Meghalaya: A Very Rainy Week (page 1 of 2)

Friday, April 18 Night in Guwahati Before leaving the guesthouse, I drop off a small bag that I’ll pick up when I return. I take a tuk-tuk at 7:40 AM to get to the sumo departure point for Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. My bag is loaded onto the roof, my seat is assigned, and we have to wait for the car to fill up.



While waiting, I watch the street come to life. I have fun photographing the different modes of transport passing by.









Time passes faster when you’re occupied. We leave at 8:20 AM, and the driver does door-to-door service along the way. We make our first stop for 25 minutes at 9:10 AM, then another for breakfast at 10:10 AM. The scenery is very different from Assam and Nagaland. We drive alongside a pine forest and a large lake. There are beautiful viewpoints, but the driver isn’t stopping for sightseeing, so I have to settle for looking through the car windows.

We finally arrive in Shillong at 11:45 AM. The driver stops in the middle of nowhere, so I have to walk up the street to find a taxi. I flag one down, and he agrees to take me to my new guesthouse, the Rockski Boutique Bed & Breakfast. No sooner do I arrive than a storm with a heavy downpour welcomes me. When I arrived in Guwahati at the end of October, I’d booked a guide with a car for this week. There’s no public transport to get from village to village, so I had to take a car to visit. The tourism manager, Sachin, sent me a message to let me know that the driver, Welbis, will pick me up tomorrow morning at 8 AM. The temperature is much cooler here—only 19°C. At 2:30 PM, the rain stops, and I take the opportunity to explore the city. I start with the cathedral. Today is Good Friday, so I’m going to see how it’s celebrated here. Meghalaya is a Catholic state. The cathedral isn’t far from the guesthouse—it’s huge and all blue.



I arrive during mass, and it’s impossible to enter—the faithful are numerous outside in the parking lot. Giant screens broadcast the ceremony.

I continue my walk in search of All Saints Cathedral. It’s much smaller, it’s open, and there’s no one around. It’s set in a well-maintained garden. The exterior is half-timbered with sloping roofs and stained-glass windows.



The stained-glass windows depict biblical scenes.



The woodwork inside is made of teak from Myanmar.



I’m not far from Police Bazar, where I’ll spend some time. On the way, I spot another church in the same style. I stop and visit it quickly—there’s a service about to start, and the congregation is arriving in their Sunday best.





The clothing styles here are different again compared to the previous states.

I wander through the bazaar.

Before heading back to the guesthouse, I pass by a large park and decide to take a stroll there.



On my way back, I get a new message from Sachin, who just arrived in Shillong for the evening. I suggest he come back with us tomorrow if he’d like. I have dinner at a restaurant near the guesthouse.

Saturday, April 19 Welbis arrives with Sachin at 9:00 AM, and we hit the road immediately. Crossing Shillong takes a while with lots of traffic jams. The road is dusty and under construction, so we’re not moving very fast. We head toward Whalkhen, and the landscape becomes hilly—it’s beautiful. We arrive at the homestay at 11:00 AM. I’m the only tourist here. The room is tiny but clean, with a bathroom. I have a terrace all to myself. The weather here is much nicer than in Shillong—milder and sunny. At 11:30 AM, Welbis and I set off for our first trek, called the bamboo trek. There are quite a few people here—Indian tourists from Arunachal Pradesh. Right from the start, we descend a lot of steps and arrive in a canyon. The scenery is gorgeous—rolling hills and lush greenery.



We reach the bamboo bridges one after another. They’re impressive to see, but crossing them is easy—they don’t sway much.





- We see buckets of water, and little by little, we reach the final point where everyone takes a break.



We return the same way and stop by the water’s edge.



We get back to the car around 2:30 PM and head back to the homestay. We have lunch at a small eatery in the village. Welbis takes Sachin home—he’ll be my guide and driver for the whole week.

