Tag: travelling

Posted in Nomad's Diary

Saga of Shillong (4.2)

Posted on by Oindri_I

Chapter 4: We became Cavemen (Part 2)

What attracted me most about the garden of caves was its serene nature. After this place, We headed to Nohkalilai Falls viewpoint. According to legends, there was a widow named Ka Likai. She had an infant daughter. To survive, she had to work hard from day to night. But unwantedly she had to leave her daughter unattended. So to have an easier life, she remarried. But the second husband hated that infant. One day when Likai was out to work her husband killed the child and decapitated it. He cooked her flesh and offered that meal to Likai. As Likai was too tired due to hard she ate it all. Later when she went to take betel leaf after the meal, she found a little finger.

The Bamboo Bridge
Nohkalikai Falls

Her husband explained it all to her. Horrified with the incident she ran away from home and jumped into the lake where her baby daughter’s bones were left. This heart-breaking story dad was explaining on the way. I asked, “Ma what was your experience in your time?” She replied, “It was not so great tourist spot. It was just a viewpoint.” When we reach the point, it was almost a very small market place. Girls were selling handmade wooden crafts. They were selling wild cinnamon barks along with black peppers and other spices. I was focusing on the emerald green lake; thinking about the poor mother and her daughter who are resting together there. Moon said, “Around this time the falls is not so big. It’s real beauty blossoms at the rainy season.”

The Table-top at the side of Sohra-Shella Road
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Posted in Nomad's Diary

Saga of Shillong (3.0)

Posted on by Oindri_I

Chapter 3 : The Cherry Blossom Festival

Shillong’s airport is not a big airport. It is a small airport sitting at the lap of Shivalik Himalaya. Hardly 3 or 4 aeroplanes take off daily. Even it’s terminal area was also empty. There was no rush, no extra security; as if it’s a temporary movie set. Maa and Masi couldn’t stop laughing in amusement. Maa Said, ” Looks like the playground of my old school.”
While collecting the luggage, I saw there was a labrador dog sitting sadly at the entrance. It was an on-duty sniffer dog. But its eyes melted me. I was thinking about putting its head or say ‘hello’. But Later I dropped the idea. Who knows if it barks at me, who will guarantee that I won’t be put to jail under the suspicion of smuggling? After all, it was an on-duty sniffer dog.

Shillong’s Welcome

The road from the airport to the main city is 20 kilometres long. The hotel manager already sent us a driver. At first, the man-child of our group (my father) conquered the back seat. And my mother scolded him, “Just get down. I will sit on that seat. You will start vomiting when the car starts climbing up the hill.” Oh, my poor father!!
I already grabbed the front seat, my favourite one. He said, “Please let me in.” Trust me I was not willing to let him. But who will dare to cross my mother?
That 20 kilometre was really mesmerising. The wind was no so chilly as the temperature was nearly 20-degree celsius. The cherry trees started from the point we just crossed the Umium Lake. It was a huge lake. I have never seen such a big water body. Looking at the cherry trees it really felt as if someone has put a pink cover to block the sunlight.


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Posted in Nomad's Diary

Saga of Shillong (2.0)

Posted on by Oindri_I

Chapter 2: The Journey

In my previous chapter, I stated the unique amalgam of five different people. Now in this chapter, I shall enlighten you about the journey to the Shillong.
Let me tell you, we Bengalis are very peculiar people. If we plan to travel, even if it is the next city; our suitcase must contain the following things:
Torch and candles(For power cuts in a new area)
Rope and clips (To dry our clothes)
Borolin (A multipurpose ointment)
Stack of Pantacid-40 (Because we are the permanent patients of gastric)
A knife and portable dinner set and bedsheets (We don’t trust the housekeeping service)
All of the sweaters and Jackets and Shawls in our closet (What if we catch a cold in an unknown place).

The list would go on but let me stop right here. But I was more unfortunate.
Since my childhood my mother made me carry books for competitive exams and homework in my vacations. And books were kept closed because who the hell studies in vacations? But she never forgot to tell me the tales of the prodigies whose mothers were her close friends. Hence after every lecture, dad concluded I was born worthless.

This time it was no different. I had to carry study materials of two subjects of GATE. An exam which was next to impossible for me to crack. But please don’t ask how many chapters I covered on that trip.

CLouds in Meghalya

Our Packing started in October. Within 15 days I witnessed the discoveries of so many sweaters and jackets and scarfs and what not. Each day my parents opened their suitcases. Then maa sat on the sofa and dad started to pack. Like a wise married man he never dared to cross his wife.
Well, two suitcases were packed; mine and theirs and they were weighted according to the airline’s rule. Yeah, we have a weighing machine at home which shows each month that I have not lost even one kilo. I doubt its accuracy. Along with two suitcases, there were one big bag and four handbags. Well, we were prepared for the battle.
Ah!! We didn’t forget the borolin.

On 12th November we reached Kolkata. From 13th November the festival was going to be inaugurated. That’s why getting a hotel around that time was nearly impossible. Different travel websites showed many hotels and homestays. But as we started to book in September, the price has skyrocketed. If anyone wants to attend the festival I would suggest that you better book rooms earlier. Keeping the convenience of my maasi, me and Uncle started to find hotels who have lift facilities. But those hotels had gone too expensive by then. Finally, we found a good guest house, called The White Orchid. They said, “We have one three-bedroom and Two-bedroom available.” Then we just booked it. They were a lifesaver.

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