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Published: August 19th 2011
Being from a Service Family background, my love for travelling and seeing new places grew leaps and bounds at a very young age. It was when I was about nine ten years when my father planned a trip to Bhutan from Dehradun. We were to travel by road as my uncle, who too was in the Army and on deputation to the Border Roads, was the Director of projects in Bhutan. After entering Bhutan through Phuntschilling, i simply fell in love with the majestic beauty of the mountains, the flora fauna and especially all those wild strawbwerry plants growing in abundance besides the roads. the best thing that has always stayed with me was that in spite of the strawberries and cherries growing wildly, the people of Bhutan were completely uninterested to stop and gather them - a difference from us Indians who would at the very small instance, stop in the middle of the road without a care in the world thereby causing a chaos in the traffic just to plunder the natural wonders growing wild. The second and practically the only other thing besides the beauty and wonder I have retained is having had the auspicious honour of meeting
the then esteemed King of Bhutan - King Jigme Sigme Wangchuk - for tea. It was a toast to remember. His behaviour, gentlemanliness, cordiality and warmth have always been one of the most cherished moments of my life. Many a times have I considered visiting Bhutan again and again but could never materialise it. So make the most of it while you are still there - another chance may not be possible.
Since then, I have practically traversed the whole of India, not venturing out for long periods due to work, family circumstances and responsibilities. This, despite the fact that my wife too being from the army and who shares a common interest to travel to new places.
My love for the North east began about 5 years back. Let me put it this way - My wife is a Nepali settled in Darjeeling. We got married about 18 years ago - seems ages but appears to be just a couple of days back - whenever she comes on leave. Though I had visited Darjeeling once or twice before marriage, I fell in love with the place and its people when I visited it for my Father-in-laws funeral prayers about
ten years back. Apart from the beautiful natural beauty, fresh air, cool climate, the thing that really impressed me was the simplicity, the carefree, helpful and wild spirit of the people. Not only friendly, they were absolutely open hearted and high spirited. This was the time when I fell in love with the north-east.
However, it was another long 5 years long wait before the desire to explore this magnificent place began gnawing at my back. The only drawback in my mind was the lack of a vehicle, as I had to my astonishment experienced earlier that without a vehicle, the expenses were sky high and the trip a grand failure. Hence, I began by coaxing my wife and the kids as well as my pet dog - a Lab - to traverse this long distance by road. The main aim of travelling by road from Delhi to Darjeeling and onwards from there to Gauhaiti and Shillong was to not leave my pet alone in the care of these so called pet dog hostels, at whose insolent cost my dog had suffered brutally twice. After a lot of coaxing and cajoling, yes, yes, yes, everyone agreed. It was a trip
I shall never again experience nor do I have the courage to drive again. It is wonderful when you have an aim and get there - a lot of satisfaction and contentment - a big disappointment when you have to return the same way which appears disheartening and desolate.
For the journey I purchased a GPS navigation, as the distance from Delhi to Darjeeling is about 1602 kms. This meant travelling continuously throughout the day with the dog for about 500 kms for three long days. The only hardship we faced was that we had to stop after every 2-3 hours for him to relieve himself. Those days we had a small car - a Santro. My major concern was not about driving single-handedly - I am fond of it - but the fact that we had to travel across Bihar - a place renowned for gangs of looters who would loot one and all, besides negotiating the horrible roads - which was another major hurdle. And believe me, as far as the first problem was concerned about safety, thanks to the Higher Power, we didn't face any problems not only through Bihar, but throughout the journey. The second problem,
that of the roads in Bihar- was way beyond my least comprehensions. Were they roads - especially in stretches of up to 50 kms each - one could see CRATERS not holes all across the road which could not be missed even if steered by professional chauffers - at least one wheel would definitely go into it. It was during these 2-3 patches which took its toll physically and mentally as far as driving and tiredness was concerned as I could barely manage to cover these particular stretches in 2 to 3 hours.
