Mulkarkha Lake Trek

The main attraction of Mulkarkha Lake is the reflection of Mount Kanchenjunga on the tranquil water of the lake. It is also called Manokamna Pokhri and is considered holy by the locals. They believe that if you wish something by making a Chorten or Stupa of seven stones by the lake, it will be granted. This is a new trail, rarely traveled by tourists and the beauty is unparalleled.

The Bangali Backpacker team undertook this 4 day trek at the end of December 2015 and had a wonderful experience. Please watch the video to know more about it.

MULKARKHA DELIGHTS

MULKARKHA DELIGHTS

RICE, DAL, SABZI, PAPAD & Homemade GHEE

Imagine yourself amidst the virgin mountains, shrouded in greenery, with the cold mountain breeze lightly carrying your body and soul away from the maddening city life. We found our abode of peace, where the people welcome you with an open heart and a beaming smile. There they will accept you as one of their own, sharing their homes, food, experiences and their lives with you.

They will feed you till you burst with gratitude and happiness. The food there is organic, farm fresh, grown and cooked right in front of your eyes. Each morsel is fresh and delicious straight from the lap of Mother Nature. From being bountifully filled with the beauty of nature, this place also offers you with its local specialties when it comes to food.

From the creamy and spicy Churpiko Achaar that will complement your morning Aalu ka Paratha, to the rustic and sweet Dhakane which will end your evening dinner on a sweet note – the people of Lingsey, Jhusing, Tagathang and Mulkarkha has a lot to offer. A specialty of this region is Rai ka Saag, a leafy green from the mustard family. They either serve it stir fried with your breakfast roti or in the form of Gundruk, a soup made with fermented Rai ka Saag which they serve as a side dish with rice. This leafy green is a great source of vitamins and rounds of your meal. 

GUNDRUK

After having this nutritious, slightly bitter and sour greens you won’t even feel guilty about loading your Rotis with dollops of freshly churned homemade ghee or clarified butter. The Ghee was exceptionally creamy and flavorful, nothing like we have ever tasted before. If you are lucky they might also serve you with fresh homemade Dahi or Curd, sprinkled with sugar after your afternoon lunch.

Dinner was often rounded off between 8 pm to 9pm in the evening and our dinner at Jhusing Home Stay ended on a sweet note with the rustic Dhakane. 

DHAKANE

DHAKANE

It is a sweet dish made with rice, ghee, sugar and milk. As told by Mr. Bedu Dhakal of Jhusing Homestay, the rice is first fried in ghee till it turns reddish in colour. Then it is cooked in milk and sugar till the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked fluffy and sweet. Each spoonful was light and warm with a lingering aftertaste of the delicious homemade ghee.

Churpiko Achaar is another specialty which is often served with breakfast or lunch, made with light curd and red chilies; it offers a hot and creamy aftertaste. The organic curd or cream is boiled and then the top layer of the curd is skimmed and hung in a cloth till all the liquid runs out. The light curd thus formed is ground with tomatoes, red chilies and seasoned with salt and sugar. We got a taste of this deliciousness both at Jhusing and Mulkarkha Homestay.

CHURPIKO ACHAAR

Along with the Ghee and the Churpiko Achaar, no meal was complete without their salads, made with an assortment of farm fresh vegetables and tossed with light curd or cheese and seasoned with spices. Mr. Lalit Poudyal’s family at Golsimal Homestay, Lingsey made sure that we consume enough of the nutritious veggies in the form of those delicious salads. No meal at Lingsey was complete without those tasty and crunchy veggies. Be it rice, roti or chicken - Salad was a must.

One of the things which intrigued us most was the local alcoholic beverage called Chhaang. It was offered to us at Tagathang by Mr. Tikaram Chettri who is the elder brother of Mr. Raju Chettri. Along with the warm hospitality and tasty food he also offered us this heart warming and thirst quenching drink. Chhaang is a local beverage made with Rice, barley or Millet. The one offered to us was made with semi-fermented seeds of millet and was filled with red coloured seeds of some local fruit. It is generally served in a Dungro and is drunk with a narrow bore bamboo tube which acts as a straw. It is repeatedly topped off with warm water and consumed at room temperature. It has a very low alcohol content and tastes like a cross between Beer and Wine, never the less, yumm. Mr. Tikaram Chettri even filled up a bottle with the strained liquid and told us to consume it during our trek to replenish our energy levels.

