A jungle of unfamiliar trees, splotches of lilac and scarlet spattering the interior, the almost sickly sweet aroma of orchids. In the far distance there is the awesome spectacle of the snow-capped peaks of the Eastern Himalayas. Change is the constant on this train. But then the mountain range comes into view. It seems amazing the train can climb any higher, yet it does.
Peaks sink away, new ones appear.
Seeming to chase its own tail, the train's wheels sing as the flanges bite the rails. Kurseong, where India ends and Central Asia begins. The train noses its way through the main street, pausing to allow travelers to buy things without leaving their seats. Directly above is the grey underbelly of a cloud. Soon it will stretch behind like a sea, filling the valleys and mountain peaks.