If someone asks me what's on my bucket list, I would say everywhere.
This time I travelled to North East India. There are 8 states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. If geographically seen, except Sikkim, all 7 states are interconnected. All these 7 states are referred to as 7 sisters, and Sikkim is referred to as brother to these 7 sisters, funny!
This trip was special for two reasons; first, this was planned with my office colleagues and manager. Second, we were travelling to Meghalaya and Assam. After landing in Guwahati, It was a complete road trip for 10 days. We rented self-drive cars from Guwahati. Here we did a mistake. We didn't book cars in advance; we thought that if we would book face to face, we could negotiate better. By that time, all nearby car rental shops were completely sold out, and we had to struggle a lot to get cars. We landed around 5 AM and got the cars around 11 AM. That waiting time at the airport was a complete waste. Never mind, each trip has some learning; we also had one on this trip.
We started from Guwahati around 12 PM; the first stop was at Shillong. Since we were already very late, we decided to first visit all the places in Shillong and then at night, we'll check in at Hotel. We had lunch on the way to Shillong. There is a very good pure veg restaurant, "Jiva pure veg restaurant", after crossing the toll plaza. The food was really tasty. Then we went to Umiam Lake. The Umiam lake resort was completely booked by someone, so we couldn't enjoy the view from that resort. We came back to the main road, and there we found one good viewpoint of the lake. We went to the lake, spent some time there, and clicked many pictures. The Sun was setting, and the sky looked beautiful. Lake water was so calm and silent…There is a saying that "Listen to the silence". This was such a place; when sitting calmly there, one can listen to the silence, the vibrations, the energy, the vibes. Everything was so positive and so pleasing there. This was soul soothing. Due to clouds, the sunset was not properly visible, but the sky looked very beautiful. Calm water under the beautiful sky at the time of sunset was the complete view. Here are a few pics:
We reached our Hotel around 5.30 PM. It was completely dark by that time, and it was getting difficult to drive on Hills, but we managed. It was very cold in Shillong, but the hotel rooms were very good.
The next day was a beautiful sunny morning. We had breakfast on the hotel lawn while enjoying the beautiful morning and view. I had an accident there; while coming out of the room with the entire luggage, I fell on the concrete pathway, and both my knees hurt badly. I didn't feel my knees for two minutes in the chilling morning. Fortunately, I had the proper first-aid kit this time, so I completed my trip with badly hurt knees. We checked out from Hotel around 9 AM and started for our next place, Dawki. We were going to stay in Dawki for three nights. Again we will cover on-route visiting points and then check in directly at night. First, we went to Laitlum Canyon, which translates to the "End of the Hills". This is located about 24km from Shillong. This majestic panoramic landscape is one of the best points for the stunning sunset. Although we were visiting this in the morning, it was beautiful, blanketed in velvety clouds, rolling hills, and deep gorges. I tried to capture this on my phone. Here are a few pics:
On the return from the Canyon, we noticed that villagers were cleaning the village on their own. At first, we thought they had lost something there, but later we realized they were actually cleaning the roads and nearby areas, which was very impressive.
Next, we were to visit a few waterfalls. We only found out that most of the waterfalls in Meghalaya were seasonal when we visited one. The first waterfall was Byrdaw falls. There was very less water, but the location and surrounding were beautiful, full of big stones. In monsoon, this waterfall would definitely take breaths away. Water flows through the big stones and falls from the hill's edge. I can only imagine how beautiful as well as scary that would be. Because of less water, we could go over the stones, got so many clicks, and enjoyed the view.
From there, we headed towards Borhill falls, again a seasonal fall but with a beautiful structure. There is a bridge over the waterfall. One side of the bridge is the waterfall, and the other side is the plain ground with a sunset view. Yes, we enjoyed the sunset there, and it was beautiful. After a long time, I saw the Sun completely red. It was just beautiful. I don't like to click pictures when I witness such beautiful scenery. Rather I like to feel the vibes, simply sit there and be lost in the moment.
