286kms drive to Shillong,Meghalaya (north-East India)

                             
                     
"If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road,I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all. "(David Livingstone)

                 

The  shortest distance from Guwahati(Assam) to Shillong is approx.120km .

The unknown and unseen  often  beckons, leading us to take the “less trodden” route to Shillong  via Rani, Patharkhama , Nongstoin.... onwards. Interesting that it was , it was an eye-opener that to see the ever-changing world you don’t have to go very far....it’s just around your kitchen ...“the great, wide , beautiful , wonderful world.”(W.B.Rands)

Driving 286kms through lonely ,motorable roads where a knowledge of the local language (khasi)is helpful while ordering your cuppa of the energizing red tea , we realised the immense natural bounties of flora and fauna that this region had to offer.   Dotted with hamlets in the undulating terrain , with a roadside tea (cha) shop here and there, the potato fields, groves of pine trees , rice-fields , waterfalls and the lake all encompassing, highlights the authenticity about travel , life and adventure. Sometimes you do want to leave behind the dis-spirited , mundane existence of everyday life and  unashamedly lust for the existence of a gypsy, to do what pleases you ,with not a care in the world.

This took us through remote parts of the state of Meghalaya(India) spending a night at Nongstoin in the government guest house ,  before rambling on to Barapani and finally Shillong. 

The word “Maw” means Stone and "Um" is water in Khasi  ,words you will be coming across often in this write-up. Names of many towns and villages begin with these words.

En-route

                                      

The road –mapping was done by Bee, my travelling companion, with the necessary stops and pauses to interact with the local populace. From Guwahati we proceeded to Rani via Deepor Beel and onwards to Pathorkhama. Our first stop was at Umrit Bazaar where we bought red berries and pine-apples, making use of the limited Khasi words I profess to know and speak badly.

 Onwards to Nongkhlow , made famous by the freedom fighter  U tirot Singh who came into conflict with the British when David Scott was the administrator. The Martyr's statue stands tall at Mairang recognising his bravery and sacrfice during the Anglo-Khasi War.

“Killing rock” was our next stop. Difficult to ascend if you’re not in good shape and even if you do, there is lurking danger that the wind may topple you down.We used four-paws at times to reach half-way and patted our backs for it.At fifty-nine years it was a Herculean task.

Lunch of piping hot “momos”(dumplings ) and soup was at Marbaniang  cafe , Mairang  . The limited staff maintained the norms of gentility and cleanliness making us feel at home and we stuffed ourselves to our necks before we ventured on . Henceforth , the road was superb till we reached Nongstoin where we spent the night .

    

Killing Rock

With the sunrise we wove our way to see the undisturbed  pastoral island of Nongkhnum ,the second  largest river-island in the world after Majuli . A must-see is the Weinia Waterfalls on the river Kynshi near the island. With not a soul around , the sound of running water was oddly amplified and the plants/animals became our friends.

river island of Nongkhnum

                               

Weinia Waterfalls

                                 

The captivating sight of light on river, the soft hills and green foliage , the silvery spray of the waterfall left us immersed in nature’s splendour . We drove on to the tri-junction Mawmaram (i hope I’ve got the name right) and turned left for Mawlyngdep.

A well-organized , clean village where everything seemed to be in perfect order like a disciplined school under a strict Headmaster , Mawlyndep gave way to beautiful rolling hills and meadows which perhaps enabled Shillong to earn the epithet “Scotland of the East.”

                             

                            

From Umbir it was onwards to Umiam (Barapani) . Shillong stood 16 kms away at an altitude of 4,908 feet  the highest point being the Shillong Peak at 6499feet.

TIPS: Cell-phone connectivity is poor.
          Take enough water bottles.
           Start your journey early.  

Let me end with words about Shillong which I had learnt as a child.

“Where waters are falling /the hill-sides are calling.... Shillong/ Where cool air is crisper/ the breezes all whisper ....shillong/ For this is a city that’s set on a hill / and its light will shine wider still...........”     

                                  

20 hours in Irun,Spain

                             

                   

 “We'll spend a night in Irun on our way to Madrid ,” Bee,  my travelling companion announced with a  dictatorial finality.

“Irun???”

“Its in the Basque region of Spain.” The words jolted my memory like a tsunami wave  bringing forth facts and figures  which I had taught as a  teacher. 

Straddling both France and Spain and partly in the Pyrenees ,with the Bay of Biscay to the north,  it is inhabited by the Basque people ,speaking a language( Euskara) distinct from other European languages and having no linguistic relative. A very old race ,they have survived invasions , foreign domination and dictators. While most ethnic  groups and sects in the Iberian Peninsula blended into the main stream with the march of time , the insular Basque community survived .

How did we reach Irun

How did we reach Irun

map showing parts of France and Spain, bay of Biscay

                               

                     

At 7.30 in the morning we  boarded the train at Bordeaux heading for Hendeyne.Tickets are between  27 to  30 euros. Both stations are clean , signage is clear and there are English –speaking staff at the information desk .The train was spacious , enough room for luggage and filled with retirees and holiday makers most of whom were heading for San Sebastian. Like most French trains there is a catering facility, so the need to take  packed snacks does not arise.  The journey takes approximately 3 hours As we munched on our sandwiches and coffee we took in the landscape  while traversing small towns , beautiful countryside  and picture -perfect  vineyards .

