Day 0
A trip is
incomplete without its share of drama !
Mine started
with one, with a storm brewing in one part of the country where my children
were spending their vacations and death of my grandmom late into the night
just as I was getting the last minute packing in place.
There was
confusion in the air, but I still carry on.
Loved the peace
and quiet of a hotel room and realized how much I miss that solitude.
It is good soul
medicine to take time off and sit and gaze into the sun over the distant hills
and watch the play of shadows.
I decided I would
do it, more often, maybe sitting by the lake close to home or from bar stools of the city’s finest
restaurants!!!
Day 1
I
leave for the Guwahati airport- our planned meeting point to wait for our tour
manager to arrive.
I
do not remember going on a trip, where I did not know my travel companions
name, age or sex.
My
parents thought I was going with friends and I was hoping it would be so.
At
the airport, I catch up on my reading and wait for the plane to arrive.
My
read for the week was
Chai
Chai by Biswanath Ghosh
It
is not a travelogue, more a message which spoke to me, telling me to lose my
inhibitions and free my mind to welcome new experiences.
I
meet my first two travel companions- feel happy that I can talk to them.
When
you have to spend 8 days with folks you don’t know, it is important that you
find common ground.
After
a long wait, we meet the other two and were in for a pleasant surprise.
Our
tour organizer was friendly and a simple down to earth person.
Our
other travel companion was of German origin, working in Bangalore.
Overall
a fun group and we were ready to rock
and roll!
For
that was our first halt- Shillong- known as the Rock and Roll capital of India.
All
along the way, we felt the fervor of Ashtami celebrations taking over the city.
We reached
White Orchid Guest House close to the Police Bazaar, clean, spacious,
comfortable.
http://www.shillonghotel.com/index.php
Quick dinner,
quick wash, and early night ignoring the call of the night to rock and roll,
eager to wake up to an early morning and the beginning of a long adventure.
Day 2
The day began
with hot tea and cake.
The drive was
supposed to be from Shillong to
Mawllynong- through small towns of Meghalaya-
was true to its name- the views of the East Khasi hills covered in the bluest
blue clouds made us stop often and we let the cameras do the talking.
The lush green
hills, smiling faces along the way were a constant reminder that we were far
away from home.
A detour to
the small town of Dawki, about 2 hours from Shillong at the border of India and
Bangladesh brought us to one of the most fascinating towns in the trip.
Passing
through the bridge, seeing the green waters, and a multitude of fishing boats.
Border and
the living- for the folks living and working there the border and the waters
are a way of life, but for us, it is a legal loop hole.
The blurring
divide between Bangladesh and India along the Dawki rivers, man –made and
followed.
Smiling faces
here too.
A friendly
invite by a homesick BSF person , yearning to hear his language spoken in such
a far off land.
Wonderful hot
breakfast at a small wayside eatery. Even the smallest roadside joints, greeted
us with hot, tasty food!
Food was a
pleasure all through our journey.
We then speed
along to the cleanest village in Asia.
A word about
our driver Kaushik- he was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable, careful and
friendly.
Our journey
was accompanied by a vuvuzelic sound which had us guessing – temple bells,
mosque siren, cement mixer? It was a constant, the sound deafening.
Later learnt
from Kaushik it was an insect- he could say no more!!
We drove
through lush green woody roads and finally reached a clearing, being the only
car for miles together, with an occasional driver passing us, we were surprised to see the place like a Kamath
on Mysore road!!
Packed with Sumos
and cars and Bengalis and Assamese alike, thronging the area!!
Around 90 kms
from Shillong, this village lies very close to the Bangladesh border at Dawki and
statistics claim that the village has a 100% literacy rate. There are no
beggars either!
There were
beautiful gardens in all the houses, orange and yellow flowers covered walls.
The roads were very clean. The smaller roads within the village were made of
concrete. In front of every house and shop, there were beautiful bamboo baskets
as dust-bins.
Since 2003,
this little village has held the title of the ‘Cleanest Village in
Asia’ with recognition from a travel magazine, Discover India, and later
reinforced by National Geographic and the UNESCO.
Was it clean-
yes, it was a work of art, it looked like every individual in that village
owned the responsibility of keeping their village clean. The village council
imposes a fine on anyone littering or destroying trees. Children are taught to
keep their surroundings clean at an early age. All the rubbish is dumped in to
compost pits and polythene is completely banned. The village has a zero litter
policy; every person has access to a toilet.
