Today saw us leaving Darjeeling – but not without checking out the local zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI).

The HMI conducts courses in mountaineering; for the general public it features a museum showcasing various achievements in mountaineering – from first ascents (incl. of course Mt.Everest) to achievements in Antarctica – all complete with equipment of the time of the respective trips. The maps shown here are interesting, as they show the historical border and political situation; a statue of Sir Edmund Hillary sits in front of the museum.

The zoo is right next to the HMI, it features plenty of the local fauna – from mountain animals (as the Himalaya Tahrs in the photo below) to forest dwellers. The stars here are the Red Pandas – with the zoo successfully engaged in a breeding program.

From the zoo it was right onto the road for our drive towards Sikkim. En-route we had a short stop at Tukvar Tea Garden to take in the great views and serene surroundings.