CHHAANG in Dungro

We will never forget the taste of the fresh and delicious local produces which were offered to us, ever so generously. We extend our thanks to everyone at Lingsey , Jhusing, Tagathang and Mulkarkha who made our adventurous and gastronomic journey so memorable. 

MILLET

LOCAL BEANS

TREASURE of LINGSEY ECO TOURISM

TENDONG HILL TREK

TENDONG HILL TREK

It feels Mysterious even in the Daytime

How to reach:

We were travelling from Kolkata, so we boarded Darjeeling Mail from Sealdah station and reached New Jalpaiguri Station in the morning. From there we hired a Car (Mahindra Max)

which charged us Rs. 4000/-. We reached Damthang just in time for a late lunch at Hotel Dew Point. Mr. Kiran Kumar Pradhan (mob: 08116170660, 9635034035), the proprietor of the hotel was extremely hospitable. 

Overview:
In December of 2014, we went to West Sikkim to soak in all the beauty that nature has to offer. This time our destinations were Damthang, Chemchey, Ravangla and Pelling.
Damthang is a small, serene and remote village in West Sikkim, about 112-115kms from NJP, or an hour long drive from Ravangla. Situated at an altitude of 6,076ft, Damthang gets extremely chilly during the winters.
During our trip we stayed for two nights at Damthang, one night at Chemchey (another remote location - 2kms from Damthang), two nights at Ravangla and finally two nights at Pelling.
We will separately give another post, with the detailed descriptions of our entire trip.

Trek Details:
Destination - Tendong Hill.
Distance – 6kms approximately, from Damthang bazaar till Tendong Hill top
Time span - 5 to 7 hours, including both up and down
Trek difficulty – Easy to moderate

The Trek and our experience:

We ventured out on our trek on the 22nd of December, 2014, from Damthang, after having quite a filling breakfast of Sikkimese sweet bread and butter, spicy omelet and cups of steaming hot coffee at our hotel. The 6km uphill trek route passes through the lush green forests rich in flora and fauna. Thanks to Google we got the information that more than 90 species of birds, Himalayan bears, leopards and illusive Red Pandas inhabit this forest! The hill top is at an altitude of 8,600ft and offers a spectacular panoramic view of the entire Eastern Himalayas.

The word "Tendong" means upraised. According to the legends, long time back a huge flood had struck the place and the land upraised itself to give refuge to the flood struck people. The Tendong Hill is also known to be a dormant volcano.

We started at 10 a.m. by taking a wrong turn from Damthang bazaar, and ended up going on the wrong trail for the first 40mins. Realizing our mistake, we had to double back to the same spot at Damthang bazaar. There we asked a few locals, who showed us the more recently paved way to the Tendong Hill, along with attempts to scare us with stories of wild bears and leopards! They insisted that we hire a guide as we may get lost in the woods!
My companions for this trek were Gourab Sen (Gary) and Mr. Sanjoy Kumar Basak. And must I add, that it was for them that I immensely enjoyed the first ever trek of my life! Kudos and thanks! 

In spite of their attempts to incept fear in our minds, we decided to carry on along the fairly straightforward trail, without any guide. The initial part of the trek started with the surroundings being lightly covered with trees and The Kanchendzonga glowing in the distance. Following the trail further, the forest became quite dense and lush. Alongside the conifers, there were several other vegetations that grew together in the thick forest. The trunks of the trees were mostly covered in mosses and several other fungi. The trees formed a cathedral of branches over our head, making the trail shady and chilly at the same time! After walking for some time the artificial and man-made noises died out only to be filled in by the slow song of nature. We went into a trance as we moved deeper into the forest.  