Thanks for introducing me to a region I barely knew. Some of these photos are such a refreshing change from the usual!

Hi Marie-Jo, I’ve been researching Meghalaya for a few weeks now for a possible trip, and I’m really looking forward to this travel journal!

Thanks Joel for stopping by. I’ve only been to three of the Seven Sister states, but I discovered a really interesting and very different side of India.

Hi Pagal, I’m not sure if this little travel journal will help you since I couldn’t visit everything I’d planned because of Madame Rain. Too bad for me—I can say April isn’t the best time to go there.

Sunday, April 20th I head down for breakfast at the homestay’s little eatery. It’s a bit light—just two slices of cake and a tea. We take a quick tour of the village before getting back in the car for our next destination, Mawlynnong. The sky is pretty overcast this morning.

Most of the houses are made of corrugated metal sheets. The village is on a slope, with stepped paths leading to different levels of the homes. Each house has a little flower garden.











How old might this man be? He looks weathered but probably isn’t that old.



On a low wall, Welbis shows me a huge lizard.

On the way, we stop in Pynursla. We walk through the village along narrow lanes that lead us to a large open area with a big parking lot. On the hill stands the church, and the locals are attending mass, which is being broadcast on a large screen in this big field.



The whole family comes to attend mass, and they’ve all dressed up in their Sunday best—it makes me smile, thinking back to my youth when we did the same in my village in the Landes.



The women are wearing outfits different from what I’ve seen so far. They have a kind of apron that’s open on the sides, covering their dresses.

The little girls are dressed in princess-like gowns with ruffles, and the boys are in suits with shirts and ties. Wow, in France, the era when people dressed like this feels so far away.

A kiss—so cute.



We go for tea at a small eatery.

We continue the journey to Riwai root bridge. Here, there are lots of tourists from Arunachal Pradesh.



We cross the river on a beautiful root bridge—it’s more impressive from the bank than when you’re actually crossing it.



A heavy downpour starts, and we try to take shelter under the plastic awning of a small roadside eatery. A little further on, we stop to check out the viewpoint, but it’s completely fogged in today. In the trees, I spot some huge nests I don’t recognize—turns out they’re ant nests. They’re pretty impressive, and there are several on every tree.

We arrive in Mawlynnong around 2 p.m. Mawlynnong is known as the cleanest village in all of Asia. You have to pay an entry fee when you arrive. The village is very touristy, and there are lots of homestays. The place we’re staying, West Corner Homestay, is new, beautifully decorated with flowers, and the upstairs room is huge with two beds and a bathroom. Welbis isn’t sure where to sleep—the rooms are too expensive for him, and his little car isn’t very comfortable. I offer him the small bed, and though he’s a bit embarrassed, I insist so much that he finally accepts with a big smile.



We head to a roadside eatery in the parking lot for lunch—momos for me, pasta for him.



I spend the afternoon wandering the streets, where lots of Indian tourists have come for the day. The streets are paved, with benches and little bamboo kiosks for resting scattered everywhere. The houses are all beautifully decorated with flowers. This is the land of hibiscus—there are so many, in every color imaginable.





Tonight, being Sunday, the restaurants close at 7 p.m., so we head to dinner at 6:30—it’ll be a thali with fish and rice.

Hi Marie Jo. I love your way of traveling, your travel philosophy, your adventurous side that isn’t afraid of anything—just like Alexandra David-Néel. Bravo! !

There are beautiful viewpoints, but the driver isn’t doing any sightseeing, so I have to settle for looking through the car windows.

I saw your camera in one of your photos. You can set the shutter priority to 1/2000. That way, you can take photos while driving and even over rough bumps. And don’t hesitate to snap away—you’ll see that among the bunch, you’ll get a few really great shots, no worse than if you’d taken them on foot... Too late for this trip, but I’m telling you for next time, just in case.

Hello Marie Jo. I love your way of traveling, your travel philosophy, your "adventurous" side that’s fearless, like Alexandra David-Néel. Bravo!

