"3 Banjaare" on astonishing expedition into Seven Sisters's Land from Bangalore - 15
A bright sun was smiling at sleeping Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan in the abode of Kaziranga National Park along with its various inhabitant who were wide awake since it was already a bright day. Mr. Tarzan had snapped the previous night, “ A safari again ?”, to which Mrs. Tarzan chuckled, “Sure, if you get up ! ” So, evidently it was no safari this day :) However, Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan were ready for their long awaited adventure into the mystic land of clouds about which they had been reading in the textbooks since they were kids, which had always fascinated them as a fairy land (for Mrs. Tarzan to be precise). Cherishing on the thought of seeing the dense clouds in the land receiving highest waterfall in the country the little kids in them were excited. During this stay they had made friends with the hotel manager who recognized and accommodated the stranded souls during late hours the previous night and was much delighted to get blessing from Maa Kamakhya as Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan shared Prasad with him and the staff. Taking farewell they headed off towards the final leg of their adventure, Meghalaya, the clock was ticking at 9.
The highway was so familiar to the trio that they did not need google expertise for guidance, however they had to make a little diversion towards Guwahati, since Cheetah was wounded last evening owing to a tyre puncture and was running on its weak spare tyre, Mrs. Tarzan was trying to locate an authorized dealer in Guwahati. Luckily they found one over the internet and someone had also picked up their call to confirm they would be served. Now the task was to locate the shop which was bit challenging, that they almost went past it had Mrs.Tarzan not noticed the small board along with an old torn tyre hanging along the footpath. With skeptical look Mr. Tarzan took a pause and decided to get inside since it was then the most promising option to fix Cheetah. It was around 1 pm and Mrs. Tarzan was already feeling hungry, she decided to pick up something meanwhile and what matched her requirement was Dominos outlet few hundred meters away. So, after convincing Mr. Tarzan she headed towards it and ordered a veg and a non veg pizza, one each for them both. Cheetah got fixed in an hour and Mr. Tarzan came over to pick her up but was bit off for letting her take the trouble while he had to resolve the issue with not so convincing option. Anyways, in few minutes they entered the highway which they craved since they touched Guwahati. The serpentine highway, black and smooth as cobra was so curvy and enthralling to light up a crazy Mr. Tarzan. Relaxed look on his face reminded Mrs. Tarzan of the pizza packets she was still holding. At one good spot under the green trees she asked Mr. Tarzan to stop so they can grab some bites on the wheels on the road. She had a look at one box which had sticker for non veg pizza and handed over to Mr. Tarzan, the other box was supposed to be veg pizza. As soon as she opened the box she realized it was different and did not seem to be veg. Mr. Tarzan could not believe at first only to confirm later that it indeed had chicken pieces. Being hungry he got furious again and threw the boxes at back seat. Cracking a lame joke, Mrs. Tarzan laughed, “Looks like no one here orders for veg pizza and could not get the order properly”. This still not clearing frown from his face in next few seconds, she admitted that it was her mistake she should have checked the order properly. Both the souls were hungry and sad that even the music could not light up grimness, and the highway did not have options for food. The plan to view sunset at Umiam Lake was foiled. Mr. Tarzan had only one goal, to reach their stay soon and get something for Mrs. Tarzan, since it was already evening. But Mrs. Tarzan was okay that Mr. Tarzan was with her at such a beautiful place just that he was sulking. They reached Shillong at around 4 pm and finding the stay was not easy. Shillong is a small city having one-ways everywhere that missing a crooked lane will make you go roundabout in maze before actually landing at the the same point again. And at times, google map may suggest you other routes to add up to the confusion. So, obviously it exaggerated Mr. Tarzan’s ferocity and Mrs. Tarzan’s disappointment. Well, in couple of retries they reached their stay, and it started light drizzle over the flowers in garden which instantly brought smile on Mrs. Tarzan’s face while Mr. Tarzan returned after cross checking the stay to take her along. The weather was awesome and she happily snapped,“I am preparing maggi and you finish your pizza”, at which Mr. Tarzan smiled and all his frustration washed away. So, the evening tea was served with maggi and pizza while it drizzled outside the glass window pane. There was a small sit out to enjoy such pleasant weather and Mrs. Tarzan asked for a stroll in the market, but that would mean to go all the way to the market on foot since the one-ways and parking will cause more hassle than comfort. She was willing to go out but Mr. Tarzan said no, as he knew she was very tired and had not have lunch and it was extremely cold under the moist climate while it was drizzling. Most importantly, the lazy lad wanted to be cozy under the blankets having whole evening at spare. The home made dinner was great served in perfect dimly lit outdoor seating in the lobby near the blooming flowers while the temperature was reasonably low to send chills. A good sleep after a hot shower marked a perfect end of the hungry day !!
