In July 09 I took a trip with my mother and father to Sikkim, the second smallest Indian state tucked away amidst pristine nature in the eastern Himalayas. We flew to Bagdogra and from there an arduous road journey to Pehling. Pehling is supposed to provide views of Kanchenzunga (the 3rd highest summit in the world), however it was surrounded in an amphitheatre of clouds. We did see some lovely sights including waterfalls, mountains side villages carrying out terraced farming and a stunning monastery. From Pehling we went to Gangtok the capital. It was here that I purchased a stunning Thangka, depicting the life of Buddha. The wish for a Thangka went back almost 10 years. On my trip to Nepal I had seen some Thangkas close up and had ever since desired to possess one. We also visited the Rumtek monastery and did the local sight seeing including the impressive chorten stupa.
