Just me again guys, nerding it up on the blog.   Another loooooong day.  You see, my Muslim friend who has been following me all over the sub continent cranked up AGAIN at 4.00am, with some demented Christmas Carol.  OK, maybe it's not the same guy, but they have to be related.  He seems compelled to make sure everyone is awake at 4.00pm.  He goes on for a few minutes and eventually I can get back to sleep for a while.  But only for a while.  He logs back on at 5.00am and does an encore performance.  Maybe he could be persuaded to get a gig in Les Miserables or something, in another continent!  Oh, and in Darjeeling, he tag teams with a clock tower, which chimes in at - you guessed it - 6.00am.  Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man.  Maybe.........

Went ot the Darjeeling Zoo today.  Bit of a let down. The Mountaineering Institute is contained within it and it's reasonably interesting.  They seem to have claimed Tensing Norge as their own.  I'm sure he was actually Nepali, not Indian, but I could be mistaken.  Sort of like all the New Zealanders we claim who make it big in Hollywood?

The hotel seems to be gearing up for a big night, but I am thinking I might try to avoid this due to a proposed early (read - also cold) start in the morning.  Bhutan tomorrow, if we can convince the Indian authorities to let us leave.  Actually there are still 6 of our number who will have to visit the Indian Embassy in the Bhutan capital of Thimpu, because they STILL haven't sorted out their visas for getting back out of Bhutan and back into India for the last time (to get the flight home).  Hmmmmmm.

Derek.