Pretty
pitcher plants and the most welcoming smiles were the trademark of that small
village.
We climbed atop Sky view tower , a 80 feet bamboo
tower leading to a birds eye view of Bangladesh.
We stayed at
Sky View Guest house- where the owner a genial old man, was very polite and
talkative, he greeted all the guests who
wanted to climb the tower for a view of Bangladesh.
Ricky our
guide for the evening led us to a waterfall - Niriang Falls, a 300m cascade of
the Wah Rymben River , we watched as it fell in a deep crystal pool fringed by
swaying reeds. where some took a dip in the cool waters. The climb up was
easier, though there was a leech attack on one of our companions.
We then
made a quick rush to visit one of the
many living root bridges Meghalaya is famous for at Riwai- a walk through clean
paths, more smiling faces and the walk over a bridge. Everywhere children were ready
to smile and pose for pictures!
Two banyan
trees were planted on the two sides of river, and their roots jutting out
ferociously from all sides, held together a narrow path made up of stones and
boulders. And below the bridge is the Wahthyllong River
Typical only
to the Khasi Hills region of Meghalaya, the story of the living-root bridge is
something like this. Hundreds of years ago, natives planted two banyan trees on the two banks of
the river and around 50 years after that, when the roots came out properly,
they tied it together with long bamboos, and thus the living, root bridges were
formed. These are “natural bridges shaped by humans”.
Ricky our
young guide, could not stop laughing at
our weaknesses as we struggled to catch our breath walking along the narrow path way, dotted with small hutments and melon trees.
Most visitors
prefer a day trip to this place to catch a glimpse of the living root bridge at
Riwai
Back for some
amazing conversation, wonderful tea and sound of night life of the town- a
preacher on a Sunday evening, people listening intently for almost 11/2 hours
and some great food.
I know I went
smiling to sleep.
Day 3:
We awaken to
the sound of the Meghalaya day insect ( temple bells, mosque bells? Cement
mixer? ) realized thanks to google, its is the Indian cicada- found in Ri Bhoi
Dist of Mehgalaya .
Slowly getting
used to an early start, we are ready for our long ride to Cherrapunjee.
It's about
53km from Shillong to the town of Cherrapunjee about 2 hours drive.
Only read
about it in books, questioned during GK quizzes and there we were, again
through the cloud covered hills which never failed to amaze us.
We stop for
tea at a small shop, waiting to get to the wettest place on earth.
This was not
green, not wet, not verdant, not what I imagined.
It was dry,
arid, and brown!!
We checked
into a backpackers lodging and made our way to have breakfast, filling
ourselves with bread and eggs for a long trek to a double root bridge.
The drive was
long and scenic and admit, green.
A shocking 3
kms, 3000 step climb down through steps, stones and greenery and swaying bridges.
My knees
wobbled, I sat and slid at places, the sheer beauty of my surroundings made me
go on.
We passed
several smiling locals, going up and down carrying on with their activities ,
which included transporting blocks of wood and sacks of sand, to build railings
to help people like us climb more comfortably.
Finally the view, the natural wonder and beauty
making up for all the pain.
The inviting little house and the anticipation of hot maggi
never fails wherever we go!!
The climb up
was not so difficult, passing many young kids all smiling, through the agony of
climbing 3000 steps!!
“Return
Journeys are shorter and more assuring”
A cold shower
was much needed.
An early
dinner, tasty, filling, simple, welcoming.
Heprit the owner of By the way – a backpackers lodge can be reached at
Heprit the owner of By the way – a backpackers lodge can be reached at
, cheerful, he does everything he can
to make your stay comfortable
A lovely walk
along the lanes of a small town, dreaming, wishing of living there in one of the cottages.
A difficult
night on coir beds which felt like acupuncture needles every time I turned, ensured
I woke up on time.
Day 4
The early morning sights and a short
drive next morning took us inside the main town and to see the highest plunging
waterfall across Swiss like landscapes.
It made a
dramatic free leap from a fairly well-forested drainage into a rocky base
accompanied by a pretty blue pool. During the monsoon, there may be several
companion falls flanking the main one.