We avoided any shortcuts and kept to the more recently paved dirt road. (Though, quite a few times Gary tried to take the steep shortcuts and almost got lost in the woods!) Soon after we took the trail through the forest, we did not encounter any human beings throughout our entire trek! (Apart from a few workers on the top of the Tendong Hill)

After walking for an hour in the woods, we suddenly heard a loud grunt along with movements in the rolling, thick forest to our right. We immediately stopped in our tracks, holding our ground and trekking sticks as spears, without making a single sound! We soon realized that it must be a wild boar! After sometime the movements and the grunts faded into the distance. We heaved a sigh of relief and continued with our journey.

The pathway was slightly steep, paved though, with steps going both uphill and downhill. At certain points the trail was so narrow that it was feasible for only one person to pass at a time. On our left, the forest ran high up along the slopes of the mountain. On our right there was rolling green forest, going down hundreds of feet below.

 About midway, we came across a tree, whose trunk was naturally bifurcated vertically down the middle, making enough space for one person to pass through. 

As we neared the hill top, we saw sign boards, requesting trekkers to keep the pathway clean as it was a holy site. Soon we saw steps going up adorned with prayer flags on the both sides. We immediately knew that we have neared our destination and it was only a matter of few minutes! Hearts beating with excitement and eyes longing to see the panoramic view, we walked as fast as our legs and lungs allowed!

And soon enough we saw the famous watch tower of Tendong Hill, right in front of us!  

And boy were we surprised! It was an experience of a lifetime! The entire Eastern Himalayan range was surrounding us from 360 degree angle!
The wind was cold and fresh and smelled of the pure mountains. 

As we went on to explore the surroundings it was already 2:15p.m.
There were two small monasteries. One was old and nearly in ruins and the other one was relatively new. And then there was the famous three storey Tendong observation tower!

There we came across a few workers and a caretaker. They were busy with the renovation and construction. The caretaker showed us in the tower, and we came to the top following the spiral staircase.

From the top the view was completely surreal! All around you, only mountain ranges, to quench the thirst of your eyes and soul. After the initial awe-inspiring moments, we pulled ourselves together and took out our lunch that we had brought along. After a delicious lunch (with cakes, cheese cubes, peanuts, cashews and chocolates), on the top of the tower, amongst the mountains, it was our time to return. 

Eyes soaked in with the beauty of the place, where we spent about 45mins, we started our return journey, once again through the forest. During our mostly downhill descent, we saw the mountains changing colour in the golden glow of the afternoon sun. The cold wind was sending shivers down my spine! The serenity of the forest left us in peace and calmed our heart and soul. As we neared Damthang bazaar, we had to bring out our torches, as it was quickly getting dark. By the time we reached our hotel it was past 5:30p.m. Heart filled with content and mind filled with memories, we promised to return to the beauty of Sikkim for years to come! 

Booking details:

1. Damthang:
Hotel Dew Point.
Proprietor: Kiran Kumar Pradhan
Phone: 8116170660

2. Chemchey:
Mt. Kabru Guest House
Proprietor: Kazi Sherpa
Phone: 9434117158

3. Ravangla
        and
4. Pelling: Hotel bookings done from the Kolkata office of Holidayhomeindia.
Address: 3A, Dalhousi, Pollock Street, B.B.D Bagh, Kolkata-700001.

Information courtesy:
Google and Holidayhomeindia.com

Picture courtesy: Gourab Sen (Gary), Mr. Sanjoy Kumar Basak, Mr. Abhishek Bagchi and Ananya Kundu. 

Thanks and much love, Bangali Backpacker team
...Happy Hiking...

COLEMAN ANTI-SHOCK TREKKING POLE VIDEO REVIEW

TREKKING POLES
A trekking pole is not a compulsion but it surely helps a lot while hiking on moderate and difficult terrains. Using trekking sticks help reduce stress on your feet by a huge amount while simultaneously providing stability and balance. A good trekking pole must have certain features as listed below.
• Lightweight Aluminium body
• Fold-able or collapsible
• Tungsten Carbide Tip
• Rubber cap on tip
• Anti-Shock spring mechanism
• Ergonomic  hand grip design with sweat absorbing material (e.g. Cork )
• Adjustable wrist strap
• Multiple baskets for mud and snow
• Removable handle which converts into a camera monopod
Recommended brands:
• Black Diamond
• Kelty
• Leki
• Komperdell
• MSR
• Helinox
• Mountainsmith
• Nordic
If you are low on budget then you can go for
• Quechua
• Coleman

Here is a Pre-use review of

COLEMAN ANTI-SHOCK Trekking Pole

Gourab Sen (Gary)

Thanks and regards

Bangali Backpacker Team

...Happy Hiking...

