The tiny state of Sikkim is known for its orchids. Gangtok boasts of an excellent Orchid Sanctuary, while many hotels and resorts in the state have their own orchid collections. My visit to Gangtok did not coincide with the time of the year when Orchids bloom. Yet, I got to see many flowers as I walked along the lush slopes of the town. A few pictures here. I would be grateful for any help in identifying them.
Prints of all the images available. Request for prints. Some images can be seen at a higher resolution on paintedstork facebook page.
Although I spend a lot of time taking photographs, rare are the times when I become trigger happy and get into a shooting spree. But in my recent two-day visit to Sikkim on an invitation from Club Mahindra, that’s just what I did. Some views along the way and the play of mist in the valleys was so beautiful that I could just not stop shooting.
Here is a picture Teesta River, taken on the way from Gangtok to Bagdogra. We were running short of time to catch our flight from Bagdogra, but could not help stopping on the way as often as possible. We stopped briefly to get one of the best views of the river as were crossing a bridge. I was looking at the river for a while, thinking how beautiful can the Himalayas get, and was lost in thoughts for a moment. After a while, I suddenly realized that I should be taking a photograph. In a few seconds, I had pulled out the camera from the bag, went click-click for another few seconds and returned to admiring my view. Here is one of those images.
Prints of all the images available. Request for prints.
After some quick discussions with a friend who wanted to go trekking somewhere in the Himalayas this December, we made a decision to head to Sikkim and trek to Goecha-la, a high pass in Kanchenjunga National Park.
I have trekked to Goechala via Dzongri earlier in summer(See trip report), but I was keen to go back there again to do some serious photography of landscapes deep in the Himalayas. We are starting the trek on 13th and we can take a few more people along. Here is an open invitation to join me on the trek.
It will be an 8-day trek and this being December, the weather is likely to be cold. But I am hoping that the winter mornings and evenings can be so spectacular that the trouble will be worth it. If you are interested in joining, see my earlier trip report to know more details. The trek starts from Yuksom Village, where we need to arrive a day earlier to get the permits made. You can contact me here or email me at arunchs -a-t- yahoo -d-o-t- com for more details.
Below are some images from the trek.
