Back to Delhi

On touching down in Delhi, the temperature felt at least 10 degrees warmer and the sheer volume of people and traffic let me know immediately that I was back in the capital! Delhi often gets a bad rap, but to be fair this is a city in the middle of a phenomenal transition. I was only here 4 months ago, and development continues at relentless pace in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The new metro system is one of the best I have experienced, and sometimes I forget I am in India. It is spotless, punctual, efficient and air-conditioned (a problem we still seem to have in London!). It is reckoned that this will ease traffic congestion on Delhi roads by 30% and of course reduce pollution.

Anyway, I had booked a Delhi tour for the following day and immediately India's fascinating and turbulent history became apparent. Outsiders from all parts of the world have at various times tried to get their hands on India's riches. One can see how dynasties and eras have overlapped with Hindu, Mughal and British influences in the architecture. Many of the old buildings in Delhi are remnants of the Mughal era, such as Red Fort and Qutab Minar. I also passed via the 'Rashtrapati Bhavan' (the Presidential House) and India Gate, a majestic arch similar in appearance to Paris' Arc de Triomphe, dedicated to Indian soldiers who had lost their lives during World War I.

After that we went on to Raj Ghat, the place where Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was cremated. A black marble platform sits in the middle of a serene garden, marking the spot where Gandhiji was cremated on 31 January 1948. Opposite Raj Ghat is the Gandhi National Museum which proudly displays Gandhiji's life, his philosophy and struggle for India's independence.

I stopped off for lunch at Lodi Restaurant, an excellent outdoor restaurant with a great ambience, and then rounded off my Delhi tour by visiting Akshardam Temple, the world's largest Hindu complex. It is a truly breathtaking structure intricately handcrafted from stone without any use of steel in its construction. As the lights came on, I watched the impressive musical fountain show followed by an inspiring boat ride through a model village depicting 10,000 years of India's rich heritage and culture. It was the perfect end to the day.

- Rahul

Days 41, 42, 43 and 44: Majuli, Lakhimpur and Tezpur

So I rented a bike for the final day in Majuli and rode out to Uttar Kamalabari Satra in the morning, about 5 kilometres away from Garamur, the village we stayed in. This was a smaller Satra with about 100 monks. I was given a very friendly welcome and some tea, then shown around by various monks, being passed on like a baton. When I reached the central prayer hall they were just starting their prayers so I was ushered in to join them, and we sat in a semi-circle around the monk with the heavy cymbal. The monks chanted and clapped, and I was amazed with the range of sounds that came from the cymbal - deep, soothing and entrancing. When one section would end, a voice would come from the other end of the hall, leading the next section to which a chant was replied from our semi-circle. The whole thing was very beautiful and I felt very privileged to be able to participate, carefully watching how I timed my claps. I spared them my vocals! I was intending to cycle on when the thunder in the not too distant sky dictated I return. But I was not quick enough and the rain caught me. It was funny passing the locals cycling with their umbrellas and already being soaked through I started to enjoy the rain, and do a little singing of my own. Those that passed looked at me in wonder, possibly wondering where I'd escaped from. The rest of the day was spent reading outside the cottage, being brought tea at regular intervals. This research can be tough at times!

The next morning it was time to leave. This was a bit of a rough journey, a shared jeep, a ferry, a bus, another ferry and another super-crowded bus with only standing room, and not even that as I had to tilt my head to stand up straight. The road was pretty bad and my head hit that roof on plenty of occasions. When I finally arrived in Lakhimpur, I met up with our operator from Itanagar and we went through the plan we had for the itinerary and a few other issues. He was happy, and made a couple of more suggestions too that we will have to look into. Then it was dinner and bed.

Yesterday was a lazy day in Lakhimpur, eating, reading, relaxing, watching the Last King of Scotland on an Indian Movie channel. I did check out the cobra temple. It's not quite as exciting as it sounds, just a temple with a kitschy cobra coiled around the spire.

Today the plan was to go to Guwahati, so after an early breakfast and shower I was on the bus. I was told the whole trip would take seven, maybe eight hours. After seven hours we were in Tezpur, and it was two o' clock. Knowing there were at least another four hours to Guwahati, and it would be dark by then, I decided to stop in Tezpur to see what was happening for Holi, the festival of colours, one of India's biggest and best loved. Within minutes I was set upon by a gang of unruly middle-aged gentlemen who covered me in powders of every hue, then giggled and posed for photos!

