Far Too Good For Ordinary People

When I was in Kolkata last week I was asked if I noticed the differences between the different states and, like the oblivious Western Princess that I am I said "no". I can confirm that Darjeeling is different. I'd go as far as to say that the differences between Darjeeling and Kolkata (at the bottom end of the same state), are far more pronounced than the differences between Kolkata and Mumbai, on the opposite coast.

Gone is the traditional dress, in favour of ripped jeans and hoodies. Curry isn't ubiquitous, it's all chowmein and thukpa. I saw more churches than temples. People use bins. There's no endless noise: the town shuts down at 9. Cows are off the road and on the menu. Motorcyclists don't use the pedestrian area - full horn, full throttle is not a thing here. It is so very different to everywhere else I've been - the local people don't even look Indian.

I liked it though. It was full of tea and undulations. Where to start? Undulations, just because it's a word I don't use enough.

Darjeeling's undulations were spectacular - and I don't just mean Khangchendjunga (which stayed resolutely behind a cloud when we made the trip to Tiger Hill, the big, teasing diva). The local, tea-covered foothills were a pretty good backdrop to everything. We fobbed off the toy train and wobbled over them on a shonky cable car. Don't worry, the sign says it's ISO9001 compliant - I found that about as reassuring as if they'd shown me a food hygiene certificate; very nice but completely irrelevant.

Here's a confession, I don't care that much for tea. It's one of those things that I know other people like but has very little relevance to my life. Like graphic novels, Bake Off and cricket. I learnt more about tea this weekend than I have all other weekends combined. I now know my black from my white, my Second Flush from my Autumn and my SFTGFOP from my fannings. And I know that if you put milk and sugar in a Darjeeling tea, you're a heathen who doesn't deserve to be drinking good tea - the Happy Valley man was very clear about that. I had probably the highest-quality cup of tea I'll ever have. It was alright.