Dear friends,
I am talking about the year 2009-2010. I was working in Molekule at that time. We decided to visit Pelling with our office colleague and their family.
Pelling's situated in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Sikkim.
One of my juniors knew a tour operator. He arranged all tour planning with the operator. We all paid 50% of the payment to the operator, and the remaining we will pay after the tour. But we all will spend our train fair by ourselves that was the condition made with that tour operator.
Our tour operator told us that he would book a hotel in Siliguri. Another person of the tour operator will be with us, and he will directly meet with us in Pelling.
He also said that he would book a car for us.
After we reached Siliguri found that there was no car was booked by him.
We asked the other person with us; he informed us that maybe the tour operator had forgotten to book the car.
We reached a hotel to fresh ourselves through auto. From that time, I felt that something suspicious.
We reached Siliguri at 8:30 am, and our plan was we all would be fresh in a hotel and then would finish our breakfast. After that, we will again continue our journey for Pelling.
As our operator won't book the hotel, we all searched and went to a hotel, and after that, we were went to book a car for us for Pelling.
We all total were 38-40 people so, we need at least 4cars.
It was about 10:30 am. We need to start our journey for Pelling. But we already paid our 50% money, and it was the tour operator's responsibility to book cars for us. So we asked the assistant of the tour operator who would pay the money.
Then we all discussed and decided that we would write down the expenses. Later we will adjust those costs with the operator's remaining payment.
After reaching the Pelling in the evening, we found that our tour operator had booked a good hotel for us; And he was waiting for us in Pelling.
We planned to stay for 2days in Pelling. After that, we will return to Siliguri, and from there again, we will be back in Kolkata.
That night we all had dinner with the tour operator. He apologised for the inconvenience and was ready to adjust the amount.
The next day we decided to visit Pemayangtse Monastery and visit the side seen.
When we were about to leave, the hotel owner asked for some advance, and we said that we had already paid our tour operator.
The hotel owner informed that he didn't get any money from the operator.
We called the operator he replied that he could not transfer the money. But today, I will receive the money and pay the hotel owner.
After reaching the hotel from the site seen. We know that the operator didn't pay the money to the hotel owner.
We all arranged a bonfire at night, and everyone drank a bit, including the hotel owner and tour operator.
Now the operator confessed that e already spent all the money we all paid him. The hotel owner took an iron rod and started beating the operator by saying that he would not give us and the operator the exit; until getting the full payment.
Now we started talking with his assistant and then we got to know that he was not his assistant. The tour operator approached him for a free tour, that's why he came there.
Our tour operator acquired rs.10000 from the person and came here to adjust his money.
Everyone started beating both of them. We were couldn't able to pay the hotel charges.
Because the bank was closed and we didn't carry such a vast amount.
Then we found an ATM, withdrew cash, cleared the hotel bills, and left Pelling.
After reaching Kolkata, we contacted the tour operator's house and were able to collect rs.35000.
That was my memorable experience while travelling at Pelling.