The team, in Railway Children T-shirts at Darjeeling Station
Train maintenance shed
Theresa:
After a leisurely breakfast my driver arrived and I climbed into a stupendous vehicle only to be joined by 2 bicycles, Martin and Paul in the car – how inconvenient! They dropped me at New Jalpaiguri station (NJP) and carried on to their start point. I waited on the station platform. There were only 2 moments of interruption to my quiet contemplation of life - the first was an Indian family who decided it would be rather sweet to have a photo of myself and 2 of their lady travelers. The second occurred a while after this whilst I had achieved that almost zen like state of meditative 'calm' (slumber – not an unusual occurrence on Indian platforms so I was just 'blending in') by the arrival of 2 cyclists (Martin and Paul) who had already started their journey wanting action shots (photos) of them on their bicycles, actually cycling.
Their departure allowed me to start to focus properly on the task in hand – my journey. At 0930 when the train SHOULD have arrived and had not, all the other passengers on the station settled down to wait, clearly it was not unusual for the train not to quite run to time. Some 22 minutes later the train sedately pulled into the station. Having checked my booking and fought with the door, I boarded and settled down for approximately 7 hours of railway experience rarely paralleled anywhere.
I knew it would be a hard tasks to catch either the runners or the cyclists. The train rarely seemed to achieve above brisk walking pace. It's advantage was that it did this steadily other than for the scheduled (and unscheduled) stops all the way to Darjeeling. The trip was beautiful. The scenery breathtaking, with few moments of drama. Monkeys almost falling through the window; the vegetation encroaching on the train; the speed restrictions where sleepers were barely supported by anything and some interesting reversing to allow the Up train to NJP to pass the Down Darjeeling. The long slow pull up the mountain allowed a proper opportunity to appreciate the change in vegetation, the climate and more interestingly the changes in the villages and people.
Regular texts from the running team gave a real sense of progress, chase and race as the train relentlessly and steadily continued it's assault on Darjeeling. Silence from the cyclists was disturbing. It was difficult to know whether I was ahead or behind or when I should look out for them when we passed them. As we arrived at Tung, Pip texted to say they had reached Ghum – their race was nearly over. Nick was with them. They were starting their descent into Darjeeling, the final leg on their run. The train was still a long way behind. The only saving grace was the 2.5 hr head start that the runners had had, 30 minutes before the initial handicapped start time. It would have been a tight finish. Having experienced the heat of the plains, it was easy to understand and forgive why it was necessary for the runners to have to start so early. 30 degree heat by 0830 in the morning would have been horrid to run in.
It was a great, great day and being met on the platform by 5 runners all elated, although slightly cold was quiet wonderful. It was a moment to remember and a journey to recommend to anyone.
PS (in case you were worried, a while later the cyclists who had had a tough day made their way into Darjeeling to a dark and lonely station – but at least they had each other. And the knowledge of a hard day and challenge achieved.)
Tea growing landscape on the way up!
Paul:What an amazing, tough, exhausting and surreal day!! We attracted a crowd at our start point of NJP station who were quick to inform us that our bikes were too heavy for India!! Ignoring this advice, Martin and I were off to a quick start and soon confidently darting through the traffic thanks to our reccy the day before. We had a quick stop at Siliguri Jcn Station to wake up Theresa (dozing in the warm morning sun) then pushed on towards on 1st scheduled stop at Sukna.
The first 10 miles flew by on smooth roads with beautiful scenery and a gentle gradient. Sadly, this proved to be a short-lived luxury as we had a quick pit-stop at Sukna. From here the road started to climb at a constant gradient with difficult raised crossings over the railway. The heat was starting to play its part as well causing us to take on a lot of fluids and layer on the suncream. I did feel strong at this stage though and felt pretty comfortable all the way until Gavabari at 25miles.
F*cked if I know what they're doing? At Darjeeling...
My first set-back kicked in here as Delhi-belly struck 3 days before I actually get to visit Delhi! Thankfully, our driver/guide/pitman was always one step ahead and always managed to direct me to the nearest toilet, even in the middle of nowhere. I struggled through the next 10 miles and was glad to see Kurseong at 35miles. A random toasted cheese sandwich and pot of tea at the tourist lodge seemed to do the trick and we were on our way again.The sheer unrelenting nature of the climb was starting to dawn on us now as we had not experienced a single flat stretch, never mind a descent. To compound the difficulty, the road surface was starting to deteriorate rapidly slowing us down considerably. Despite the struggle, the beauty of the scenery was constantly uplifting and is difficult to describe or do justice to. The backdrop of tea plantations, forests, rivers and villages was stunning.
