LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW . . .

Yep, in another one of those "who would have guessed, not me" moments, it actually snowed in Darjeeling last night. After heavy rain. Leaving us variously freezing and/or wet and/or without feeling in our fingers and/or toes even though we were all wrapped in multi-layers that made us look like Michelin Men. Not helped by unheated hotel rooms where you can actually see your breath and where your teeth literally chatter when the small hot water tank runs out and you are stranded on the dimly-lit bathroom's icy marble floor. Not helped by high-altitude hangovers from Joey's Pub last night that lead many to miss 5AM trip to Tiger Hill this morning to see stunning Himalayan vistas. Although we think (hope) that these spectacular views were obscured by early morning rain/clouds/fog so that we won't feel so guilty about not getting up and can feel superior to those who didn't stumble up the slick, steep, unlit streets to the lovely Hotel Shambhu after last call at the previously-mentioned Joey's Pub and were thus able to stick to the itinerary.

We were not the sorriest of gringo travelers at Joey's Pub last night, however. That honor is reserved for a fellow American named Tom. Young Tom grew up in Queens, he now lives in Portland, OR and this is his first trip outside of the U.S. It is also likely the first time that he has thrown up all over the floor of Joey's Pub and has had to be carried out of Joey's Pub by his unsympathetic friends. It is almost certain that Young Tom did not get up at 5AM this morning and head to Tiger Hill.

So we arrived in Darjeeling yesterday afternoon (in daylight, a rare treat!). It was an absolutely incredible drive from Siliguri - beautiful countryside and really beautiful, friendly people to go along with it. Darjeeling is awesome despite the cold, with lots to do and explore besides Tiger Hill. We'll do the toy train to Ghoom and back tomorrow. (Your Ghoom or mine? My favorite movie is "A Ghoom with a View," save Ghoom for dessert . . . ha, ha, the altitude is making me punchy.) Maybe try to do Tiger Hill and visit a tea plantation too? There is never enough time and we head to Gangtok day after tomorrow if we can get the permits to visit Sikkim.

We really do appear to have left the vortex and hope I don't jinx it by saying that. Calcutta was amazing - nothing like I thought based on what I've heard, it's been my favorite of the big cities. Other than the unsettling experience of the street kid storming my cab, demanding a kiss and grabbing my boob and then the cab driver saying "VERY BAD MAN" before asking for his own kiss. Annie, Allison & I went to the Botanical Gardens and saw the "world's second biggest banyan tree" and posed as international botanists in an attempt to see the vastly overrated Herbarium. Annie, Allison & I went to the Victoria Memorial. I went solo to Mother Teresa's Motherhouse and saw her tomb, then went to the Park Street Cemetary at twilight which was a scene right out of The Vampire Lestat. We ate great food, although Peter Cat's is not the cat's meow as Lonely Liar would have you believe. We went to the Usthi Foundation Children's Project in Udarhait and (some of us) gave massive donations because Mr. McCann (the founder) really is doing admirable things to help the poverty-stricken and the kids seemed really happy.

We had an uneventful night of bush camping despite my hideous dream that we were attacked while bush camping and I was in a tree with my sleeping bag and saw Darren in his camo shorts streaking across a field in a spotlight, and all the women were hiding in the truck or in various creepy & prickly bushes, and Adam/Steve were cresting a hill all Rambo-like and with guns before I woke up and didn't know if we survived or not.

We got stuck in insane amounts of traffic between Calcutta & Siliguri, making a 4-5 hour drive like an epic 12-13 hour trip. Which included sitting on the truck for three hours while we waited for a strike to clear. During which time Adam & Steve made hot chai on the road. During which time Adam & Steve fixed various parts of the truck. During which time we ate lunch on the truck. During which time we played Shithead on the truck. During which time I did a Bar Collection. During which time Nic made a Kitty Collection. During which time no one got to pee because there was no place TO pee. Fast forward several hours to a time when it is dark and we are stuck in a massive, truck-filled traffic jam. During which time we start to drink (an unhealthy habit that we all agree must stop immediately). During which time we need to pee but - again - there is no place in WHICH to pee. But that ceases to matter to one of us (who shall remain nameless, but thank god it wasn't me). Who lines a plastic bag with toilet paper, crouches at the back of the bus while Allison & I hold up Astroturf blankets to protect her from prying eyes and quietly does her business. We arrive late at the yucky Hotel Holydon, at which four of us eat a late, late dinner which makes three of us ill (again, thank god it wasn't me) and in which we sleep in our own sleeping bags because we don't want the filthy sheets/blankets to touch even one inch of our bodies. Except for our protective sleeping bags slip off our pillows at some point during the night, and both Nic & I are horrified to see that we have been lying, snuggling and drooling on the dirt-grey pillows. Ugh. But then again, no bed bug bites.

That takes us to Darjeeling and you already know that story . . . hard to believe that we are already on night 19 of 28. I waffle between being sad and ecstatic about leaving, and still don't know how/when I'm coming back to the states. Because I changed my return ticket in the heat of the moment and now all the flights are booked. So I will be making my way to Oregon sometime in mid-February if the flight gods and my Mom's travel agent are looking out for me. Over and out . . . Stormi