Good evening Jean Marie,

These days, being an adventurer is easy, and I don’t feel particularly adventurous when I plan my trips the way I do. I go off the beaten path, sure, but lots of people have taken these routes before me. I don’t understand what you mean by saying I’m fearless.

These days, being an adventurer is easy, and I don’t feel particularly adventurous when I plan my trips the way I do. I go off the beaten path, sure, but plenty of people have taken these routes before me.

I’m talking about how you are once you’re there. If you prefer, I don’t think you’re "fussy" or scared of everything... You walk along paths by the edge of ravines, cross super precarious bridges, venture into remote places... You ride a motorbike without fear, like a youngster, with strangers, let a—nearly—stranger sleep in your own room... and other little things like that. I think it’s awesome, and in case you didn’t realize, that was a COMPLIMENT.

What do you mean I’m not afraid of anything? I don’t get it.

= To be fearless, brave, bold... You don’t know that expression?

https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/ne_pas_avoir_froid_aux_yeux#:~:text=Locution%20verbale,-ne%20pas%20avoir&text=(Sens%20figuré)%20(Familier),peur%2C%20être%20courageux%2C%20hardi.

I know more than a few of your "fans" who wouldn’t dare do half the things you do...

Monday, April 21st This morning, darn it, it's raining—the planned hikes are going to be compromised. Welbis really wants to go and doesn’t want to head to Dawki today, near the Bangladesh border. We hit the road after breakfast. We change valleys, and the rain gives way to fog. As we move along, we see the road is dry. Welbis is happy; we’ll be able to go for a walk. Good, I trust him. We head to Mawkyrnot, where there’s a beautiful root bridge (entry: 50 Rs).

The hike starts with a good hundred steps to descend, then we continue along the trail to the bridge. Oh wow, it’s great here! Not only are we alone, but this bridge is really special—it’s in three parts, so you can walk all around it. We’re surrounded by beautiful trees; it’s a treat. Too bad there’s just a little sun missing.

It’s made of wooden logs, and it’s stable... not scared at all...



The forest is so thick you can’t see how to go around, but the path is definitely there.

We head back to the water point where two women are doing laundry. A third arrives with a basket on her back, carrying a large jar she fills with water and leaves just as quickly. The load must be really heavy.



A little further on, Welbis takes another path that leads us to a waterfall and then to another root bridge, which is also very beautiful.







We return to the car at 2:30 PM; it’s time to find a little restaurant for lunch. We get a plate of pasta and a plate of momos to share. Back to Maylynnong after a great day in nature without rain.

they're wooden logs and it's stable... not even scared...

For me, it wouldn't be a question of fear—I'm just as adventurous as you are (funny, the term just came to me—does "adventurer" suit you better than "adventurous one"?). But I’m really prone to vertigo. And those precarious bridges you showed, hanging over the void, just reinforce what I wrote to you earlier...

I remember a climb in Keylong, Lahaul, where once I reached the top without any trouble, I turned around and found myself up so high that I couldn’t bring myself to descend. I had to sit down and scoot down on my butt.

These bridges are just fabulous. A travel journal that really takes me on a journey!

Tuesday, April 22 We leave Mawlynnong in the rain and fog. We're heading to Dawki, at the border with Bangladesh. The road is in bad shape, and there are lots of big trucks traveling up to the border. We follow the border—the landscape is flat on the Bangladesh side with rice paddies, while on the Indian side, there's a tall fence with barbed wire running its entire length. The military is everywhere in this area; it's no joke.

Dawki is a village we pass through, and we continue to the Jaflong Zero Point border. The rain hasn’t let up since we left, so we take shelter to see the viewpoint between the two countries.



Unfortunately, the boat ride on the Umngot River won’t be possible. We leave quickly, though not without some regrets.





Welbis takes me to the typical market in Pynursla, where the rain has finally stopped. We spend a great moment there.