My second set-back was my decision to ignore Martins advice and stay in my T-shirt at Sonada (45miles) rather than put on another layer. I still felt fairly warm, but this was a cruel trick of my body. The next 6 miles to Ghoom were the toughest of the day as the temperature dropped, the mist rolled in and the climb still proved unrelenting. I don't think I've ever been happier to see anyone as I was to see our driver waiting with my jacket and a bottle of water.
After briefly savouring our achievement of reaching the summit – a 40mile continuous climb - darkness was closing in fast, so we pedalled as fast as visibility allowed down to the finish at Darjeeling. This proved to be a bit hairy as we relied on the headlights of our trusty driver behind us!!
Unfortunately, we couldn't complete the day with the runners as they had escaped the cold and darkness, but the feeling of achievement as we pulled into Darjeeling Station was unforgettable. We may not have beaten the train, but we had mastered the climb, seen some unforgettable sights and raised money for a fantastic cause.
Richard:
Drunk in control of camera - the driver that is!
I amaze myself at how much a smell when I run.
However the plus side is I am a machine and definitely carried that team. The lazy buggers.
(the above was written by my very good friend Philippa Murphy who will be 38 on Saturday and is not now getting her birthday present and she snores!)
In the morning mist heading to Siliguri Junction
What an amazing adventure. I'm writing now having had a couple of drinks – this whole region was deemed alcohol free 4 days ago but we've managed to find a hotel that has met our needs!
We started on the plains and finished in the mountains, the people and the country changed dramatically but we stuck together and every one of us finished what we started out to do. What a team, we looked after each other, we had a fantastic time and we made the finish line. For the record the runners made the finish line first but everybody finished. I think we would all agree this was much harder than we at first thought but inspiration came from the rest of the team and the country.
We were here to raise money for Railway Children and we saw some of the poor young children that some of this money we hope will help. It never seems to amaze me that these children always have a smile on their faces even though their circumstances are dire.
Finally I'd like to thank everyone who sponsored and donated money for our cause you really are donating to a worthwhile cause – your generosity will ensure that children who need help receive it.
What an adventure, I'll remember this experience for the rest of my life, thank you all and I look forward to our next experience.
Nick:
My particular challenge was to run the full 55 miles (88km) in two days from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. I woke up at 2.40am on the big day, sat up in bed and said 'Oh S**t, what have I let myself in for.' I didn't get back to sleep, needless to say, with this temporary loss of confidence. I started at NJP at 5.40am, with Richard who kindly accompanied me to the Siliguri City limits. The first part of the run was along the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway itself. This was one of the highlights of the run; feeling fit, no aches and pains, weather cool and running along the railway, dodging trains and human faeces in equal measure. Needless to say the pace was fast, egged on by Richard, with me needing to show him who was boss – I was to pay later for this misplaced early machismo.
Nick after meeting the others at Ghum
Richard and I parted company at Darjeeling More and I carried on towards Sukna, leaving behind the dust and heat of Siliguri, which was replaced by beautiful tea plantations in the early morning light, the green of the tea plants contrasting with the dusty brown of Siliguri's streets. Sukna came and went and the fun started with the beginning of the incline which would continue up 7,000 feet all the way to Ghoom, some 40 miles away. Very quickly I found myself in dense forest with the views of valleys and the mountains becoming more and more beautiful as I climbed the mountain. This was it as far as I was concerned, and what I had had in mind for the ten years since I had the idea of running the Darjeeling Himalyan Railway. The road and the railway are inextricably bound together, crossing each other at numerous points up the mountain. As I continued, the day got progressively hotter with me drinking over three litres of my water/apple juice/salt concoction and bottles of water I bought along the way over a 4 hour period.
Eventually I reached Chunbhatti (21 miles out) after about 41/2 hours running. I looked such a sight that one of the residents asked me in all seriousness, 'Sir, are you in trouble?' The rest of the team arrived, kindly congratulated me on my progress and we then returned to The Cindrella Hotel for a major carb intake. I needed to make Mahanadi (about 31 miles out) by the end of the day. The minibus returned me to Chunbhatti in the early afternoon for me to resume running. On leaving Chunbhatti my troubles started with my left hip and hamstring starting to really hurt. The sun went in and from having been very hot, I started to feel cold with a real possibility of rain making my spirits drop. That said, the welcome from all the people along the route was really uplifting. Countless smiles and 'Namastes' from people in each village, and even the dogs – my big fear – being reasonably well behaved despite the peculiar sight of a foreigner running up their mountain.