Nohkalikai
Falls hold pride of place among Meghalaya's beauty spots not only for its
magnificence, but also for the story associated with it. It is said that a
widow called Ka Likai who lived in a village upstream from the falls had a
daughter whom she loved very much. One day Ka Likai remarried, but her new
husband was jealous of her love for her daughter. One day, when she had gone to
work, he killed the daughter. When Ka Likai returned, she was filled with grief
and running to the falls threw herself down to her death. 'Noh' in Khasi means
jump and the falls were called Nohkalikai in remembrance of her.
More gory
details here:
http://www.cherrapunjee.com/index.php?mid=96&pid=2
Then started
the long drive to Manas, crossing parts of Meghalaya, entering Assam and its
grasslands.
Passing thru
skies of blue, seas of green, small colonies of Bangladeshi settlers gearing up
for Id celebrations slowly bringing down the fervor of Puja.
A chance
shower, a double rainbow, and finally reaching our destination.
Spartan,
seminary like, drinks under the cloudy skies and a hot bath!!
And Sleep. Excitement built up for the day to come.
And Sleep. Excitement built up for the day to come.
Day 5
Ready for our
adventure – we excitedly chattered on about the one horned rhino we were expecting
to see.
We had read
about Manas being a tiger reserve and being a popular birding destination.
But being in
Assam- land of the one horned rhino, we thought it would be an easy animal to
spot, considering its size and the government taking care to increase its tribe.
The ride was
good, clear skies, tall grass, thick shrubbery.
But no sign
of a tiger or a rhino- lot of birds could be seen,
No sign of a
deer or elephant either
We did see
pug marks, which proved there were tigers lurking around. Maybe it was a good
thing he did not show up, wonder how we would have reacted.
The saving
grace was the walk through Greater Manas national park in Bhutan- yet another
border crossing!!
Lovely views
of the Manas river and elephants and wild boar and bisons basking happily under
the Bhutan sun
Maybe it was
something in the air, cos we were happier too!!
The long ride
back to Guwahati for a night stay, passing through the lovely Umiam lake which boasted of house boat rides.
At
Jorabat, one side of the road is Meghalaya & other side is Assam..... sheer
genius.
We reached
Guwahati early, rushing for a ferry jaunt on the Brahmaputra
The long wait
for the Alfresco for a sunset cruise by which time the sun had set and the moon
had risen.
Sudden lights
and change in music tempo causing every one to rise and dance to the beat!!
Latest hindi
songs playing, children and adults alike moving and shaking to the disco
lights.
A fitting end
to a lovely evening!!
We walk back
through the quiet of the previously bustling Pan Bazaar market.
The famed
rolls for dinner and another lovely day comes to an end .
We stayed
that night at a clean, functional hotel near the railway station. Hotel Rialto. Conveniently located near the Pan Bazaar market, easy access to the city.
Day 6
Last leg of
our journey- a long one- a trip to an island.
We were to
travel all the way to Jorhat from Guwahati
An estimated
5 hour drive which would take us the whole day.
The scenic
beauty of the place, makes the distances seem a pleasure.
Passing
through small towns only studied at school, we pass through Kaziranga town.
The park was
still closed for the monsoon.
We drove
through lovely greens of a different hue-tea estates
The Assam
Valley, with its undulating rich terrain is fed by the mighty Brahmaputra. The
rivulets, lush green forests, grassland and fertile soil, all contribute to
making Assam the golden tea basket.
This tea,
most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness,
malty flavor, and strong, bright color. Assam teas, or blends containing Assam,
are often sold as "breakfast" teas.
On the other side,
we had verdant greens of the Kaziranga national park.
We strained
our eyes and broke our necks to catch sight of the One horn and the bird
feeding off its hard back.
Typically
weighing between 1,600 to 3,500 kg, it is the fourth largest land animal. The
Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the
Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat
drastically. Today, about 3,000 rhinos live in the wild, 2,000 of which are
found in India's Assam alone.
We were
lucky, we caught one grazing quietly very close to the road, and we went click
click click.
Many stops
and many rhinos were spotted.
We were a
very happy lot!
Lunch was at
a fancy little restaurant where we had our first taste of fish since we started
our journey.
Quick stop at
Kaziranga golf resort. Resort with a 18
hole golf course.Though we were not allowed inside, we satisfied our hunger for
pictures by clicking the vast green golf course and tea estates.
The moon hung
low that night and provided more clicking opportunities, competing with the setting sun.