We have lunch at a typical roadside eatery—rice, eggplant, and chai.

We continue after the meal, passing by little shops of all kinds.





I don’t know if I could carry a bag like that, but it’s practical—hands-free!



The butcher and poultry section, with buffalo, pork, and chicken.







The bakery.



Mushroom vendor.



On the way out of Pynursla, Welbis takes me to visit the homestay he owns, which isn’t open yet. It’s simple but decent. His mom lives there and will take care of the place. We go further to the village where we’ll spend two nights. The homestay is really basic. The upstairs room is tucked in with Sachin’s office, with just an open partition between them—so not much privacy.



The bathroom is shared. You have to go either outside or through a door in the kitchen—it’s really basic. The stairs down to the kitchen are super steep, so I’ll have to be careful when I go to the bathroom at night. As soon as we arrive, Welbis’s sister starts cooking vegetables and fish, and everything’s done by 5 PM. Dinner’s served to me at 7:30 PM, and it’s all cold—what a shame, I’m not really enjoying it. The evening’s going to be long. Outside, there’s a storm with heavy rain that lasts all night. I didn’t sleep much, and I was cold despite the blankets.

Wednesday, April 23 This morning the house is quiet; all I can hear are Sachin’s snores as he sleeps behind his desk. Breakfast arrives later than the previous days. We’re supposed to head out for a walk between 9 and 10 a.m. I absentmindedly lock my bag with the padlock, not noticing my little pouch is inside. Great start to the day—the padlock key is in the pouch! Welbis and Sachin try to find a way to cut it open, first with pliers, then a file, and finally the padlock gives way. Phew, I get my pouch back, and we can leave.

Welbis stops by the village and runs into a friend who’ll join us for the whole day. Welbis tells him about me, explaining that I often say "c’est bon, c’est bon" but he doesn’t understand what it means. I translate for him, and he’s so happy to have learned these French words that he’ll keep joking about them until the end of the trip.

We arrive at the first village. At the entrance, we cross a footbridge where you can see big waterfalls.

We visit a bamboo house.



There’s nothing else to see here. We’re also near the border with Bangladesh, and the fences are still everywhere.



We head to the second village, which is just like the first—nothing to see—so I refuse to go and grumble a bit. We could’ve gone somewhere else today; it feels like a wasted day. We go further to see some waterfalls. The ground is really wet, slippery, and steep. I don’t want to continue; I’m not dressed for this adventure. He tries to fill the day and takes me to see some caves. He takes a shortcut, but it’s not our lucky day—we hit a dead end. The bridge is under construction. We have to go back to Pynursla, switch valleys, and the road is in bad shape for his little car, but he’s trying to make me happy. When we arrive, a sign says the cave is temporarily closed. Not a good sign.

Welbis and his friend go in anyway, and I follow, a little skeptical. It’s very dark, and we can’t see much. We walk about 500 meters, and then he tells me we can’t go any further because it’s closed—but the cave goes on for 4 kilometers. Well, he did his best to keep me busy, but this isn’t a day to remember. We head back, and night falls quickly, along with fog. His headlights are badly adjusted; we can barely see anything. He can’t afford to fix them. He only works when there are tourists, and they’re pretty rare. He saves his money for food.

On the way back, I change the rest of the week’s plans. Rain is forecasted in Cherrapunjee, so we won’t be able to do the 5-hour trek planned for the day after tomorrow. I’ll go back to Shillong a day early and stay two extra days in Guwahati instead. I update my reservations.

Dinner tonight: eggplant, okra, tomatoes, watermelon, papaya—it’s almost royal. But where are the strawberries? They were so nice. I gave them all away when I arrived, along with the vegetables, and I haven’t tasted a single one. Welbis tells me the kids ate them all. I’m a little disappointed, but those poor kids probably don’t get to eat them often. I can always buy more for myself.