Day18
A blissful cold morning greeted Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan to set them ready for their first adventure in Meghalaya. The glass window pane was full of dew droplets showcasing pleasant weather outside and letting the urge of hot tea to dwell in. In some time Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan were ready for breakfast which they started with two cups of tea. It had become bright morning by then and their outdoor seating was pampered with blossoming flowers next to their table by the railing. Plan for the day was ready with Mrs. Tarzan and she was so excited to be at a place which she had been fascinating ever since she heard the name Mawsynram and Cherrapunji and had imagined how it would be when she was a kid. During the breakfast she mentioned a list of to-visits for the day en-route to Mawsynram, which Mr. Tarzan listened with half an ear to be amazed at where she takes him. Meghalaya can be roughly divided into three zones categorized by the three hills, - Khasi, Garo and Jaintia. Janitia region is further towards east, having very beautiful off beat caves and waterfalls to visit that even Mrs. Tarzan had also prepared an adhoc plan to accommodate which would have suited best if they would have headed towards Tripura . Garo region is full of wildlife and was out of scope in their current plan. So, now left is Khasi hills where Shillong and major center of attractions lie and was the epicenter of Mrs. Tarzan’s dream-land. Divided in majorly 3 legs on this hill, one towards Mawsynram, one towards Cherrapunji and one towards Mawlynnong she planned the 3 days exploration. Turning on the engine by 9.15 am, they started off for their first day’s adventure. Mrs. Tarzan guided on several one-ways towards one small fall within the city limits but being confused with the one-ways and unclear directions, Mr. Tarzan gave up as he did not want to waste any more time while encircling within the city. Anyways, that did not make much difference to Mrs. Tarzan’s spirit as her prime attraction was yet to be visited. She took Mr. Tarzan to the highway towards Mawsynram on which lie several attractions and view points and within half an hour she pointed out a sign board reading Elephant fall which is quite popular for its resemblance with an elephant. They took the diversion leading to falls and were crawling inside forest on a fairly constructed road. It was well maintained and organised. The parking lot had some vehicles as it was just start of the day. After parking, one has to walk uphill to trek towards the falls. The falls are actually three step falls which involves little trek through well carved stairs. These are not gigantic falls but are pristine with the clear water imparting sparkling blue color. The third falls is the most significant, first two mere thinner streams of water and not much popular among tourists.
The falls had refreshed Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan to continue their journey. Heading towards Mawsynram they were also witnessing the lives of the tribes, their daily chores. The tall green trees swaying by their sides dancing to the breeze added to the adventure awaiting ahead. Further on the way was supposed to be the sacred forest, Mawphlang Sacred Grove. She had a thought about it but it was not in her must visit attraction. However, on the sight of a signboard at one junction surrounded by civilization in Nongrum, emphasizing on this forest, she felt an urge and asked Mr. Tarzan to steer in that direction. On taking that turn, they entered into a vast meadows, curling and twirling behind the folds, guarded by a check-post at the end of the road. A dense green forest was lined up on the far left behind the brown and green shaved mound shining under a warm sun peeping out of the furry clouds at the noon. There was only one SUV parked off the road, making Mr. Tarzan confident to inquire at the post. He returned with the news that it was open but was not sure what he will do in the forest, however Mrs. Tarzan had some feeling to get in and explore. Entry to the forest along with guide costed along with the guide, it is mandatory to have a guide since it is very easy to get lost in this forest.
So, with a bottle full of water they started trekking towards mysterious woods to their left. The forest seemed denser as they were approaching, granular showcasing very tall trees. Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan had never seen such tall trees. In front of those trees stood the monoliths which is very common sight when one travels in Shillong. Monoliths are associated with their own fascinating tales and here you can see plenty of them.
To enter into the thick wall of trees, there is a small passage. Mrs. Tarzan wondered if it is EInt world, the forest from ”The lord of the rings”, and stepped inside holding Mr. Tarzan’s hand following their guide.
