I was at SPS during the early 70's (Lw House), and was the School Captain in 1974. I left India shortly after finishing 6th form (ISC) and have lived in other countries ever since. In 1995, the petroleum company I work for in Texas offered me a 5 year transfer to Jakarta. Amongst the many attractions of living and working in Asia, one of my first thoughts was that I'd be in the same continent and within striking distance of Darjeeling.

And so, at our first vacation opportunity (October 1996), my wife and I planned a trip to India, without the children, so that we could be mobile and travel around as much as possible. We spent a few days in Bombay, a week in Rajastan and then on to Calcutta and Darj. In Cal, I met up with a classmate, Sonu Punwani, and enjoyed meeting him and his family (several of whom are OPs) at the Lytton Hotel. For those who remember Sonu (The Flying Konk of 100m fame), he is much the same although just a few kilos heavier. He arranged a small get together for several '74 OPs -- Sushil Jain, Mujibar Rahman, Shekkar Burman, Digby Raychoudhury, Qummar Siddiq plus phone calls from several others -- we had a great time catching up on the 20+ years since we last met.

From Cal, it was on to Bagdogra and Darj. The drive up to Darj was much more pleasant than I remember, maybe because we were not cramped in the back of a jeep with 8-10 others from the "Bombay party." When we hit Ghoom, I knew we were really there. Just the name of the place, plus the narrow gauge railway track and smoky aroma, conjured up strong memories from the past. In Darjeeling, we had decided to stay at the Windamere Hotel on the Chowrastra, which turned out to be an excellent choice. I had been there a few times during my school days, but had never really appreciated the charm of this fine establishment. It is truly a remarkable old hotel, which has maintained its heritage despite all the changes that have taken place in Darj over the years. The original owner, an 87 year old Tibeten lady, is still the proprietor, and she takes great pride in greeting the guests every evening before dinner. The place is packed with memorabilia collected over the past 70+ years, including many old photographs, original letters and other documents which are proudly displayed on the walls. The rooms are laid out in their original style and our experience of staying there was much like entering a time capsule into a bygone era.

The real purpose of our visit began the next day, when we took a jeep to school. The Rector of SPS is Mr. David Howard. When I left school in '74, Mr. Howard was the Hastings House master, and I was very pleased to see that he was now the Rector. I had corresponded with him about my planned trip, but had not given him any details. Upon arriving at the Quad, two things struck me. One was how good the school looked -- fresh paint and well maintained buildings; the other was how empty it was, even though the "Puja Hols" had not yet started. I later learned that most of the boys were at North Point watching or competing in the Interschool sports.

After walking around for a while, I proceeded to the Rectory and knocked on the door. Mr. Howard opened it and said "Good Heavens, it's Ronnie, come on in." He was just on his way to North Point to watch the sports and he invited my wife and I to accompany him. We did so, and thoroughly enjoyed watching our boys dominate in all age groups. Even after all these years, going back to the sports grounds which had been the site of so much rivalry between SPS and SJS, was very exciting. If I had had my keds with me, I might even have offered to run a leg of the relay.

We spent the next few days touring around Darj and seeing all the sights. The weather was superb in October, and the views of Kanchenjunga seemed were even more spectacular than I could ever recall. One of my desires was to get out and do some trekking in the foothills. What better place to go than Sandakphu, where a group of us had gone as part of our DEAS awards in '73. I found a very good guide with a reliable Landrover (a 1945 model with its original engine!), and we set off the next morning. We drove on the main road to Manaybhanjan, and then took off up the hillside along a steeply inclined dirt road towards our destination. We spent about half the day walking and the rest riding in the jeep. It was a tough journey which tested our resolve to get to the top. We arrived at Sandakphu (12,000 ft) just after sunset, with a strong wind and freezing temperatures. The fresh chapatti and hot sabzi they served in the tourist bungalow was the most welcome meal we had on the entire trip.

After a good night's sleep, we awoke the next morning to what must undoubtedly be one of the most spectacular mountain views any where in the world. There was blue sky and glorious sunshine, even though it was still very cold. Our guide told us we were most fortunate, as the weather had not been good up to that point, and this was the first clear day they had seen in weeks. When your luck is in, it's in, and we soaked up as much of the view as possible for an hour or so before heading off down the steep dirt road. The ride downhill was even more difficult than in the other direction, and we ended up walking most of the way. It was an exhausting day, but worth every bit of effort. The panoramic views, which I captured on video and film, were definitely a highlight of our journey.

The final day in Darjeeling included Sports Day at SPS, Exhibitions and the School Play. Mr. Howard had asked my wife and I to be the chief guests at the play, which I was looking forward to doing. The morning of the sports was exactly as I remember it. The grounds staff (headed by Diamond, who was still there from the early 70s) did a great job marking the tracks and coloring the infield with orange and black chalk. The march past, athletic events and prize ceremony were great fun, and the excitement amongst the boys could be felt by everyone in the audience. After lunch on the Quad, we visited the arts and crafts exhibitions, plus other demonstrations in the chemistry and computer labs. The school play later that afternoon was an excellent performance, with some very good acting talent on display. My wife was most impressed by the costumes and makeup, especially the "female" roles which were carried out very convincingly. I told her a story about one of our school plays in '73 (Macbeth). Iqbal Soni, who was my vice captain in '74, was rather unfortunately cast in the role of Lady Macbeth. Iqbal, besides being a great actor, was also one of the hairiest boys in school. Sorry to say that not even the best make up could cover the five o'clock shadow on his chin and the neckline of his dress did nothing to conceal a very hairy chest. At least now my wife understands the humor of this school story! After the play, I addressed the audience, congratulated the boys and staff on a very entertaining performance and shared some of my recollections of school and previous school plays.

It was an enjoyable end to a most enjoyable vacation. I left with the feeling that St. Paul's has maintained its stature as the top private boarding school in the country. Traditions established over the past 175 years continue to enhance the all round education of the boys, and this will no doubt ensure a bright future for new and old Paulites in the years to come.

RON A. NOBLE, PhD - Lw. 74