Disastrous morning trying to find jeep stand which has been shifted due to the arrival of a V.I.P in Gantok so best to inconvenience everybody else rather than have a V.I.P stuck behind a jeep for a minute. Spend hours free wheeling down Gantok's super steep roads to a fictitious jeep stands that appear to have been magically moved seconds before I arrive. This is followed by me pushing the bike and carrying my heavy bag of tools, clothes and spare parts miles back up the tortuously steep roads back to other non existent jeep stands, eventually rescued by a man who had seen me traipsing up and down for hours and takes my bags on his motorbike as I follow on my bicycle to the jeep stand.
Arrive Pelling after 5 hour jeep ride initially pleasant looking place with astonishing views of the snow capped Eastern Himalaya. Meet up with Estonian cycle tour group making film of their travels from Khatmandu to Tehran, seem to be off track a bit here. Loads of ale and Chang; fermented millet drink slurped through a straw; make for decent night and sabotage the following days efforts to get on my bike.
Discover on sabotaged day that Pelling is as dull as the dead blue sheep that lie scattered over Sikkim's mountainous terrain so decide to get out the following day and embark on a three day cycling trek.
Problem with Pelling is that it is soulless and is one windy road full of high rise hotels all vying for a view of the admittedly fantastic Himalaya. There is no bazaar and no real shops and the only business transaction I conducted forced me into the hands of a shoe repairer in a super glamorous wooden hut with remarkable stunning Himalayan views in which he decided to repair my rotting Shimano S.P.D's at ludicrous rates. 70 Rupees. Furious.
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