In the hotel I just met some employess of Grameen Bank, co-workers of Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner from 2006... who are looking to set up a similar micro-credit scheme in Assam. Very nice and interesting guys. They've just gone for dinner but I have agreed to talk to them some more later on.

Tomorrow on to Guwahati, a little business to take care of there, then fly to Delhi, take the Delhi tour that Rahul has hopefully organised for me, and then back to London. It all seems to have happened so quick!

-Dave

Days 38, 39 and 40: Sibsagar and Majuli

It's a quarter to ten in the evening and I just realised it's Paddy's Day when I checked the date to write this blog. Woops! It's easy to lose touch with the outside world out here. Anyway Happy Paddy's Day to anyone reading, no Guinness this year but did have some rice beer earlier. Otherwise I will have to content myself with some Kila on my speakers.

So Sibsagar was nice enough without being mind blowing. The main Shiva temple is pretty impressive with a 33m high dome and a line of sadhus (India's spiritual wanderers) as you enter. The market was quite colourful too, otherwise there was not a lot to see or do. So yesterday I left for Majuli, the world's largest river island in the middle of the Brahmaputra, again on public transport. One bus, another bus, then a very overcrowded ferry (for 2 hours! This is some river!), and finally a taxi the last 7km over potholed roads to arrive at the accomodation of choice, some traditional style bamboo huts. That said there wasn't exactly much in the way of choice but this place is nice, bamboo everything, but electricity, hot water available and mosquito nets. After a tasty Assamese dinner, I arranged for a jeep to take myself and a French couple, who have been on the road for 15 months, to explore a little. They were the first foreigners I had seen for a week. The lodge owner also agreed to be our guide.

So this morning after breakfast we hit the road. Majuli itself is very picturesque, full of rice fields and smiling faces. The first stop was Auniati Satra. A satra is like a monestary for Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism where Vishnu, particularly in the incarnation of Krishna, is the main focus of worship. This satra has 400 monks, who were very friendly and happily posed for photos whatever they were doing. After visiting the living quarters and the prayer hall we went to a Shiva Baba next door, which was essentially a very small room with an extermely wiry old man (ninety we were told) with hair that was matted and several times his length sat surrounded by piles of fruit, a basin of milk, ganga (marijuana) and his chillum (an Indian pipe). Apparently he subsisted merely on fruit, milk and ganga! He blessed people who came and they supplied him his three essentials. We were told that he didn't allow photos but when our guide asked he agreed so you will be able to see what I mean soon enough!

From there we visited a mask worshop, where we were shown how the masks used in the dramas performed here are made. Next we visited a village where everyone was involved in the production of pottery urns, and they showed us again the process involved including heating them en masse over a great fireplace, where people took turns to keep watch. Then we went for lunch in a nearby Derry village (no connection to the city in Northern Ireland that I could fathom). The Derry are one of the tribes from Majuli, and the people again were very friendly and the food was very tasty, and served with rice beer. After lunch we visited one more village, this time a Mishing village, where one young child turned and fled when he saw me, and could not be consoled by his amused mother for quite some time. Tired after a long day we came back to relax for a while, then had dinner and showed the French couple some photos of Arunachal, which I believe has now sneaked into their planned itinerary! Ok bedtime, goodnight.

-Dave

Days 35, 36 and 37: Jorhat and Sibsagar

So on Wednesday it was on to Jorhat. Another short bus journey made long by plenty of faffing about. But it was not all bad as I got talking to a young guy on the bus (in my shaky Hindi), and when his brother called him I was put onto him and invited to their house in Mariani, an oil town near the border to Bangladesh. I accepted and took his number, planning to go yesterday. In te evening while waiting for dinner to be served, I checked out a nearby bar, where I was the only customer. So I sat at the bar and chatted (in Hindi!) with the two Nepali-Assamese behind the bar. It was a great feeling though I'm sure the beer helped!

Yesterday after trying in vain to contact my invitees to Mariani, I managed to organise a visit to a local tea factory and gardens for this morning, and eventually also a taxi to go there.

This morning I went out to the tea factory, where I was met by the estate manager, and then shown around by the factory manager. It was very interesting seeing how many stages were involved and what kind of issues there are in the fields from Red Spiders spread around by tresspassing cows to worker protests particularly around bonus time... didn't sound that unfamiliar! Then after breakfast it was on to Sibsagar, where nobody seemed to know where my hotel of choice was, so I settled for another, which is actually very nice, has BBC World and a quick internet cafe across the road... am I still in Assam? Tomorrow I will check out the old temples of Sibsagar, remnants of the mightly Ahom Dynasty, many dating from the 1700s.

