It was already 6 months to our Kerala trip and my body and mind both demanded an escape from the humdrum of the city life. So me and my husband decided to go to some place which could bring back the vigour in us and charge us up for the next few months until we go for the next trip ;). As always this time too our proclivity for the hills took over and we decided to visit some hill station. Being in Kolkata I used to hear a lot about Sikkim from my friends and colleagues that worked as a spur to our decision of visiting this beautiful state. Even though Sikkim is immensely rich in natural beauty, but we zeroed on North Sikkim as Gurudongmar Lake always fascinated me whenever I saw a picture of it or felt the sense of pride in the voice of some friend who visited this magnificent lake at a height of 17000 feet. So we finalized to visit Gangtok and North Sikkim in the month of May as the cold would be moderate and we would be able to see the Rhododendrons at Yumthang Valley. PART I We boarded Kanchankanya Express from Sealdah station on 22nd May and reached NJP on 23rd morning.