at Andy’s. We crossed paths and shared smiles and stories many times—on…
Travel Teaches Toleration
byI found this poster taped to the wall of a phone booth in Birpara, a town where there are no tourists and where few…
A Fuller, Warmer Cup of Tea: Fair Trade 101
byOctober, I just learned, is Fair Trade Month, conveniently coinciding with my travels in Darjeeling and my discovery of a kinder, gentler side of…
Crumpets and Coal: Our First Proper Tea
byIn Paris, we stayed with a French-Moroccan couple who fed us mint tea (at midnight, after dinner) in traditional gold-inlaid glasses; sweet mint tea…
Darjeeling Sunrise: Moonset and Massifs
byIt took several days to settle into the “Queen of the Hills,†as Darjeeling is known; the town was totally socked in by an…
Leaving Birpara: The Toy Train Not Taken
byThe reason the Dalgaoan-Birpara Railway Station does not appear on my map of the town is because, until my final week, I had not…
The Moldy Backpack Blues…
byFrom my freshly trimmed mustache To the bottom of my walkin’ shoes… Tranquilo Traveler Rule #1: When your backpack has been sitting in the…