Purple Vision

Head back to Darjeeling to re do the Singallilla ridge ride and try to find a better descent down from the windswept 3700 metre Nepal, West Bengal, Sikkim border post of Phalut. Attempt new route to the starting town of Manibhanjang but thwarted by river crossings and locals refuse to accept that a cycle is a fit means of transport for what I propose to do. So head back to Darjeeling and road it the 25 km to the starting point. Storms stop me 5 km short and take shelter for two hours as the rains threaten to sweep everything away down to the plains. Pissed wet through, frozen and miserable on arrival in the starting town and decide to spend night there. Lodgings in pityfull state so decide to leave bike in the doss house and head back to Darjeeling to dry clothes and jeep it back to Darjeeling and have a night of luxury instead. Luxury accomadation dream shattered as most hotels full so spend night in hotel not dissimilar to the one where I left the bike. Manager points out T.V as sign of luxury though and relish an evening of watching England One Day International re runs from the 1980's in glorious purple vision with a big band down the middle of the screen.