-Dave

Days 32, 33 and 34: Shillong and Tezpur

It's beginning to hot up here. I had to put the fan in the room on for the first time on the trip, and it's been on since. After a couple of lazy days in Shillong, enjoying the cafes, visiting the bustling Bara Bazaar market and relaxing by the picturesque Ward's Lake around which the city is built it was time to make a move again. So it was on to Tezpur, starting with a helicopter ride (my first) to Guwahati, which was quite fantastic, all the more so as I was the only passenger. It was quite remarkable watching the forested hills of Meghalaya suddenly give way to the flat plains of Assam. Then after a short taxi ride to the bus station and a seemingly never-ending bus journey I arrived in Tezpur, had some dinner and went to bed. This morning I went to check out the sights of Tezpur, mostly a series of parks, where I chilled out and read some of a book I picked up in Shillong, Strangers of the Mist, an account of War and Peace in the North East of India. It's quite an interesting and enlightening read.

Travelling alone in India can be an amusing experience. Today I was approached three times by Indians who wanted me to be in their photos with them. The first group stood behind me giggling for a while before one of the ladies finally came over and asked. My basic Hindi is certainly being put to the test here too, as there are very few people who can speak English in Assam. Time for a little study now. Tomorrow on to Jorhat, the heart of Assam tea, where I will visit the tea estates from the days of the Raj.

-Dave

Days 29, 30 and 31 - Meghalaya (Shillong and Cherrapunjee)

So I have fallen a couple of days behind on the blog. We arrived in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya on Wednesday. It's a very pleasant town, with a lot more amenities than anywhere else we have been so far on this trip - widely available internet, cafes, bars, restaurants and a wide selection of hotels. Despite this there are few Western tourists. The vibe is very relaxed and friendly. We spent a lazy half day, eating well, drinking real coffee and generally taking it easy. Then we hopped in a shared jeep and were on our way to Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on the planet - well a little lodge outside Cherrapunjee, where we met Dennis, the manager, who was very friendly and a mine of useful information about the region and things to do there. After dinner we sat around the fire outside the lodge and chatted.

Yesterday morning we got up early and set out for the living root bridges. After a gentle downhill walk for about an hour we hit the steps. The steps are very steep and there are about 2,500 in the main stretch of them. At the bottom ours legs felt like jelly. After a few more twists and turns we came across our first root bridge. The tree's roots have been teased and trained to cross the river and attach to the opposite side by the "War Khasis". The gaps are then filled in with stones and pieces of wood. It is estimated to take about 15 years for it to be of use, but they can last up to 600 years. These bridges are about 120 to 150 years old and are growing in strength by the day. It was an incredible feat of patience and ingenuity. We passed a couple more before seeing the supreme achievemenet, a double decker root bridge, with 2 bridges on top of each other, both made from the roots of the same tree. Tolkien couldn't have imagined anything better! The steps were quite a different propostion on the way back up, and with each turn we prayed for an end in sight that never seemed to come. It was a tough day's walking but easily worth it. The Khasi people we met en route were amongst the most friendly, inquisitive and helpful of any we have met.

Yesterday evening Rahul left for Shillong and after a helicopter ride to Guwahati this morning flew on to Delhi, so I will do the rest of the trip in the North East by myself. This morning I did an easier walk to another root bridge on the other side of the lodge. It was tough enough all the same as my legs were still suffering from the previous days walking. after lunch I got a taxi back to Shillong, stopping at various waterfalls and viewpoints along the way, allowing me to appreciate the variety and beauty of Meghalaya. The fantastic thing about this trip has been its variety and Meghalaya has been no disappointment, also being completey different from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. My friendly taxi driver spoke pretty good English (unlike AP and Assam, more people speak English in Meghalaya then do Hindi), and explained about the places we visited, and the election in the State whose results were announced today, as was evident by the numerous celebrations, people dancing in the streets and various party flags waving from most vehicles. We got stuck in a massive jam a few kilometres outside Shillong where a huge number of people and vehicles were gathered outside the house of the winning Congress candidate. Impressively the turnout in the election was over 89% but the full Statewide results will not be known until tomorrow morning, though it seems Congress have done well.

