April 6th, 2007, we woke up with great anticipation as it was a very special day, Dave's 30th Birthday!
As soon as we had reached Gangtok, Sikkim, we were trying like crazy to find a way to get to Nathula Pass, the Indian-China Border. We talked to several different trekking agencies, and the answer became clear, foreigners were not allowed to go the border. We were however allowed to go to Tsomgo Lake, which is about 18 km from the border. It turns out that there are all sorts of military things set up near the border and our guide told us that is why foreigners aren't allowed to go to the border. Supposedly the Indian Govt. is worried that foreigners would report things that they have observed from the military and possibly take photos that would jeopardize the safety of the border.
So we woke up early and made about and hour and a half trip up the mountain to Lake Tsomgo, which is 12,400 ft high and covered in snow. Though we didn't drive far, there was a marked decrease in the temperature and the scenery was completely different. It was so beautiful.
After we went to the lake, we went back to Gangtok, walked around and had a delicious dinner. It was a good day. An interesting thing about Gangtok is that they take a lot of pride in their city. They have the only "litter-free, spit-free zone," that I know about in India. It is quite clean compared to most cities that we have visited. There are also a lot of visitors that go through this city as Sikkim is well known for trekking. Sikkim is the home of Mt. Khangchendzonga (28,156 ft.), which is the third tallest mountain in the world.
