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India: Darjeeling

A view of Darjeeling
Darjeeling is one of the few hill stations that's entirely built on a slope

Darjeeling is one of India's most famous hill stations; it is, of course, renowned for its tea. Most of the hill stations I've visited – the Cameron Highlands, Kodaikanal, Dieng and so on – are situated in valleys, with a pleasant town centre surrounded by hills studded with beautiful residences. Not so Darjeeling; this hill station lives at an altitude of 2134m on a west-facing slope, which makes it easy to work out which direction you're facing, but it also makes exploring the town feel like a workout on a step machine.

One of the snow leopard cubs in Darjeeling
The Darjeeling snow leopard breeding programme is unique: it's successful
One of the Darjeeling snow leopards
One of the Darjeeling snow leopards
The Himalayas as seen from Darjeeling
When the rain clears, the Himalayas hover in the distance like huge clouds
The backstreets of Darjeeling
Exploring the cramped backstreets
Darjeeling Market
Darjeeling Market

Tea Terminology

The tea fields of Darjeeling
The tea fields of Darjeeling

The whole subject of Darjeeling tea deserves a separate section, if only because the sheer complexity of it makes PG Tips look positively plebeian. Ready for a whole new world? Then we'll begin.

The Happy Valley Tea Estate factory
The Happy Valley Tea Estate factory
Martina sniffing tea
Martina sniffing tea
A tea vendor sealing tea packets with a candle
Sealing the tea packets with a candle
Chowrasta
Chowrasta, one of the best people-watching spots in town
Bags of produce in Darjeeling Market
Goods for sale in Darjeeling Market

1 Hillary and Tenzing have always kept quiet about who actually reached the top first, which is interesting. If you ask a westerner who climbed Everest first, the answer will be 'Edmund Hillary'; ask someone from the Indian subcontinent and the emphasis will be on Tenzing Norgay. They're both right, because nobody knows who was first except for the two who made it, and they're not telling; there are no clues in the photos, either, as the flags flown on the summit were the Union Jack (for New Zealander Hillary), Indian (for Norgay) and Nepalese (as Everest is in Nepal).

2 There are lots of Indian words that have made it into English. Veranda, guru, pyjamas, sandals, ganja, dungarees, shampoo, khaki, jungle, loot, monsoon, hookah, curry... all these are Indian words that we commonly use today. There are more than you think.

3 One rich middle class Indian told me that if you have money, India is the best country in the world to live, and not just because it's cheap. With money you can live a lifestyle that's as good as anything you can get in the West, but your money can also buy you all the drugs you want, as much corruption as you like (by judicious use of baksheesh) and can even get you the perfect spouse and produce well-educated kids to ensure the family fortune stays as the family fortune. If money is no object in the West, you can still get anything, but if you're caught bribing, you can do time; in India, it's all part of the social fabric, so not only can you get away with it, you do.