By the time I was 3 miles from Mahanadi, I thought I would have to stop, with my leg hurting to the extent that I was dragging it more than using it to propel me forwards. My spirits lifted when our minibus came into sight and Raju, the driver's mate ran alongside me for company. I had a pretty significant encounter with my stomach in the bushes by the side of the road before reaching Mahanadi as dusk approached. The minibus then took me up the mountain to Kurseong where I was to stay the night at Cochrane Place hotel. Good banter with Raju and also with the taxi driver, arriving at the Cochrane at about 7pm, elated at still being in one piece and still in the game. Good food and then bed in my running clothes as I had no luggage with me, and then sleep, having broken the back of the run – 31 miles out of the 55 miles under my belt. Phewww!!!
The next day I had a lie in (for me), and got up at 6.45 – I was feeling pretty confident again and felt the last 24 miles would be a doddle, forgetting the pain of the day before and the fact that I still had just about a whole marathon to complete – uphill.... Matters started to go downhill, literally, when I went back down the mountain in a taxi from Kuersong back to Mahanadi which I had reached the night before. I had forgotten how far it was. The taxi went down and down and down, eventually reaching Mahanadi after about 45 minutes.
Wearily I started back up the mountain; while the views were beautiful my leg problems were back with a vengeance. On reaching Keursong for the second time, I went to a roadside pharmacy and swallowed 3 very large and flourescent pink looking pills which claimed to be Ibuprofen. I carried on, dodging dogs which seemed to become more vicious the higher up the mountain I went. That said, people became more and more friendly as I went further into Gurkaland. I reached Ghoom at about 2pm, and was taken to a tiny reastaurant by one of its older – 76 years – residents for lunch of dumplings, known as Momos. After we said goodbye I had to wait for the runners to reach Ghoom who were doing the journey in a relay over one day. Ghoom is the highest point on the route, some 7,400 feet above sea level. Consequently it's pretty cold up there, and as I did not have any change of clothes with me and my running clothes were wet from my running I started to get pretty cold. I took refuge for about an hour in the station toilet/waiting room for the others.
From Ghoom, it's an easy downhill to Darjeeling, just 3.5 miles on. The relay runners joined me in Ghoom and we flew down the mountain carried by the high of knowing that we had achieved something really quite remarkable.
So how do I feel now that I and the team have achieved our challenge? Well pretty proud to be honest. There were times when I wasn't sure I was going to make it, and I really had to dig deep to continue, probably the deepest as far as physical endurance is concerned. I was also essentially on my own during the two days, with the relay runners and the cyclists in their groups. That made responding mentally to the physical challenge harder, but ultimately more rewarding, as I was able to prove to myself that I could rise to the challenge unaided. But there were also some wonderful moments which will stay with me.
Nick beating the train into Darjeeling
I am also proud of the money we have raised for the Railway Children, which will go towards helping children like some of the children we encountered on this trip. I have not been in India for 13 years, and while the country is undoubtedly richer than when I was lived here, depressingly little of this new found wealth has found its way to the poor: the daily grind and precariousness of the existence of the rickshaw wallah, the small stallholder and workshop worker seem as real today as they did back then. That has made me sad, but has reinforced to me that we were right to raise money for people who suffer very real hardship. Maybe it's futile, a drop in the ocean, but even if it stops and makes us think, that's got to be a good thing.
Fran:
Wow, what a breathtaking day! With amazing team spirit on the 'Fun-Bus' I managed to run far more than I ever expected to (un-trained). The climb make me feel like an asthmatic without her inhaler after only 20 uphill steps, but a bit of self-bullying did the trick! “Deploy the Yetti!” became my cue to disembark the 'fun-bus' and get running, this phrase will ring in my ears for a while I reckon! I'm happy to report that my fear of dogs and children has been cured...but unfortunately replaced by a fear of wild, red-faced, camera pinching monkeys!! Bring on the next challenge!!! :)
Fran with the Monkey Stick - to beat nasty monkeys
I'd just like to add that although I have no straighteners, hairdryer, hot water or soft bed I am thoroughly enjoying myself and can't wait for the next challenge.
