So after rather too many lazy days in Darjeeling I finally left permit in hand (you have to have a special permit just to enter the state) for Sikkim. Sikkim is the smallest state in India but is also without doubt one of the most beautiful, the mountain kingdom (home to Khangchendzong the worlds 3rd highest mountain) was an independent country until 1975 and has benefited from some major investment from Delhi in recent years. I left Darjeeling by a very cramp share jeep and first headed for the state capital of Gangtok the city is set on a ridge at about 1500m with great views of the surrounding mountains. The city while not offering a great deal had several interesting Buddhist monasteries including Rumtek the surrogate home (home to the black hat sect of Tibetan) Buddhism after the original home was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in Tibet. After Gangtok I headed for Namchi a town that is dominated by two huge statues of Shiva (Hindu) and Guru Rimpoche (Buddhist).

i've just run out of time on the internet so More to come later…..