By this time, we all were tired and hungry. In Meghalaya, There are no Dhaba or small roadside stalls for tea. We reached Hotel in Dawki around 6 PM. Dawki is a very small town in Meghalaya. Roads are a little rough and narrow there. The Hotel was really very good, and the rooms were clean. We faced communication issues there as the restaurant guy knew very little Hindi and English. It was a task to explain our order. Rest everything was good. At night I explored the local market, a very small market with one ATM, bank branch, medical shop and a few grocery shops.
The next morning we went for the most famous boat ride in the Umngot River, known as the Dawki River. This is the cleanest river in the country. Water is transparent there. The river was within walking distance from our Hotel. We walked to the point; it was really hot there. We got the boat tickets. One fun fact there was the Bangladesh border. They had drawn a line of stones there; the other side of the line is Bangladesh. We started the boat ride. The water at the side was completely transparent. We could clearly see the River bottom, stones and fish at the bottom. This was the start. As we moved, the river was slowly getting deep, and so the view was becoming mesmerizing. This time it was around 15ft deep, but according to our boatman, This River gets around 100ft deep during monsoon.
I learned a very interesting fact about water during my spiritual journey: water has memory. It restores energy, and when you drink it, you consume that energy. We can change anyone's mood by just offering water. Water absorbs our energy from our hands. The person who drinks that water consumes that energy and thus affects the body's and mind's vibrations change. This theory has scientific logic also. You can Google it.
Let's go back to our boat ride. We were in the middle of the water for around 1 hour. The river was very clean. At some points boat literally looked like floating in the air. It was beautiful. The moments were the most soothing for me. I felt like just sitting there and observing the surroundings. So many things to see there; in the middle, a person was sitting alone on the boat, riding calmly. One boatman was fishing there. As we moved ahead, one boat parked in the hill corner; the boatman was sleeping calmly. Water was falling in droplets from the high hills, looking like a curtain of water droplets falling into the river. Our boatman was playing their local songs in the boat, a very pleasant and positive combination: listening to music when surrounded by water. I had my time there. I recommend to those who love nature to go alone on the boat ride and observe the surroundings.
Next, we had planned to go to Mawlynnong village, and we started around 12 PM. But then we got stuck in a traffic jam. One truck was broken and thus stopped the traffic. So instead of waiting in the traffic, we decided to go to the India-Bangladesh border on the other side. From there, we were done in half an hour, and again we returned to traffic, but fortunately, we didn't have to wait much longer. Soon we were able to start and headed towards the Mawlynnong. Mawlynnong is Asia's cleanest village. There we visited balancing rock, 1km from the village. By the time we reached the village, it was completely dark. So we couldn't see the beauty of the village. There is a bamboo trail on a tree called "sky view". When climbing to the top, one can witness the panoramic view of the surrounding. There was a tree house also, but due to the darkness, we didn't go up to the tree house.
Here is one tip: Byrdaw falls, Borhill falls, and Mawlynnong village are in the same direction. Plan to visit these in one day and stay at Mawlynnong village for the night. This would be easy with lesser travel.
The next day we planned to go to Amkoi village, situated in Amlarem block in Jaintia hills. As we came out of the Dawki, the road was rough for approximately 5-6 km. It was a 2 hours journey. The road was good until we reached the village area. To reach the village, It was a steep down to hill with a sharply curved hill road. That was not an easy task to go down by car. Somehow we managed to go down to the village. There only one person knew English. Other villagers didn't even know Hindi. Thanks to that person, we were able to communicate with the villagers. There is only one small local kind of Dhaba. From the village, there is a trek for approx 2 hours to reach the most famous Amkoi Sliang. We, 5 with 2 kids, decided to trek. It was a challenging trek, steep down with stone and muddy path. When we went into nature, we got to see so many beautiful things. On this trek, we got to listen to some strange birds. We couldn't spot that, but the voice was very strange. At first, I felt that some bell was ringing, but when it continued at the same frequency, I realized that it was not a bell. Then our local guide, accompanying us on the trek, told us it was a bird. I have recorded that in the video; here it is:
As we reached the Sliang, we realized it was completely worth it. You will be thinking that I am praising each point we visit, but that's how it is in Meghalaya. I was lost in the current place until I visited the next one. Each place in Meghalaya has some special vibes. Talking about Amkoi Sliang, this is the place from where the Umngot River starts, full of big size rocks. When I say big size means equal to a 2-story building. I sat there for approx half n hour.