Jorhat is the tea capital of India and truly lived up to its name. Lush green tea estates promised us the best tea we could have in the region.
Jorhat is the tea capital of India and truly lived up to its name. Lush green tea estates promised us the best tea we could have in the region.
Finally we
stopped for the night at Jorhat at a hotel close to the bus stand- a hustling
and bustling part of the city.
An early
morning drive was promised to the island.
Day 7
This was our
final destination.
We Drive
towards Nimati ghat- a promontory overlooking the Brahmaputra, to take the
first ferry to reach the largest river island – Majuli- land in the middle of
two parallel rivers
We were
looking forward to it, since Google searches made the place look like a dream.
The ferry
ride was along with cars, scooters, and a whole lot of people, we missed cattle and poultry on our ride.
This is the
lifeline of the people of the island, runs three times a day.
On reaching
the island, we were picked up by our local guide.
A quick drive
through well kept villages, to our bamboo hut and a hot tea later, we were off
to explore the large villages.
Rushing by
harvested paddy fields, clumps of towering bamboo, water meadows, fishing
nets/traps, banana plantations, water hyacinth filled ponds
First stop-
placing our order for lunch- rice and chicken!
MÄjuli has
been the cultural capital of Assamese civilization since the 16th century;
based on written records describing the visit of Srimanta Sankardeva
— a 16th-century social reformer. Sankardeva, a pioneer of the medieval-age
neo-vaishnavite movement, preached a monotheist form of Hinduism called as Vaishnavism and established monasteries and
hermitages known as satras on the islet.
We visited
one of them- there are 22 such. – Aunati Satra and a museum attached to it.
A quick
hearty lunch, so simple, so delicious.
Then we were
on our way to meet the mask makers of Majuli
They make
masks to celebrate their village festivals- expressive, creative, meaningful
Next we went in search of the potters of Majulii.
Not as easily
found as the mask maker, we drove through small village mud roads, past paddy
fields and bamboo huts.
Chanced
upon an old lady who was still keeping this dying art alive.
With
no potters wheel, using soft beaten clay, she trusts her instincts.
The
finished product are dried in drift wood fire kilns and sold in the markets.
We
drove through settlements of the Mishing tribes from Arunachal Pradesh
They
live on wholly elevated huts resting on
bamboo poles, cattle, human living in perfect harmony.
Weaving
is their main business.
Final stop was a marketing jig, where we bought fish and brinjals.
We
had also placed a request for rice beer- which we had never tasted before.
Back
at the same place for tea.
And
heading back to the huts for our last supper.
The
fish was given, the instructions delivered, and we sat to enjoy yet another
divine sunset.
And
with the sunset, came droves of mosquitoes.
A
feast indeed. For them.
We
had mosquito nets to help us have a good nights sleep though.
With
night, the little hut celebrated the inauguration of their kitchen by cooking the fish we had bought.
The
rice beer takes some getting used to, a little sour, a bit like curd, with a
strong smell of yeast.
La
maison de ananda- is where we stayed, it is run by one of the Mishing tribes of
Majuli
Danny
Gam: 9425-205539
Floods,
erosion have resulted in large scale devastation and depletion of this river
island.
Day 8:
Morning
brought with it long drive back to
Guwahati, which seemed longer than it should.
the passing villages made the journey comfortable.
the passing villages made the journey comfortable.
Stopped
at a famed Puri and peda town – Bokhakhat
Then
a quick stop to buy the famed Assam tea at Kaziranga
and
ended the evening with cold sprite at
Guwahati
Searching
for a CCD in Guwahati is like the proverbial search for the needle in a
haystack, failed efforts.
Old
habits die hard, with nowhere to go early morning, we hit the sack early and even wake up early!!
To
bid good bye to Guwahati!
About:
The
tour was organized by Santosh Nair of Exotic Expeditions.
A
wonderfully crafted journey to give a glimpse of life and living in some parts
of Meghalaya and Assam and leave you longing for more.
Santosh,
is a wonderful planner, very open to ideas, he works with an outline and makes changes
as deemed necessary.
Ensures
everyone has a good time and works on creating experiences for all his travel
mates.
A
wonderful journey, spent in talking, sharing and forging new relationships.
Sometimes it is the destination... at times the journey... this time, I had it all!!
Sometimes it is the destination... at times the journey... this time, I had it all!!
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