Otherwise, on entering West Bengal on the third day, the drive was thankfully smoothless and pretty quick. The only hassle that I faced and which everyone of us overlooked was the fact that having a pet along makes all the hotel accomodations everywhere turn you back. Still, there are a number of guest houses lined across the highways which are more than willing to accomodate one and all and that too at very low rates, albeit the conditions of the rooms are not worth taking about but the warmth of the persons inviting you in though is most heartwarming. Anyway, a roof under your head for the
night is what really calms you after a tired day of driving through mountains of bombed roads due to consistent rainfall, floods and thanks to the complete apathy of both the Highway Authority of India as well as the State authorities. I do remember the words of the then Chief Minister who compared the roads of Bihar to the smooth cheeks of Hema Malini. I have videos of Hema Malini's roads in Bihar and did want to post them online, but alas! The minister lost power. Today, the conditions of the roads are much much better, but please be cautioned that you do not travel during the monsoons as rains and floods take their toll. Another problem or oversight on my part was that instead of taking the National Highway to Lucknow, I for the sake of the short route took the state highway which was a major pain and setback as it took me 141/2 hours to reach Ayodhya as I had planned to drive as far as possible on the first day. This road through UP passing Barielly is one of the worst roads when you have to encounter mindless cyclists, motorists and trucks on the road, not
to mention the number of manned railway crossings which slow down your momentum as well as cause undue stress. The cyclists are so awful that even on continuously blowing on your horn, they do not budge. On my return, I took the NH56A from Barabanki towards Lucknow on the outskirts carrying on NH56B, NH25A till I came to NH2 and from thence to Delhi was a wonderful and speedy ride. Am posting a map for all those interested to travel by road.
A bit of advice to all those adventureous and spirited folks like me who want to drive down to Darjeeling from Delhi. Please avoid travelling at night. The road from here after entering Uttar Pradesh, Bihar is still not safe for night driving. Even though the roads on entering West Bengal are good and wide and were still under construction then, they are dangerous during the night which remain littered with overturned and collided trucks by drivers driving under the influence as the roads are practically wider and smooth. It is not in the least safe for us who are out on a pleasure trip to face these unforeseen dangers lurking silently from these brutes and should be
avoided. Another advise is to keep yourself abreast with the latest political news as West Bengal even today, after the new Government has been formed, is very prone to lightening strikes which crumple the whole state and one can barely venture outdoors. Having a GPS, or a map will be highly beneficial during such or other situations. And if you have growing up kids travelling along, please ask them to carry their game consoles, books, mags or anyything they are interested in. If not they are bound to get in your system as the drive from Delhi to Siliguri is of 3 long days. Thanks to our pet, this kind of a boredom was taken care of as he being of the larger size, tussle for room supremacy in the back seat was a continuous ongoing affair which kept all three very much preoccupied. (Map to be linked or pasted)
One begins to feel the difference in atmosphere and climate as soon as one is about to leave Bihar and enter West Bengal. The whole area becomes green and has a stunning effect both in the mind and body. All the stress of the bad roads, the green environs and
the wide roads accompanied by slightly cool weather, entice one to drive casually and more faster. The roads from here to Bagdogra and beyond pass through the hinterland of West Bengal where pockets are infested with Maoists. Hence, some form of precaution like keeping an eye out on the long road ahead is advised. As we kept advancing into Bengal, the weather kept cooling and it is a drive I will remember for a long time. We managed to reach Siliguri thankfully without any untoward incident and cooled off all the stress of three days of continuous driving.
As we had gone in the month of May 2009, the next day we were greeted by the cyclone Aliya from the Bay of Bengal and were made to take a forced break. I do have some photos of the destruction it caused.
Having had to stay indoors even after two days of warnings became too much for me. It also proved to be a boon in disguise. I was discouraged by all relatives and friends from not venturing into Darjeeling and Sikkim due to constant landslides and large scale destruction caused by the cyclone. So instead of waiting and abiding time,
I on the spur of the moment rang up friends and relatives in Guwahiti and Shillong and found that the weather there was more appropriate and welcome for us to visit Shillong. This, believe me, was one of the best decision ever taken by me.
