On the move Staying in Shillong was expensive. We had already decided to move to Dimapur. There were a few buses that could take us from Shillong to Dimapur but we decided to forego them in favour of a more comfortable train journey from Guwahati. For that, we had to leave Shillong early. We bid … [Read more…]
How much mod can a Maruti 800 take? I had written earlier that Shillong and Sohra practically commutes in Maruti 800. Gowri Sankar pointed out that the following vehicle, which belonged to Heprit, is actually a Maruti 800!!! Tourist spots in Cherrapunjee (Sohra) There are quite a few tourist spots in Sohra. These are well maintained. The access … [Read more…]
It was too much exercise for my knees I have been trekking non-stop since Day 4. First it was from Tyrna to Nongriat, then from Nongriyat to “Paradise” and back, followed by a trek to caves and back and finally the ascension from Nongriat to Tyrna. My knees were killing me. I could feel the … [Read more…]
The roads were paved by their ancestors The valley has an amazing network of concrete and stone stairs that connect distant villages. Today’s trek took us through two villages. Our destination was a small network of caves. The mean elevation of the trekking route is 60 degrees with small burst of regions having elevation of … [Read more…]
3000 reps to failure? A nice hand drawn schematic map of Cherrapunjee was given to us by the backpacker’s hut owner, Haprit. One of the places was about 18 km from Sohra (local name of Cherrapunjee) and required a descent into the valley via concrete steps. Gowri Sankar joined us for this leg of the … [Read more…]
And you thought Maruti 800 was dead? The entire Shillong runs on Maruti 800. Refurbished. Repaired. Re-repaired. But they are Maruti 800s. It appeared to me that all the Maruti 800s that had been decommissioned by the factory and disowned by their owners, landed up on Butcher Road in Shillong, and started their new life … [Read more…]
Transportation options from Guwahati to Shillong We got to know yesterday about the unavailability of buses between Guwahati and Shillong. However, there are abundant private vehicles that leave from Paltan Bazaar and cover a distance of about 120 kms in about 2.5 to 3 hours. The larger SUVs can carry about 8 passengers while the … [Read more…]
An accommodation in Paltan Bazaar Paltan Bazaar is an important transportation and commercial hub. While we were hunting for a double room to stay, we found that there are three kinds of rooms in and around this place. The first group of accommodation consists of the sub-600 hotels. In most cases, these will have rooms … [Read more…]
Camp Linger, with its tagline “Do Nothing”, lives up to its advertisement. In a way, there is nothing to do but relax and enjoy the service that is provided. It is not much different from a resort. In fact, it is a resort with amenities that a backpacker might need and at a cost that … [Read more…]
Last weekend, it so happened that one of my batch-mates extended an invitation to view the sky at an observatory in Yoga Nikaya, a campus about 40 Kms outside Bangalore on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The place is a treat to the eyes and lungs – especially for someone like me, who … [Read more…]