Martin:
The Hill Cart Road is a seductive proposition. Paul and I started at the station at New Jalgapuri and felt like film stars!! In our cycle gear and with our flashy bikes three interested locals turned into 15 , then a huge throng was around us examining our bikes, brakes, computers, helmets and gear. Whilst they were friendly we decide waiting another 20 minutes for the train to depart may be a bit daunting so off we went after a quick snapshot of the station sign of we were. Weaving our way through the chaotic rushour traffic was a colourful, noisy, dusty and fume filled 20 minutes. But in a way actually easier than London traffic as everyone just gets on with it.
Babcock at Darjeeling Station
Given our early start we popped in to see Theresa at Siliguri Junction so as not to be seen to have jumped the gun (Ha - see later!). Luckily for her we woke her up as she may have missed the train and the whole experience
Once clear of the throng the road opens out with the most glorious trees and tea plantation either side. Brilliant sunshine and loads of tree shade and a dead flat road with a great surface we were off at about 17mph. I actually began thinking this was a bit of a con for all the people we had told we were going on a harsh endurance event. Sweeping into Sukna station, a pretty little place we spotted our driver as pre arranged. A quick stop just to check all was ok we were off again, about ten miles already under our belts. The road kick up a little here, but dropping a couple of gears we still swept along at pace. But just then the road decided to give us a reminder of where we were. The first of 132 unmanned level crossings came into view, a barrier at least 3 inches high both sides and a rut in the middle. Our rhythm was broken for the first of many times during the day, having to stop and walk the bikes over the crossing, then get up to speed again. I had actually been feeling pretty rough at the start, finding by legs dead and my head muggy, so I though hmm what is the rest of the day going to be like as we knew this was the easy bit? For the next couple of miles the crossings came thick and fast, we dismounted at some and risked a bike crossing on the less fearsome looking ones. By now the road had begun to throw in a steep incline as well, I was now already in next to bottom gear and we were down to 8mph between crossings. But then the road opened up and we settled into a great rhythm – same gear, 8mph, heart rate steady at 155 and just glorious sunshine.
By 15 miles in we were settled again but Paul was felling rough, by now I had got through my early problems with the help of a protein bar. So I led out and Paul hung in. We pressed on to Kurseong, where the road decided the teasing was over. The road surface now deteriorated, washed out by the monsoon rains of October. A leg sapping combination of potholes, loose shale, level crossings and narrow roads meant bottom gear and 6mph, and stops for oncoming lorry traffic. And the relentless, unforgiving upwards push of the road had us overheating, and using energy at a worrying rate.
Paul had to stop as he had now developed a stomach complaint. The first of a couple of 'bog stops' thankfully it helped him feel better. The scenery was unbelievable, ravines and gorges and the overwhelming green of the lush forest. In the distance we could hear the sound of the train as it blew its horn, as it inexorably gained on us through the day. The easy miles of the trip to Sukna seemed a distant memory.
Paul and I pressed on and we started to realise the train was going to catch. And so it did at Kurseong, sweeping serenely past as we were just remounting our bikes after a cup of tea and cheese sandwich.
At 4 miles below Ghum I hit the wall. All of a sudden my legs stopped working and it had become a mist wreathed landscape, cold and cloying and very, very hard work. Down at 5mph in bottom gear I ground on praying for the summit. But the road is unforgiving. In 40 miles of ascent there is one 40m flat section and two 40m downhill sections. And when you think it must level off, it doesn't. A rejuvenated Paul had got cold and pressed on to the summit at 7,400ft at Ghum. At last I joined him and we then sped down into Darjeeling. Until we hit the next potholes that is!! By now our wrists, bums, legs, everything hurt. It was dark by now and we came upon the station unexpectedly. With horror we hammered on the brakes as the others were waiting and we had missed the 'fun bus' as we later found they had dubbed it. So in the pitch black Paul and I rode back up the mountain to find them. Nearly coming off several times in the darkness we failed to find them so turned again. Ast the car we found a text message to say they had waited, but after dark had to get to the hotel to recover (and the right thing too). So Paul and I freewheeled the last 100m to the platform, crossed our last level crossing and shook hands.
An unforgettable and awesome experience and quite the hardest thing I have ever done. But not a bad thing to achieve on your 49th birthday!!
Maybe we didn't best the train, but we beat everything the Hill Cart Road could throw at us and had a great time in the process..
Philippa:
Philippa on the track. We didn't run on it often, only when vehicles cut corners.
WOW!
WOW! – What an amazing day
WOW! - What a great team
WOW! - What stunning views
WOW! - What a huge amount of pain!
