#sikkim

"This is a traditional Tibetan earring known as an Akor (অর্গা지), which are beautiful examples of traditional Tibetan jewellery and metalworking.

Historically, Akor were worn by women in Central Tibet, as well as in some neighbouring regions, perhaps most notably in Sikkim. And they're most commonly associated with traditional aristocratic styles of dress.

Flame bearer: Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)

Even after it has gone, its presence will remain

—a lingering echo, held softly in the memory of my touch...

OK STORYY TIMEEE!!!!

It started as an impromptu solo mission... 🎒✨ I was visiting Sikkim University for a research position and spontaneously decided to extend the journey up to Pelling. Before I knew it, my mom, dad, sister, uncle, and aunt had packed their bags and hijacked my solo retreat into a full-on family expedition! 😭🧳

We stayed at the Cherry Resort.....literally the only resort nestled inside the vast expanse of the Temi Tea Garden. 🏔️🌱 These first photos were taken during those blissful first two days when I was still completely on my own. The resort was stunning... all rustic wooden architecture where every single room was named after a different mountain tree species. Being a biologist, that little detail absolutely tickled my brain! 🌲🎋

The entire vibe of the place was intoxicating. The local tea was exquisite....this deep, scotch-colored, incredibly fragrant brew that you could just sip for hours☕✨ The grounds were also overflowing with gorgeous succulents, which immediately activated my inner plant thief (it’s a guilty pleasure, but I literally travel with rooting hormone in my bag just to feed the massive camaraderie of plants waiting back at my house! 🌿🤫)

Because we were perched up at an elevation of 1675 meters, getting fresh non-veg ingredients up those steep mountain slopes was incredibly tough. So we subsisted on the most elite complimentary breakfasts... piping hot, crisp garam parathas slathered in fresh butter! and evening snacks with fried fritters with all kinds of veggies, oh and the pickles were mindblowing! 😋🤤

By the third day, the family finally descended upon my peaceful haven. Along with them came our local driver, who was so madddd handsome... seriously, there is just something about pahari guys that has no business being that attractive, ahhh 😍🔥

We settled into a perfect, lazy mountain routine... walking through the lush slopes of the tea gardens, chatting up the local people, and going on crisp morning walks. The misty paths were alive with the calls of vibrantly colored mountain birds, and the weird, repetitive warning calls of the Takkhak snake (idk what its called in english, thats the bengali name btw) echoing through the trees 🐍 But when night greeted us, the entire valley fell into this unnervingly quiet, heavy stillness. The only noise for miles was the rhythmic buzzing of grasshoppers and the occasional trickling of fresh rainwater.... it was sooo hauntingly peaceful 🌧️🦟

The absolute highlight happened on our third evening together. All six of us were huddled on the balcony overlooking the endless rows of tea bushes. It was drizzling lightly, warm cups of tea in our hands, when my dad suddenly pointed toward the distant slopes. ☕👀

Far down the narrow, slippery path of the tea gardens, a lone figure in a bright red jacket was attempting to walk a straight line... and failing miserably. He was navigating the terrain with a massive, multicolored umbrella and was clearly, utterly wasted 😭☂️🍷. My dad told us to lock our eyes on him because he was a hundred percent certain a wipeout was imminent.

First, the man stumbled directly into a local tea worker, enthusiastically enveloping the poor guy in a massive, drunken hug, gaining absolutely nothing in return but a massive, deeply offended frown🫂. Mind you, the valley was so silent that the nearest proper village was a solid 7 kilometers away, so everything felt amplified.

We sat there in breathless anticipation, giggling and gossiping about the legendary strength of local mountain alcohol (tari or something), when suddenly with a loud THWACK our heads turned towards the garden.... 💥

The man lost his footing entirely. He fell over hard, his multicolored umbrella tumbling away into the wind, rolling uselessly down the slope 🤣🤸‍♂️⛱️

Our balcony collectively erupted into the loudest, most unhinged laughter. Because the mountains were dead quiet, the sound echoed perfectly down the valley. The poor guy instantly spotted us. He looked up, completely disheveled, and started furiously cussing us out in his own language 🤬👹. Of course, we didn't understand a single syllable of his drunken rant, which only made us laugh ten times harder and louder! 😭😂🔊

An Exchange semester in Taiwan 🇹🇼