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| Darjeeling, by jeep, was the next stop and I stayed in the centre in the Seven Seventeen Hotel where again the staff were friendly and the meals good. I have been to Darjeeling a few times and particularly enjoy the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and zoo which was founded by the local man and first co-conqueror of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay. |
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My cousin was related to Sir Edmund Hillary so, whilst our family cannot claim a direct blood line, it is nonetheless quite an honour to be able to place Sir Edmund within our Family Tree. There is more mountaineering interest in Darjeeling: Tenzing’s house and, as Darjeeling was used as a base before the 1922 and 1924 Everest expeditions which included legendary climber, George Mallory, the hotels where they stayed can still be seen. I am sure that the Mount Everest Hotel, now disused after a fire, was used before one expedition and the other, I believe, was the Ivanhoe.
I walked the 5kms or so to the Bastasia Loop which is a feat of engineering for the extraordinary Toy Train on its seven hour journey down to the plains from Darjeeling. I have known cars regularly overtake this dinky train and had grand ideas myself to overtake it on foot but, when I saw it, what appeared to be a new engine put paid to any such plans! It was moving very well and billowing out clouds of smoke! The views are again stunning from here and there is a war memorial at this point. |
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Pg 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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