The drive from Siliguri to Gauhiti was one that was very long, about 8 - 10 hrs and the conditions of the roads were bad. More than that was the fear of the ULFA which were on a stronger foot then. Keeping all these worries aside, we started for Guwahiti. The roads pass through deep forests, and, if you forget about ULFA, the drive is most pleasant. We were passing through Hashimara in Assam when all the memories of the visit to Bhutan during my childhood days came flooding back as the border with Bhutan into Phuntshilling is hardly 10 - 15 kms away from here and one can easily go on a short visit. It was my plan to visit it on our way back but couldn't as my wife would have needed official permission to visit a neighbouring country. This setback will always remain with me as I really wanted my children to
cherish and savour those same moments which made me convert into an avid adventurer whenever such an opportunity permits. The drive to Gauhiti was smooth and without any incident compared to all the hiccups about ULFA, though there were stretches where we were the only people on road which was slightly frightening.
It's a pity that all such wonderful places worth a visit are infested with some sort of problems be it either terrorrism, political upheavel or strikes which do tend to take their toll on visitor's and tourists like us.
On our way to Guwahiti, we passed through Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary for which the children were keen to visit. Keeping all the circumstances in mind, we voted against it and continued on without any incident to Guwahiti.
I cannot help you with places to stay in Guwahiti as we have relatives there as well as in Shillong. However, if anyone does require any kind of assistance or help for accommodation and transportation, I shall be glad to provide inputs.
We stayed overnight at Guwahiti and early next morning left for Shillong. Let me be very specific about this - the drive from Guwahiti to Shillong is one of the
very best long drives I have ever undertaken. Lush greenery , flowering trees and shrubbery keep you company through extremely well maintained roads with a good cool climate. At this point, even the kids began enjoying the drive till which point they had a sullen, forlorn and tired look in their eyes. They were so fed up that they made me promise to have them sent back by rail or bus but not by road.
Things dramatically took a very different turn when we suddenly turned round a corner in the road and set our eyes on a large spanse of water, so large - we being from Delhi - are not used to, that we were simply spellbound. That was the Umiam Lake on the outer side of Shillong. This was also the turning point in the behaviour of the children. As we were in no hurry and Shillong was our target for stay that night, we overshot our stay at Umiam lake. Taking in the beautiful surroundings, the misty clouds full of rain, the cool breeze blowing through our hair, the walk through the small road which was submerged in the water really lifted everyone's spirit and made
us eager and beg for more time or for time to stop. There were also boat rides as well as speed boat which took us across the large lake. After that, we just sat and relaxed besides the lake till showers, which came out of nowhere, shook us out of our dreamy stupor. You have to be there in person to experience the feeling of the climate and the beautiful surrounding to believe me. From there to Shillong through mild and pouring rainfall was again a beautiful drive enriching our eyes with the lushness of both the flora fauna and the mountains when we finally reached Shillong before knowing so.
Fresh and rested the next morning, we were ready for our adventure. As we were short on time, options before us were limited. Distances where we wanted to go were far and apart. Places that we planned to see were the scenic beauty of the whole Shillong valley which could be seen from the view point - this was somewhere near the Air Force station. As we planned to move in one direction, we had planned accordingly.
To start off, we went to the view point and had a glimpse
of the whole Shillong city. We even took time off to wear the Khasi dress and get photographed. Next we moved to the Elephant falls - natural cascading waterfall in all its glory, and surrounded by a huge park where even the children can enjoy. We did not go there from the main road as the view of the falls from there would have been one sided only, but from the main entry to the falls from below, albeit a longer drive, so as to have a complete view. The waterfall is magnificent.
The local people had also informed us about a beautiful village - supposedly Asia's cleanest village which lay a short distance away from the Bangladesh border towards Dawki. Besides this, they said that there were tree houses, a living root tree bridge about 200 years old, as well as a big rock which had stumbled down and was stationed on a small piece of rock popularly known as the Balancing Rock in the same direction that we were out to follow. As such, hearing all this, we were raring and excited to go on.
The drive down to the village, Mawlynnong, is perhaps the most wonderful and
beautiful ones I have ever come across. The road is excellent, winding through mountains with natural waterfalls here and there. The road also passes through valleys and if you are fortunate, you can see the clouds dancing through cool mists blowing in your face. The beauty of the drive is thrilling, marvelous, simply not describable in words. There are not many tourists on this road as the locals consider this not to be safe during the late evenings and nightfall. As far as the beauty is concerned, please see the photos to believe yourself. I for one, tended to stop and gaze at the astounding beauty trying to fill the whole landscape in my heart as if there wouldn't be another chance to come here again. And believe me, I still have those videos and photos, some photos have been uploaded in google earth which can be viewed here: as if they were yesterdays - a cherished reminiscent of my short time in those lovely environs.. Time and again in the past 2 years have I been to Darjeeling, but never got an opportunity to visit Shillong again.