Then we had to come back because it was already 3 PM and we had to take our car up before the dark. But by the time we reached the village, it started getting dark. We were physically exhausted after this trek. We had food at that local Dhaba. After that, I get charged and energized. It was a wonderful experience. We had one car parked at one of the curved turns, and one was in the village. So we asked one of the village drivers to help us get the car to the straight road. One thing I want to mention here is that the people in the village were so good and helpful. They helped us get comfortable there after the trek, and the driver who helped us didn't charge even a single penny. I really liked this place and the people there.
We reached our Hotel around 9 PM. The next day we started for Cherrapunji. Again one very interesting fact about Dawki, around 9 AM, I thought of buying some fruits for the travel, so I came out to the market. But the market was closed. I asked one local person about it, and he told me that all villagers would be cleaning the village, and that's why all shops were closed. So impressive they don't rely on servants or sweepers to clean the village. They think that it is their village and that it is their own responsibility to clean it.
We started for Cherrapunji and decided to visit on-route visiting points. As we entered in Cherrapunji region, the route became so beautiful. Pleasing weather, chilling breeze, roads were very smooth, surrounded with Pine trees. First, we stopped at Mawkdok valley view point. Very beautiful valley. The hills are full of green trees. It seems like a green velvet blanket. There we did a zip line. There were two types of ziplines. One is short travel beside the hill only. Another one is the large one, in that first, you travel through the short one to reach the lower point, and from there, you travel across the valley and reach the other side of the valley. When I crossed the valley on the zipline, I witnessed the breathtaking view of the valley. There was a small but beautiful waterfall with a natural pool at the bottom, hiding in the valley. I have done zip lines many times. This one is my second favourite one.
From here, we started towards the Cherrapunji. On the way to our Hotel, there was a sunset viewpoint, but because of the clouds, we couldn't enjoy the sunset. We stopped there for some time. The weather was chilling there.
We reached our Hotel around 6 PM. It was a homestay, not far but still away from the crowd of the city. We got two rooms with bamboo interiors, which were so beautiful. After we freshened up, we went for a walk, again a wonderful experience. Walking on the empty road, under the sky full of stars. We don't get to see so many stars in cities. We were able to spot "Dhruv tara" and "Sapt Rishi". It reminded me of my childhood. We used to sleep under the open sky, where my grandmother used to tell us about stars. During those days, I used to identify each horoscope sign in stars. I have witnessed Meteorite also. Wonderful days they were. After the walk, we had dinner and slept.
The next day early in the morning, we went to the Bangladesh panoramic viewpoint, where we witnessed the sunrise. It felt so good to wake up early in the morning. The weather was pleasant, not very chill, not very hot. I sat there at the edge of the hill, watching the Sun slowly coming out of the hills covered in fog. You get very few chances when you can just stare directly at the Sun. This was the moment.
After approx 45 minutes, we came back to Hotel and had breakfast. I liked Cherrapunji more. The view during the road travel was mesmerizing, with dry hills spreading all over the area. I can't express in words how I felt there. I was not able to take my eyes away from the surrounding, tried to capture on my phone:
Next, we planned to explore the caves. First, we visited the Mawsmai cave, which is easily accessible by car and located a short distance from Sohra. There are some places inside the cave where you would need to squeeze around and crawl, giving the experience of cave exploration. At those points, it looks a little scary to go in, but worth to dare. This cave is famous for its fossils, which you can spot if you spend some time peering at the walls and formations inside. The ten longest caves in the country are all in Meghalaya.