- Dave

Day 28: Kaziranga

Had a bit of a lie in today... woke up at 6am, as we were off to Panbari Forest Reserve, the home of the hoolock gibbon (a rare primate) and other wildlife. Entering the forest is out of bounds at the moment, but as the forest guards hadn't turned up as yet, our enthusiastic guide sneaked us in. The forest floor was decked with leaves of all colours, the air thick with humidity and the sound of birds was overwhelming at times. However, before long we caught a glimspe of the gibbon. A female gibbon had recently been introduced to the forest to help boost the dwindling gibbon population. We didn't get to hear their peculiar cry, but nonetheless there was a thrilling moment when it hung from the tree and stared down at us for a few seconds. Our excellent guide tried in vain to show us some other monkeys, so after 4 hours of walking we headed back to the hotel where we had a much needed 'brunch.

Since we were so pleased with the guide we headed on with him to the Western Range of Kaziranga in the afternoon. The terrain was mainly grassland and soon we saw herds of deer drinking from the vast pond along with wild elephants and buffalos. The highlight was the rhino stand off we witnessed. One rhino appeared to taunt another rhino which was partially submerged in the water. He suddenly emerged from the water and both rhinos then engaged in a heated stand off. Initially they growled at each other, stared at each other in silence and then the male chased the female into the thick bush. After ten minutes we were about to head off, and then they suddenly re-emerged running out of the bushes. Believe it or not, this was part of their mating ritual! Finally the male conceded defeat (for the time being) and returned to the comfort of the water. There was also a heartstopping moment when we thought we could see a tiger perched on its haunches by the roadside, but that proved to be a false alarm, and turned out to be some grass! The jungle can play tricks on your eyes at times (honest)!

We returned to the excellent Jupuri Ghar, enjoyed a superb Assamese meal fit for 6 people and then lumbered off to bed... tomorrow is another early start for the next Northeast state, Megahalaya, dubbed the 'Scotland of the East'... so maybe haggis on the menu, or maybe not!

- Rahul

Day 27: Kaziranga

The earliest start of the trip so far. 4:15am out of bed for the 5am elephant safari... we really are dedicated to our work! We gave our driver a bit of a roasting for turning up 30mins late, but nevertheless managed to join the other safari goers 'on time'. Having settled into our seats atop this great creature, we strode through the thick elephant grass and it wasn't long before we spotted a deer that had been killed most likely by a tiger, but it had long gone. It made me wonder how in the times of the Raj, the British rode these magnificent beasts and almost shot the tiger and other wildlife into near extinction.

Further ahead we came face to face with the fabled unicorn rhinoceros, named as such because of its solitary horn. All the elephants closed in and there was a momentary standoff when the rhino refused to be bullied away. Just when the rhino started to charge, the guard fired a blank and it ran off. We saw more rhinos as well as herds of swamp, hog and barking deer, recognisable by their distinctively loud bark.

After returning to the lodge for breakfast we headed out again for the morning jeep safari, where we rode in an open top around the Central Range of the National Park. This place is a haven for bird lovers and we could see why, as it felt as if we could hear each of the 500+ species in the park. We spotted more rhinos, elephants, deer and a monitaur lizard. We tried in vain to search for the elusive tiger, but it evaded us this time. The landscape varied throughout the ride, sometimes lush green tropical-like vegetation, to open grasslands thick with elephant grass and watering holes where thirsty animals would gather.

We were staying at the well-known Wild Grass resort today, and the dining hall and veranda conjured up images of a bygone colonial era. Later in the evening local girls performed traditional songs and dances to the hypnotic melody of Indian drums and flute. A great way to cap off what had been yet another action-packed day.

- Rahul

Day 26: Potasali and the road to Kaziranga

We woke up this morning at the ungodly hour of 5.30, and were out walking in Nameri National Park by 6. Our guide led us to the river and two boatmen rowed us across the river where we walked for about 2 hours. It was a bird watchers haven, the air thick with the sound of bird calls. We also came upon a wild elephant half hidden in the tall grass, as well as several Sambar (a white-tailed deer), some Hornbill, and on the walk back a tree full of Langurs (long-tailed monkeys). We could also hear some Barking Deer through the thick forest.