EMA DATSHI from The Land of The Thunder Dragon

EMA DATSHI

From the kingdom of happiness, straight into our kitchens 

The first time I had Ema Datshi in Bhutan, I was blown away by the fiery heat of the chilies blending smoothly and perfectly with the rich creaminess of the cheese. Being the national dish of Bhutan, it is exceptionally popular and unbelievably cheap over there (given the huge quantity of cheese that goes into it).
There we (Gourab and I) tried several versions of this national dish, Ema Datshi. Ema Datshi is basically chilies in cheese soup. The other variants that we also tried there, were Kewa Datshi (potato cheese soup) , Koka Datshi (noodles cheese soup), Shamu Datshi (mushroom cheese soup) and Mixed Vegetable Datshi. The two main components of all the different versions were fiery chilies and rich, smooth cheese.

Here goes my version of Vegetable Ema Datshi, which we totally adore and gorge on! Hope you will like it too. Quantities can be altered as per your personal preference. You can also add or omit any ingredient (not the chilies and cheese of course :-p) if you fancy.
Do try it out and let us know how it went.

Vegetable Ema Datshi.
Serves - 2 (generously! ) to 3 (moderately!)
Time required - 50 mins approximately.
Level - Medium

Ingredients which I used:

1.    1 medium sized carrot

2.     200 gms green beans 

3.    1 large capsicum, deseeded and cut into cubes

4.    100 gms of steamed sweet corns

5.    3 large potatoes (peeled, boiled and then sliced)

6.    1 red tomato, cut into small chunks

7.    2 small onions, thinly sliced

8.     About 1tbsp ginger - garlic mince (6 fat cloves of garlic and a 1/2 inch              piece of ginger)

9.    1.5 cups of milk

10.  Half cup cream

11.  4 Amul cheese cubes

12.  Around 12 fat green chilies

13.  Salt for seasoning

14.  1 tsp pepper

15.  1 tsp sugar

16.  White oil for cooking (Can also be substituted with extra virgin olive oil, for        a little twist ;-) :-D )

Method:

Wash and peel the carrot and cut into carrot sticks that are 2 inches long and 1/3-inch by 1/3-inch thick, approx! Cut the beans into 2 inches long pieces. Wash properly, drain and keep aside.

Heat a little white oil in a deep pan or kadai (if using extra virgin olive oil, be careful not to heat it too much, otherwise it might lose its flavor), and sauté the carrots and beans for a couple of minutes.

Then sprinkle some water inside the pan, turn the heat down and cover for 3 to 4 mins, or till the veggies soften. But be careful not to soften them too much.
Once done, take the veggies off the heat, and keep aside.
Now in the same pan, once again heat 1 tbsp white oil and sauté the ginger -garlic mince. Do not let it brown! Once it gives off the aroma, add in the sliced onions and continue stirring.

Once the onions turn golden, add in the largely cubed capsicums and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 mins.

Once the capsicums soften, add the 1.5 cups of milk and turn the heat low. Now add in the cream and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

At this point add the pre cooked carrots and beans, along with the steamed sweet corns.

Now grate in the 4 cubes of cheese and stir properly. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Be careful not to add too much salt, as the cheese is already salty.

Add a little bit of water if, you want to loosen the consistency of the soup. Now add the slit green chilies to the soup, and let it simmer for further 5 to 7 minutes.

At the end of the five minutes simmer on low heat, add the already boiled and sliced potatoes. Finally add the tomato chunks before turning off the heat.

SERVE HOT!!!

In Bhutan Ema Datshi is generally served with rice but we prefer having it by itself. Do not forget to let us know about your experience and experiments. Happy Cooking...

- Thanks and much love, 

Bangali Backpacker team