After this, we visited the Arwah caves, located 3.5km from the Cherrapunji bus stand. This cave is known for its limestone formation and its fossils. After the parking area, there is a 400-meter walk to the cave. Two ways are there, one is a pleasant way, and another one is a rugged way. We decided to take the rugged way. It was like a trek, first climbing the hill through the forest and then coming down to the cave. It was good.
From there, we decided to go to Thangkharang park, located 12km from the city. This park offers a nice view of Bangladesh. The sight of meandering roads looked amazing. Two-foot bridges offered wonderful views of the lush green valleys and plains. We witnessed the sunset there. Another popular attraction is the Khoh Ramrah rock, popularly known as Shiva rock. It is in the shape of a lingam.
We returned to the Hotel around 5.30 PM. After that, we explored the very small Cherrapunji local market, which can be covered by a walk.
The next day our group got divided into two parts. One part went for the living root bridge, and one explored Shillong city. I didn't go for the root bridge because, for the root bridge, one had to go down approx 3500 stairs. On that route, there are other points also to explore. There is one natural pool, where you can go in the pool and enjoy swimming. Next, there is one single Decker root bridge. Then there is the double-decker root bridge, and at the end, there is a Rainbow waterfall. All these points can't be covered peacefully in just one day. Instead, I decided to explore Shillong city. We roamed around the local roads and explored the local market. We visited the Butterfly museum and ever living museum. Both were wonderful and a lifetime experience. Butterfly Museum (Wankhar entomology Museum) is worth visiting. They have so many species of butterflies and moths, a wonderful collection.
Next Ever living museum has a completely different experience. There we were able to experience the Khasi tribes. It was so interesting to know how the tribes lived, their life stories, and their lifestyle; Museum has demonstrated it so well. So many things I found very interesting, like the soap they used; it was a tree peel when rubbed to stone that generated the soap foam. The tribe used to keep their ancestors sprites in a container to get their blessings. They had a festival when they released those sprites, worshipped them and got their blessings.
There is one Khasi folk story about the racket-tailed Drongo bird called "the legend of the King of the birds". The story is like this:
The greater racket-tailed Drongo had a very short tail but wished to be the most handsome of all the birds. He and his friend, a mouse, decided to help each other. Mouse gave him a long tail dressed with feathers. But in return, the Drongo bird didn't help the mouse because now the bird is the most handsome bird. Instead, he pulled out all the feathers from the mouse's tail and left him with an ugly tail. The mouse became very angry. Also, Sohlyngngem, a girlfriend of Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, was also very angry because He had discarded her due to her poor family background. The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo had a very good friend, black Drongo. He called a huge meeting of all the birds to proclaim the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, king of all the birds. Even Though the Greater racket-tailed Drongo was the king, he was still afraid of the anger of the mouse, So he slept each night on the curved leaves of the Tynriew Palm, which has a thorny trunk or on a tall bamboo plant far from the reach on of the mouse. Today also when the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo flies, all the other birds follow him and Sohlyngngem is still crying in the forest.
Interesting story, right? That museum had so many interesting things to see about the Khasi tribes. They also have one stone museum, with so many varieties of Meghalaya and Asia's stones. They have an orchid garden also with 99 types of orchids. I found one very attractive, called a "lady-slipper orchid".
Since it was 24th December, We got a chance to experience Christmas Pared in Shillong. Later we visited sweet Waterfalls. It is approx 2-3km from this museum. We spent some time there and enjoyed the surroundings full of pine trees. Then we explored the Shillong local market, did the shopping and then came back to our Hotel in Cherrapunji around 8 PM. It was a really wonderful day. I had a taste of locals, experienced driving on Shillong's narrow and steep roads and got familiar with Khasi tribes.
Here our days in Meghalaya ended. I had so many moments during these days, which I call "Pause the moment". Amazing days and wonderful experiences on the roads of Meghalaya will definitely visit again to complete the pending places, especially the 7 sister waterfalls, living root bridge and Mawryngkhang trek. The next day we started for Kaziranga. I will write about Kaziranga in a separate blog because that has a lot to write. Stay tuned and Have a great life.