I got up this morning at 3:30 a.m. to check the sky for stars. I could see them, so that meant I was on for a trip up Tiger Hill to see the sunrise and light up the 5 highest mountain peaks in the world.
(It's not hard to get up at 3:30 when you go to sleep at 7 p.m.)

I had arrived in Darjeeling yesterday. Elevation 6, 600 feet, and became exhausted getting up to my hotel, and had not recovered by nightfall.

This morning I felt good, and it was COLD. So I put my cold plan into effect - and put on all my clothes! An Irish couple I met in Calcutta is also staying at this hotel, and we planned the trip together . We met at 4a.m. and walked down the hill and got a 4x4 jeep taxi taking tourist up to Tiger Hill. The sky turned out to be hazy and the mountains were barely visible, but I had seen a postcard of it on a pristine day - so I just placed that image in my mind as I looked at the hazy mountain peaks. But I was there, and those were the highest mountains in the world - so that one item is now checked off as successful.

Then we rode a taxi half way back down, got out , had breakfast at a local tea house and walked 4 hours back to the hotel. A very nice day. I ate lunch, went to my room and started to really feel bad. I mean I had no energy - and could do nothing but stay in bed under heavy blankets, because it was now very cold in my room.

I think I had some of the symptoms of altitude sickness which is extreme fatigue. I felt EXTREMELY fatigued and finished the day and evening comfortably in bed - exhausted.