We reached Hendeyne at about 10.30. It is the farthest point of South –west France , a frontier town before entering Spain . Despite the fact that the route is traversed by thousands of people,  since it is the link between  Iberian Peninsular and the rest of Europe, the station is small, just about 4 platforms, so you’ll never get lost .

You can walk across to Irun (Spain) from Hendeyne (France) across the Santiago Bridge over the River Bidasoa. We, however, took a little train, after crossing the frontier gate, running for just 6 mins.to reach Irun station. Thus we entered the land of the Spanish Armada, flamenco dancers and  the painter Francisco Goya nodding a “Hola” to one and sundry.    

Tip: Train tickets fluctuate. Book your tickets well ahead to get fair discounts.
 For short journeys take the regional trains (REC) than the TGV high speed. Although wash-room amenities are available in all stations sometimes you may have to make small payment.Therefore keep some ready change ready.

Where did we stay

Bar Pension Restaurante Bidasoa

                                             

  We had an  early morning train to Madrid. Therefore, we decided on an accommodation just near the railway station and what better place than “Bar Pension Restaurante Bidasoa” at 60euros per night . That was our Paradise for the night. 

I have never stayed in a place like this.The name of the hotel was self-explanatory; it is a bar frequented by the elderly pensioners at all times of the day . Even at 10.30 it was pretty crowded. You can access the rooms of the Pension(small hotel)through the bar and the restaurant lay beyond the watering-hole.

 Our tussle with the unknown began when we realized that nobody could speak English though they understood us (I think). A furtive look leapt into my eyes and my face contorted , witch-like,  as it often does, when I am about to speak   a foreign language .

“ Senorita, Hemos reservado una habitacion aqui”(we have a reservation here) ,I said.  Something went terribly wrong for the beautiful lady  looked at us blankly and smiled. The accent  must have been a pain to the  ear like incoming artillery.  Bee  solved our problem by wielding the Google translator successfully.  Smiling all the while she rattled off a string of incomprehensible sentences and called for the young Sou Chef, who knew communicative English,  to settle the necessary modalities. “Una estancia confortable” she said . “Gracias.” Yes, we both understood.

The room was small but very clean . The teeny-weeny bath-room had us “walking – in” backwards. The invisible noise which was as soft as muslin coming from the other room made us realise that the walls were thin. “Remember , you get what you pay for,” I was told. Nevertheless we had a comfortable night  , fresh for the next leg of our journey.

Tip: a) It’s good to know a few sentences of the local language. 
       b)“Seista” is important for every Spaniard . Shops are shut and restaurants are closed.              Therefore have your meals well ahead of time.
       c)sncf.com/en and renfe.com/en are the two websites to check for train time-tables in               France and Spain. 

                        

near our hotel

                            

                                       

What did we see and eat

Twenty hours is not enough to see everything that Irun has to offer, with eight hours spent sleeping. We walked around taking photographs of a few landmarks, visiting the shops,absorbing the sights,sounds and flavours of the region.The spots we covered were the Town Hall and square , the church , the Palacio Arbelaiz . We didn't have time to go inside the Museo Romano Oiasso.

Proximity to the sea has made fish an important item in their menu apart from local vegetables and meat .Tucking into the Marmitako (fish stew) and Pintxos(finger food) along with a glass of Sangria ,our evening was made.

 Marmitako (fish stew)

Sangria

                                                            

We inter-acted with the elderly gentleman at the bookstore who made an interesting statement ,“The Romans have come and gone but we are still here.” The region has seen turbulent days during the revolutionary movement led by the ETA (Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna meaning Basque country and Freedom) in the 1970’s saw 100 people dying every year.Violence had become an outdoor activity of the people leading many Basque people to re-settle elsewhere.

Things have changed after the cease-fire in 2010 . Today the Spanish Basque Autonomous Country is more autonomous than many other parts of the continent, having the highest per capita income in Spain leading to immigration from poorer parts of Spain and the world. Though there are 30% fluent Basque speakers and 18% passive speakers, efforts are being made to revive the language.  A beautiful country with beautiful people!

The Evening saw groups of retirees entering the bar of the hotel which had three screens telecasting football . Real Madrid was the popular club being cheered ,although I was told there is a team “Atheletic  Bilbao” where all players are Basque.The bonhomie at the bar was all pervading with much laughter ,back-slapping and jokes in a language that was beyond our reach. Beer did the rounds . We joined the cordiality and heartiness of the folks before we called it a day.

Tip:  a) Have time in hand to make a trip to San Sebastian , the nearby sea-resort.

‘       b)Be a Roman in Rome”and do what the locals do.

        c)Don’t be nostalgic about home-made food . Be adventurous , dig and eat !!

My travelling partner, Bee

                                

Let me end with the words of Nelson Mandela:“After climbing a great hill , one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”