The day was phenomenal. Even I managed to wake up at 04:45 feeling great and really excited. It was still dark when Richard, Fran, Patricia and I packed up the fun bus with all our luggage and trucked off to New Jalpuri station. The day was breaking as we walked down the platform to our chosen start line; after a few photos, the loco over the tracks from us sounded it's horn and we were off! (Not sure the horn was actually for us but we like to think so!). Richard, Patricia and I trundled off down the side of the track – no protection required trackside here... The first 3 miles was along the tracks and then through town as the sun was rising and life in NJP. Siliguri was gathering pace to the full on frenetic industry that is and Indian town on a week day picking up pace. We saw some goats in coats and people going off to the market. A young man cycled alongside us asking us where we were off to, the conversation going something like this:
Him: Where are you going
Us: Darjeeling
Him: You do know there are trains going to Darjeeling?
Us: Yes thank you
Richard: Yes but this is more fun!
We left Richard at Siliguri Jn and he ran the next 5km through town. I jumped out the fun bus and did a wonderful 8km stint which started through the tea plantations tinted with the early morning sunrise up, passed the pink station at Sukna and to the start of the uphill. The start of MUCH uphill! Through the jungle. Running alone, with perfect blue skies, beautiful huge trees, birds singing and warm sunlight was a truly memorable experience. Sadly it came to an end but thankfully really as it started to get even more steep and hot! We were relaying it so I had a bit of a rest and then a massage from Fran (laying on the plastic carpet of the bus was not the most salubrious of massage areas but it felt like the best one of my life!) I then did 3 more legs – one lovely and up through the lower Himalayan colorful villages – but the down point being where an old lady pointed and laughed at me which was not such a motivating moment! However the people were lovely – very friendly and cheered us along. The last long leg was tough – 4 miles and my right hamstrings, glutes and Achilles were starting to cramp up. I had to bring the dreaded Ipod out for a bit of John Mayer motivation which worked a treat.. Then we kept on trucking and I did my final leg which was a 2 km run into Ghum.
It was cold and grey by the time we got there as it was 7000ft but as I ran into Ghum I saw Nick who had made it to the summit – it was so exciting having us all there at the summit of such a mammoth adventure. We all had a cup of chai and then run the WONDERFUL downhill leg which was a welcome relief! We came into Darjeeling town as the schools were turning out so we dodged the school run jeeps and the well turned out kids as we made it to the finish. We just beat the train in although this is in dispute for the handicap!
Either way an amazing day and such a wonderfully tough but great experience – a day I will remember for the rest of my life.
Patricia:
A fantastic day and I'm so pleased my left knee held up to this – a few twinges on the downhill from Ghum to Darjeeling but apart from that it was great. Bring on more uphill challenges I say!
Patricia - great fun!
The day couldn't have gone much better to be honest. Fran (affectionately aka the Yeti), Richard, Philippa and I alternated the running throughout the day – generally in the order of R, Ph and me and Fran in between every second person. I think I did over a half marathon but I'm not sure by what margin. We'd started the challenge thinking that we'd try and break it up into even groups of 10km, then we discussed 6 miles then 5 miles then 5kms, eventually we just went with it on the day, generally doing slots of around 5-6kms depending on the distance between stations. We really needed a GPS and managed to not have anything with a distance counter between all of us. The track markers were definitely not miles or even rail miles as we know them so we used the road markers more.
The morning start (leaving the hotel at 5am and starting at 5.40) was perfect. The mist was still around and the working day was starting to crank up for the majority of people. It was great to leave NJP station and run alongside the track for that first part and then gradually start running into more populated and busy parts. The highlight of that portion I have to say was the wee goats in coats – just so cute at about the size of small cats. I hope they're not destined to be someone's dinner or shoes one day. It felt a bit weird though to run around in full sports kit (Runners Need should set up an Indian store, there must be significant brand recognition already) and at most was an occasional laugh or a wry raised eyebrow but mostly just people saying hi and lots of children giggling and waving. After the first stage that we ran jointly, Richard led us out of town and then Philippa took over, taking us to the first part of the hill stage. It's great to do it in a relay actually – while other people are running, you're in the bus stretching and rolling The Stick, buying crisps and bananas, applying sunscreen and generally having a laugh with the others on the bus. It was great! The support from the others when you're out there running made all the difference. The bus would drive in lurches, generally waiting behind and then passing the runner to wait ahead. The shouts and whoops from the bus were motivating as were the bottles of water and lots of photography to capture the event.
