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...........”