After an excellent breakfast at the immensely impressive Potasali Eco Camp, we hopped back in the jeep briefly and headed off for our float down the river in a dingy. The weather yet again was fantastic, and we floated down the river for a couple of hours before stopping off for lunch. Our boatmen produced a rice sack full of veg, rice, pots and pans, and collected firewood. From this they managed to cook up a fantastic meal, with 2 main dishes, a salad, and rice. We ate on the river bank, shaded from the sun by the dingy propped up by the oars, and felt like kings. After lunch we floated down another half hour or so, said goodbye to our boatmen and were off to Kaziranga National Park.

We arrived in Jupuri, a place related to Potasali Eco camp, and straight off we could see that the same careful touch had been applied there. After checking out some other accommodation, we settled on Jupuri as our first choice, though we found some more than reasonable alternatives. Tomorrow we will get up at 4.30am for an elephant safari, where apparently the elephants do a pincer movement to enable us to see the unicorn rhonos. I really can't wait!

- Dave

Day 25: Bomdila to Potasali Eco Camp

Having checked out of Bomdila, we set off on our journey to Potasali (Assam), only to find out that yet another strike was taking place in Assam, so all major roads were closed in Assam were closed until 5pm. That gave us some extra time to stop off at Sessa Orchid Sanctuary where a very friendly and enthusiastic old forest ranger led us into this hidden tropical forest off the main road. It reminded me immediately of the rainforests of South America - full of lush greenery, towering trees, flowing streams and the sound of birds and other wildlife. We were called back after venturing too far, as apparently leopards and tigers prowl the area!

We reached Bhalukpong at around 12pm and waited around for a further 3 hours until a police vehicle escorted us and a convoy of other vehicles into Assam. After 20km we turned off for Potasali Eco Camp, and immediately we were struck by the character of the place. Our accommodation was one of eleven tented bamboo structures furnished with sturdy low-lying bamboo beds and an ensuite bathroom. As it was approaching sunset, we wandered into the nearby fields where we saw local villagers herding their cows as the sky turned a crimson red followed by a fading pink.

Ronny, a local Assamese guy, runs this place and came across as a very charasmatic and knowledgable person loaded with all kinds of helpful information about the area and how best we can organise our tours. We had a fabulous dinner and some beers in the outdoor dining area, where we stared in amazement/disbelief at a group of dedicated birdwatchers flocked around a table comparing notes on the birds they had spotted that day. We ended the night by the bonfire, contemplating the adventure tomorrow holds when we go for a 6am jungle walk followed by rafting and lunch with the boatmen.

- Rahul

Days 23 & 24: Tawang and the road back to Bomdila

Yesterday we were due a relatively lazy day, starting at about 8.30, but just after 7 we realised we were in for a beautiful day. The view of the monestary from the room inspired us to brave the cold and so we headed back up to the monestary, where we casually wandered around, admiring yet again the monestary and its incredible setting before walking slowly back to Tawang. There was not a cloud in the sky. In the afternoon we just wandered around Tawang, every corner revealing another spectacular view. Hopefully we should have a link to some photos up in about a week so you can see what I mean. In the evening, after an excellent meal at our favourite hotel so far, we sat around the fire in the kitchen and chatted, people coming and going continually.

Today after breakfast we set off for Bomdila. The weather was a repeat of the previous day and the views were simply breath taking. I won't elaborate, I'll let the photos do the rest. Coming back over Sela Pass proved even more difficult than our first passing. The first time our jeep got stuck in the snow myself, Rahul and a guy who works on the roads managed to extract it, but the second time more manpower was required. So from the truck that was following us a mini-army jumped down, and we pushed/lifted the car to safety. Not before we were half-frozen to death by swirling icy winds though.

We stopped again at Sela's little hut restaurant for very much appreciated noodles and tea, and an even more appreciated fire. Once we had defrosted, we set off again and within an hour we stopped again, and sunbathed for half an hour! It was roasting, still being high enough to feel the full strength of the sun. We reached Bomdila at around five and found accomodation that surpassed our previous find, this one being in the grounds of Bomdila monestary, a great setting with very clean rooms decorated in the monestary style, and a balcony view of Bomdila and the mountains beyond. We watched a little of the evening prayers before dinner, and I'm now writing by candle-light as Arunachal's electricity situation has struck again. However from our balcony I can see a sky with more stars than any other I have ever seen.
Tomorrow we will head on to Potasali Eco Camp in Assam, and bid a sad farewell to Arunachal Pradesh. For now!

- Dave