After having traveled so far it would have been a shame not to see the famed one horned Indian Rhino. During my last holiday to the North East we had given the game park a miss but this time round we thought this was one box we must tick. Especially since the Kaziranga Game Sanctuary has been declared a UNESCO sight .
Once again it was green rice fields ready for harvest and tea gardens we passed along the way .
Our last stop was the Kaziranga Game Park. After a really long drive from Shillong we arrived at the Iora resort a little after 2 pm
Finally, it seemed we had found gold and found a lodging and boarding we couldn’t fault .After a seamless check in we grabbed a quick bite at the BhanBhaat a restaurant on site that served traditional Assamese fare . This was quite the experience because Assamese food is eaten in a particular way which the Maitre d’ insisted we follow and oversaw us with his beady eyes while we ate !
The menu explained in detailThe exotic Non Vegetarian menu The meal begins with some khara mixed with rice and the next morsel with before eating the rice with other vegetables and curry Prima Donna opted for a pepper duck dryish gravy with a sticky rice served in a bamboo sleeve !
The tiniest orchid blossoms The bottle brush plant A black flower – the Devils flower The dancing Lady orchid The Venus Fly trap which is not an orchid The rat tail orchid with its long thin flowering stems
Unfortunately we couldn’t return for the cultural show later in the evening as the park gets pitch dark and with no lights around, I didn’t risk the stumble in the dark .
A plant lover can easily spend hours in this park that has well informed guides to show you around
That night I went to bed relaxed and happy, eager to see what the next day would bring
After visiting the Scotland of the East we made our way to the erstwhile wettest place on earth : Cherrapunji. But before that we stopped at the magical Elephant Falls in the midst of a conifer forest .
The Elephant Falls is so named because of the original elephant like rock at the bottom of the fall. Sadly, an earthquake destroyed the rock formation but the falls remain.
The Pine forest Elephant Falls 1 tier A mossy trailElephant Falls Tier 2Elephant Falls Tier 3The clear pool at the end Golden fern catching the morning sunA cascade of fern
The fresh scent of pines and the cool green forest compelled me to take in deep breaths and I finally appreciated what was meant by Forest Bathing.
There is nothing as restful as breathing in the forest air, enveloping yourself in it’s comforting embrace
Regrettably, we couldn’t spend more time in the forest paradise as we had to make our way to Cherrapunji to see the caves and waterfalls that Meghalaya is famous for.
Ever since Class 8 when I heard about Cherrapunji I was intrigued by the name and the reason for its claim to fame. I always imagined it would be lush with green and was totally disappointed to see the brown scrubland almost desolate with its quarried landscape.
Prima Donna consoled me with the fact that an American blogger who had visited this place had mentioned in his blog davidsbeenhere that this part of the East Khasi hills reminded him of Lesotho, so I could take comfort in the fact that I had visited Lesotho as well ! Poor comfort indeed.
Did you know that one of Meghalaya’s exports was sand ?
I thought that the raging waterfalls that we were going to visit would make up for the brown scenery but was shocked to find that they had become a mere trickle !
Prima Donna bravely and boldly marched into the Arwah caves, but I was wary of the water dripping through and the slippery rocks. While I waited for her, I met up with another lady who was also waiting for her guests. She was a young Khasi who had lived in Shillong all her life and used to come often with her cousins to play around in the caves. It was only in the last 15 years or so that denudation, deforestation and climate change have played a large part in the browning of this once green and lush area. Luckily, Mawsynram in the same district is now the wettest place on earth.
Rhododendron at last Deep valleys of sheer forest One step and you’re done for The disappointment of the waterfallA board re telling the legend the legend of Dianthelein falls Disheartened by the brown landscape and refusing to pay for another trickle of a waterfall we skipped it Thoroughly disappointed by the seven sisters
The caves were fascinating but frankly I get claustrophobic. Infact, at the second cave at Mawsmai we didn’t even attempt going inside when a returning visitor told me that a tiny space inside would definitely not accommodate someone my size.
Obviously over enthusiastic tourists have fallen over ! Always blue skies and crisp air even at mid day Does this need to be spelled out ? Two trails leading to the caves Inside the Arwah caves Inside the Arwah caves
So taking advantage of this stop, we indulged in our rumbling tummies with some local momos before heading off to Naokhali.
NohKalaki FallsThe NohKalaki fallsEndless mountains of peace and serenity
We did go up to the lookout point and much to Anil’s disappointment , turned down the offer of going right down to the bottom even though the road was bare 5 km long.
On our return back to Shillong we wanted a flavour of the everyday modem Shillong so we stepped into a popular local hub Cafe Shillong.
The happening place The cafe sponsors local footballShillong’s Chow is distinctly flavourful
The cafe was pretty happening when we arrived but within minutes we were the only people left .
We soon discovered why : darkness descends by 5 pm and with no street lights, it is best one gets home before dark !
The initial start of our night halt at Shillong was a bit of a disaster.
It took us over an hour to travel the last km to the hotel which was situated right on top of the Bara Bazar. Hotel MCrown is beautifully located for those who want to see the bazar which is famous for its vendors who are solely women. But we weren’t really interested in the local market which seemed to have the standard stuff you find in all Indian street shops. Besides the market had many male vendors too so this was not an attraction anymore. Honestly, I would not recommend this hotel to those who want some peace and quiet. Moreover should you have no option but to stay here, I would strongly recommend arriving there during NON PEAK business hours because the traffic I experienced here was by far my WORST TRAFFIC EXPERIENCE ever.
The MCrown on the top floor of a shopping Mall ! By sunset the busy market wax almost emptyThe famous red chillies and more ! Roots and shoots and orchids too ! I thought this bank was a foreign bank till I realised it was my Bank of India write. In Khasi ! What was this man thinking of, making a terrace garden on a narrow roof top with no place to sit ? One of the few remaining old fashioned bungalowsThe sun set down on Shillong All Saint’s – the oldest church in ShillongView of Shillong
However, after the stop at Umian Lake ( Bara Pani) and the seven storey hike up the DonBosco Tribal Museum we were quite hungry and wanted to have a substantial local meal .
The girl in the front office of MCrown told us about the Trattoria a hole in the wall just around the corner.
And a hole in the wall it truly was. But it made for a fine dining experience. By the time we reached, most of the stuff was over so he gave us a Pork Combo where we literally pigged out on some local fare.
The menu , the smelly curtain Three abreast Airline style seating Recognising the eatery’s greatness The Pork Combo where we ate all kinds of pork including the brain ( according to Prima Donna) that I truly relishedThe cook who was thrilled to bits that we had come to experience the true taste of Khasi food.
The restaurant itself had three rows of seating facing one way only. Each row had two benches along the aisle and each bench seated three.
We made a cursory round of the Bazar since it was literally hugging the hotel but we’re quite unimpressed and scared of venturing deep into the crowd because of CoVid.
So luckily the early sunset made it easier for us to call it a day and we decided to loll around in bed and watch as much free TV as we could manage!
Ciao
P.s. the Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous Tribes is really a well-curated museum. It encapsulates the history and culture of the tribes of the North East. And the view from the top is worth the winding walk on the top of the roof!
Twenty- five Seven 