When we left for the Airport at 3am on the morning of the 9th of February, we weren’t quite sure what we were getting into. We had no idea about all the hiking, caving and most frequently the bus rides that we would embark on. We were each given a small booklet with food and other miscellaneous information by the trip organizers, and while we slept, talked and just generally enjoyed ourselves on the plane ride, the sun would rise on an experience unlike any other.
Landing in Guwahati Airport, we ate some food before embarking on the first of many bus rides across India’s northeast. We eventually arrived at our destination, Shillong, and the first thing of note was the cold. Although the sun was still high in the sky for now, the cold was fast approaching, and the nights here left everyone freezing, even if some were less affected than others. We visited the Don Bosco Museum, which chronicled the history of the 7 sisters, and we learned much about the 3 different tribes that lived in Meghalaya, being the Jaintia, Garo and Khasi tribes. We would ultimately spend more time with the Khasi tribe than the other 2, as we were soon to discover heading into day 2. But not before a quick night of shopping at the local market, in preparation for cooking at the village.
Day 2 began with a lengthy bus ride to Nongblai.
The Nongblai village (and most of Meghalaya) houses a majority Christian community, however we would learn more about the Khasi culture throughout our stay in the village. But before we could even make it there, we first had to endure a trek down a full kilometer of altitude, which took a lot of time. However, we eventually made it down to the village, with food waiting for us when we did. After a short break, we left to see the big ticket item, the root bridges.
The root bridges as the name implies are bridges made from tree roots, with bamboo and other scaffolding used to guide the roots until they were eventually strong and long enough to cover the gaps they needed to. Once all the bridges were seen, and maps filled with as much detail as we could find, we returned for the great cookoff. Mashed potatoes, maggi, sauteed vegetables and more were being cooked with tiny cylindrical pots above makeshift stoves. The results were about as expected, which is why our hosts were kind enough to make dinner for us themselves. We played our first game of blood on the clocktower, before tucking in for the big trek back up the following day.
Waking up on day 3 was like waking up from being stuffed inside a refrigerator, absolutely freezing.
After visiting the biggest, strongest root bridge, we were in for a 3 hour hike up a kilometer to make it back to our bags and supplies. The small steps and steep inclines gave way to rest stops and breaks of flat land, however it was brutal in its demands. Yet there is no challenge that would stop our desire to eat the snacks stored in our suitcases, and so the indomitable human spirit shone through yet again, and secured our safe journey onto the next hotel. We played another game of BOTC, and drove all the way to the hotel in Cherrapunji. Those of us who were exhausted from the trek slept while the rest ate dinner and played, before ultimately anticipating the events of day 4.
Day 4 would be our excursion into caving, exploring a real cave, untouched by humanity in any ways, or so we thought. The first thing we noticed after entering the cave was a lays packet on a rock near the entrance. This happens due to the rains in Meghalaya, as it is the most precipitous state due to its interesting geography. More interesting was the cave fauna, as we saw huntsman spiders, crickets and more animals that adapted to the total darkness of the cave environment.
We would also experience the totality of darkness in an exercise in the cave, where all of our headlights were turned off, and we held our tongues. We made our way back to the hotel, ate dinner and participated in a quiz about the happenings of the trip. Followed, of course, by an intense round of BOTC, that left everyone stunned.
Then, when day 5 began, we realized that the day would basically consist of nothing but the bus ride to the airport. However, we had one last sight to see before departing, the waterfall. We heard the tragic story behind the waterfall’s name, took a great photo, did some mild shopping before strapping back into what would prove to be the longest bus ride yet. As we made our way back to Guhawanti airport, we slept, ate, played and reflected on just how short the trip felt. With all the high-octane action constantly coming our way, the trip flew by quickly, but that also meant that it didn’t overstay its welcome. And when we boarded the flight back home, we were all left satisfied by a great trip of learning, intrigue, and physical pain.