Mawlynnong, a village.......I don't think it's wise to call it so. It's
absolutely clean and refreshing. It has lovely exotic flowers blooming all over. You can also find a lot of flowers which are basically parasites tied to the trees in full bloom. Flowers of all hues and colours of all shapes and sizes can be found growing here. To yop that, the village is so calm and peaceful that forget being a part of our usual chaotic world.
Apart from this, the place to see is the bamboo tree hut, also in Mawlynnong village, where you can just sit and enjoy the beautiful bounty that nature has to offer. You can also stay overnight at this tree house and enjoy whatever nature in its entriety has to offer with a gushing stream running just underneath. It's a heavenly experience - one you wouldn't forget easily.
As we were yet to see the big rock and the root tree bridge, we quickly finished our lunch at the tree house and started for the rock which fell down and settled naturally on a small piece of stone. Yes, it was indeed an amazing site. It was as if nature was giving us an example to challenge us. However big or momentous a man
or a task may be, even a small and puny person can definitely accomplish the feat if he has the will and determination - that is what struck my mind instantly on seeing this natural wonder. And it has certainly provided a new meaning to my life. After clicking photos of this amazing site, we moved on to see the final and most wonderful booty that nature has to offer, that being the Root Tree Bridge.
The Root Tree Bridge, made up of naturally overgrown roots of trees over a fast rushing stream has been in existence for more than two centuries. Though it is difficult to get there easily, both due to the distance from Gauhati as well as Shillong, it is a must see for all nature and adventure lovers. The path from Jingkieng Jri, near Mawlynnong to where the root tree lies is short yet slippery. However, once you suudenly catch a glimpse of this tree, you are bound to miss a heartbeat, it is one of those rare moments in life that you would want never to go away. It is simply amazing, captivating, spellbounding. All the efforts we put in to see this marvellous natural
wonder paid rich fruits and made us all gasp and stand still in our places for some time exclaiming in bewilderment.
We did spend a considerable amount of time at this place and as evening was drawing near, we hesitantly with heavy hearts decided to leave this wonderful spectacle and return to Shillong.
But we couldn't. while going towards the root tree bridge, we had crossed a large spans of open ground which to me resembled a scene from Scotland, which was completely immersed in clouds and we couldn't see a thing.
On our return, it was indeed a different story. This was indeed Scotland in India. A plateau, a meadow on a large piece of flat land, encompassed with lots of green grass, a sole tree in the middle and some small huts make the site an breathtaking site. There is also a small stream / rivulet flowing towards one side of the meadow with a huge cliff on its side. The view is astonishing and astounding and one tends to become oblivious to the passage of time as we were completely immersed in the beauty and glory of the environment before us. Besides, on the other side of
the road we could big pieces of stones standing upright as if asking God for His blessings. It was only much later after we had reached and were preparing for a good night's relaxation that our hosts threw a bombshell at us. According to them, as per local gossip and superstition, this particular place is supposedly haunted. That is why there is a very thin amount of the local population which passes this way and that too for their daily requirements only. This is fact is a burial ground for the local Khasi people who put these stones as a mark of respect towards the departed souls and also as a reverence to God to bless their souls. Superstition in larger parts of the mountainous regions across India is a dark reality which the locals follow very religiously. Accompanied by other rumors and further superstitions, it sometimes becomes impossible to be able to go to such beautiful and grand locations.
Before we even realised it, dusk had fallen and we were forced to wake up from our dreamy stupor and with great reluctance started back towards Shillong. The drive back was fraught with danger as the road was unknown, frequently
travelled by locals, clouds covering the roads, curves at every step. Yet, it was a momentous time.
Please feel free to ask for details if anyone is interested in going to these places. Shall provide all the assistance possible, as have a lot of friends and relatives there. Kindly also chek out the following links for more photographs of Shillong.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172217782801783.34594.100000406875298&l=d20acb72d2&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172246182798943.34611.100000406875298&l=6bf7835d45&type=1
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172280069462221.34618.100000406875298&l=16fdb685e1&type=1
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