My first proper leg started about a mile before Rangtong station and ended around Chumbhati station – pretty much leaving from where we'd met Nick after his first 4 hours the day before. It was good actually and I felt pretty great, breathing was fine and the constant uphill wasn't a problem. I was slightly worried about the monkeys though – whereas I've been so excited about them that I almost jumped out of the bus on previous days, it wasn't quite the same to turn the corner and see Extended Monkey Family having lunch on the road. They hissed and screamed at me so there was a Bolt-style 100 metre dash somewhere in that first leg! The views were stunning – just fantastic scenery and very lush. We got higher and higher but it didn't feel that bad running at all. The roads at the lower part of the whole trip were much better – generally smoother and wider so cars and 4x4s weren't a problem. It was only later in the trip we'd encounter the roadworks, narrow single car roads and was it my imagination or did cars seem to be going faster the nearer to the top we got?
The second leg from Gayabari to Mahanadi was HOT, HOT, HOT. Oh my God was it hot. Apparently I was dripping, I do recall sunscreen in my eyes (felt like about 30C but no idea what it was really). That part was very exposed and no trees for shade. The only westerners we'd seen were two French guys on those reclining cycles and they were going at the same pace as my running. Not very friendly though, I tried to say hello when I was running behind one of them but it wasn't met with anything similar.
The rest of the sections are a bit of a blur – we kept them shorter as the closer to Ghum we got, the harder it seemed. My breathing was absolutely fine, but my legs felt heavy, but as soon as you stopped and started again it was fine – no idea if it was altitude or just being tired. Those last few sections we broke into small bits of around 2kms which were much more manageable. Getting to Ghum was great and seeing Nick, looking fantastic and even better than he'd looked the day before (with the exception of a slightly rolling gait) was just amazing. I bow down to his ability and tenacity! He's since revealed he's hanging onto a toenail by a thread of skin, but it's a small price to pay for running 88km.
From Ghum, after a warming chai tea round, we ran into Darjeeling (arrival at 15.15), which was all downhill. Probably the busiest part of the trip, with the exception of Kurseong town – both had lots of traffic and people to contend with. Somewhere in the planning for the trip we'd talked about meeting up a mile out of the station and then making that last mile journey to the finish all together. It half happened! We runners waited patiently on a corner just before the sation for the train to arrive with Theresa on it and then dashed to the station to meet her on the platform when she finally got in at 16.40. Then was the deliberation regarding the cyclists. We hadn't heard from them, it was getting dark and we were VERY cold. After more chai tea in Darjeeling station we decided to head to the hotel and hope they were okay. Of course they were! They got to the hotel about 18.15, walking like seasoned horse riders but thrilled like the rest of us, that we'd actually and finally done it. Martin and Paul drew the short straw I think, when I was running there were times I was glad for little steps to get over the pot holes and rails.
Thoughts and memories? It seems wealthier the closer to Darjeeling you get, a real contrast from what we left in Siliguri and Delhi. People are dressed better, houses are more sturdy and better kept, cars get better, the dogs begin to look more pet-like rather than street dogs and there seems to be a big gardening culture up here. Everywhere there are pots of flowers (marigolds seem to be popular) and people seem to make much more effort to have a smart and tidy garden where possible.
I could stay in Darjeeling for another day, but unfortunately we leave tomorrow. Today we ate, ate, ate and wandered around the markets. The vegetable stalls are the highlight, so much fresh, fantastic and attractive produce that I just cringe at the thought of Sainsbury's or Budgens' selection when I return to normality next week. I also got blessed while walking through the market. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was walking through with his followers and he touched me on the head.
BTW – the Swiss Hotel where we're staying!! NO heating (last night we were all almost dying of cold) and a dribble of a shower. Crushing after such a brilliant day. I'd also been thinking about how much I'd enjoy a red wine for most of my way up the mountain. However apparently as of the 7th of November, Darjeeling and some of the surrounding areas have gone dry as a result of some political issue with Bengal and the paying of taxes for alcohol. So, there was no chance of a toast for Martin's birthday, nor our combined achievement!
Hopefully we'll get a chance to toast the trip in Delhi tomorrow.
I'd definitely do this challenge again (Nick is up for doing the 88km in one day!) and I'd recommend this part of India to anyone. It's fantastic team building, the money raised is so worthwhile (thank you all) and it's an experience which so far tops the list of my running races.
Market goods!
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