Today is Wednesday, 28th of March 2012. We are almost ready for our next trip starting Friday evening, 30th March. We are leaving for New Jalpaiguri (NJP) by train - Uttarbanga Express. Starts from Sealdah at around 7 pm. Friday is a working day for me, which is a pain.
The plan is to go from NJP to Ravangla by car on Saturday. Stay there for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday leave for Lava. Spend Thursday and Friday there. Go to Bagdogra on Saturday to catch the flight to Calcutta.
Let me put down a few important phone numbers of people who other travelers might need in future if they are planning a trip to this region. I myself might need these numbers after a year or so, as I certainly see myself going here once again.
First is the number of Arjun Gurung of Cloud's End. It is 9733084105. Arjun used to earlier work for the more famous Hotel Mt Narsingh but has now joined Cloud's End. He is offering me rooms at Rs 1500 per night. I am told Mt Narsingh's service standards have deteriorated. Babumasai is closed. So I chose Cloud's End. Somehow I liked speaking to the guy. Someone on Indiamike forum also recommended the property.
Cloud's End - 14th Mile, Ravangla. Simply fantastic
Arjun has organised a vehicle pick up for me. Jewan Chhetri 9733148087. He has an Alto and will start for Siliguri on Friday itself to pick us up on Saturday morning. He is charging Rs 3000 for the trip, which is perhaps a bit high for an Alto but I didn't want to bargain over phone. Somehow I have a lot of love for these mountain people.
In Lava I have been given two drivers' numbers. Arka recommended Jamyang Bhutia 9733048001. Garima Bhatia had used Dipen 9832434204 during her recent birding trip to Neora Valley. I am yet to speak to either of them but will find out soon. Arka says the rate is Rs 1200 fixed plus whatever fuel cost, as per actual. Let me see.
I have been to Ravangla for birding. That was in 2010 October. But the weather was terrible and we could hardly take any photographs. So here I am once again planning a trip to the same spot. Keeping my fingers crossed.
A verditer flycatcher from October 2010
Today is Friday, 30th March, 2012. Around 11 am. I am in the office. We leave by Uttarbanga Express at 7.30 pm from Sealdah. I finished packing my electronics this morning. Let me note down the items I am carrying. I have the main camera and related stuff in the big Lowepro. My recording equipment is in a small bag given by Canon for free. The smaller bag has the following:
- Edirol recorder,
- Rode Video Mic Pro microphone
- Unbranded small speaker bought from Chandni.
The Lowepro contains the following:
- Canon 7D with 400 mm F5.6
- Canon 450D with 18-55 kit lens
- Manual for 7D
- Manual for 450D
- Tokina 11-16 mm wide lens
- Tamron 90 mm macro (with polariser fitted)
- Manfrotto 496 RC2 ball head (for the 450D, as I don't have Acrastech plate for it)
- Acratech GV2 ball head (lens plate fitted to the lens)
- Rocket blower
- iPod (1st generation)
- Battery charger for 7D
- Battery charger for 450D
- Nokia charger
- Battery charger for pencil batteries
- Spare battery for 7D
- Four Sony rechargable AA batteries (for Edirol)
- Four Sony rechargeable AAA batteries (for Garmin)
- 2 GB pen drive
- Camera body covers for both cameras
- Circular polariser for 77mm
- Memory cards for both cameras and Edirol - 8GB x4 + 4GB in CF for 7D and about 30 GB SD card memory for 450 D and Edirol. Two memory cards in fact go into the 7D's strap.
- Bushnell binoculars (for Mampu)
- Torch
- Swiss Army knife
Additional electronics and photography related items to be carried in the pocket of my jacket - Garmin Foretrex 101 and Lenspen lens cleaner. The Manfrotto 055 XPROB will be carried in a case.
I think I will go out right now and purchase an additional battery for my microphone. At 9 volt it's an odd size and will not be available anywhere outside a big city. I doubt that the one that I have in the mic will die soon but I don't want to take any chances.
I am just keeping a record of all this because these make for amusing reading later. There is no intention to flaunt anything to anyone. This is more in the nature of a personal diary for me to read later than a book written for others to read.
NB: The 25th item is the 9 volt Duracell battery for the microphone. I just went out and bought it from my battery supply store next to Sahara Sadan for Rs 150.
A Blue-capped Rock Thrush male just below Kitam, Sikkim
Today is Monday 9th April, 2012. We are back in Calcutta. In fact we came back on Saturday evening. All in one piece and without any major injury or loss of either limbs or materials :-) In terms of photography or bird sighting it was nothing great. We saw the usual routine birds. Highlight of the trip was perhaps the sighting of a Pygmy Wren Babbler near Kolakham. In terms of weather - it could have been better and sunnier. It rained a lot even in this April first week. Ravangla and Lava were very cold compared to what we were prepared for. But on balance it was a nice trip and we will look back at our memories with fondness.
Ralong monastery near Ravangla
Now, I shall write down the details of the trip on a day by day basis. I tend to forget a lot these days and hopefully this will remain as a database for my future trips.
Friday 30th March, 2012. It was a full working day for me. But I left office in the second half just after lunch break and left home at around quarter to five to fetch a taxi. We were in the station well before six. So we had to wait it out at the station for a while. Soon it was announced that all North Bengal bound trains, because of a goods train accident on the main line, would go via Naihati, Bandel, Katwa, Azimgunge etc instead of the normal route via Bardhaman and Rampurhat etc.
This had two effects on the journey. One positive and another negative. The positive effect was the person just under my berth, who was supposed to board from Bardhaman, missed his train and we swapped one of our berths with his unoccupied berth so Monisha, Mampu and I were more or less together (otherwise Monisha had got a berth quite far from mine).
The negative effect was the train was late by more than three hours and we reached New Jalpaiguri at around 10.30. We had already booked our car and Jewan Chhetri had to wait at NJP for a few hours. We found him to be a nice guy in his mid-twenties. We didn't waste a single moment and started off for Ravangla in right earnest.
Friday 30th March, 2012. It was a full working day for me. But I left office in the second half just after lunch break and left home at around quarter to five to fetch a taxi. We were in the station well before six. So we had to wait it out at the station for a while. Soon it was announced that all North Bengal bound trains, because of a goods train accident on the main line, would go via Naihati, Bandel, Katwa, Azimgunge etc instead of the normal route via Bardhaman and Rampurhat etc.
This had two effects on the journey. One positive and another negative. The positive effect was the person just under my berth, who was supposed to board from Bardhaman, missed his train and we swapped one of our berths with his unoccupied berth so Monisha, Mampu and I were more or less together (otherwise Monisha had got a berth quite far from mine).
The negative effect was the train was late by more than three hours and we reached New Jalpaiguri at around 10.30. We had already booked our car and Jewan Chhetri had to wait at NJP for a few hours. We found him to be a nice guy in his mid-twenties. We didn't waste a single moment and started off for Ravangla in right earnest.