The guide was telling them stories which Mrs. Tarzan loved to hear, the tales of several monoliths within the forest, the experiences in the forest. They would come across with the monoliths covered with moss within every few minutes and were told that here the sacrifices were done to please the deity following a strict procedure which can not be compromised. This was something so particular about a forest for its indigenous culture and belief.
There were several species of trees of which they heard only a few, several species which they heard of but have never seen. The guide was showing trees and their attributes, and would often pick up the fruits and flowers to explain about them. There were several rudrakshas scattered at regular intervals and he would pick them to show which he would not forget to keep back. It is said that whatever belonged here should not be taken outside from the forest not even a thorn or leaf, sending chills to the spine, he was constantly reminding them.The trees were so tall that if they looked down they could not distinguish if Mr. and Mrs. Tarzan were standing agape or sitting , some of them even bore numerous branches hanging down to the roots, at the sight of which Mrs. Tarzan was lost in “The Jungle book”. Suddenly Mrs. Tarzan stopped which paused Mr. Tarzan who was holding her hand, grinning from ear to ear she said, “Swing Mr. Tarzan”. Smiling, he fell in love with her again. Though, not agreeing due to his age he was reluctant, but soon surrendered to Mrs. Tarzan’s pleading, and a part in him also wanted to try this. So, here came Mr. Tarzan swinging once, and then twice and then thrice, whoa !
Mrs. Tarzan had captured this moment which was one of the non-forgettable moments of a lifetime. They were both filled with more enthusiasm and continued to be amazed in the forest which had trees hundreds years old and few are even much more older.
The forest was indeed much dense in such season that they were trying to imagine how one could walk through in rainy season. There were different types of vegetations in the forest and various kinds of mushrooms sprouted on the barks and rocks. The guide also informed them during rainy season the forest blooms with several mysterious species of trees and plants that you can’t find a place for your feet to step on. One can find everything here from flowers to medicinal to mythical to dangerous. There are several dangerous species also including the pitcher plant and other fauna like insects as the guide told.
The trail was along the banks of a small water stream which was playing hide and seek with them. In some time, the stream became wide which they were supposed to cross to reach a mini waterfall, where Mrs. Tarzan loved to stay and pose at a huge log as her personal swing. Since the water was less the waterfall practically did not have water. However, crossing the stream and climb up among the thin trees to reach near the fall was a small adventure within this adventure.
The whole trail gets sparse at a point and in few more meters they were standing in mid of the forest which was a bare flat piece of land and sunlight was coming directly over them which they had forgotten to exist during the trail. Mrs. Tarzan spent few minutes relaxing there before starting the return journey. The return was from another parallel trail along the stream and was supposed to be a quick one since they had already took several breaks during the adventure and story telling from the guide. Yet, Mrs. Tarzan took few photo shoot breaks near the stream or spotting something interesting until she bumped into something really interesting.
It was a rock resembling human face similar to those from easter island statues, covered with green moss. To her demand Mr. Tarzan had to pose with his new friend.
They had gone inside the forest wondering how different it would be, after all its a forest, and came out after spending hours with it having an amazing experience, and then there stood the huge monoliths where they took a break before reaching to the parking.
Mr. Tarzan is fond of caves and this particular cave was the first one they were planning to visit in this area, however it was not much popular and hence Mrs. Tarzan was not expecting to locate it. Interestingly, she did read a signboard mentioning the cave. That was unbelievable since what she expected to find in morning could not be located and what she did not expect was in front of her. So, it was a sharp diversion in the road which leads to cave, on which Mr. Tarzan steered saying that,"if we find it we will see it if we don’t find it we will see the road, so chill". It was a rough patch and they kept moving on till they could see the dead end. At the end there was a big rock and beside which a small room. The room was not vacant and they did find someone to inform they can visit the cave. Besides the room their was a small gate and a flight of stairs going down. At the base, stood a huge rock behind which seemed like the entrance to the cave. It was a short chamber placing big shivling formed of a stalactite over a stalagmite, soaked in water dripping from the rock ceiling sculpted with various formations. A stream flows in the eastern part of this cave. You have to cross many rift passages while exploring this cave.
The cave is very narrow and one needs to climb down through a gap as wide as one can slip without turning around. Claustrophobic Mrs. Tarzan stood there recollecting her encounter with Kutumsar caves in Jagdalpur. Mr. Tarzan had spent couple of minutes inside and came out to inform her not to proceed. It was dead dark inside to be seen with torch light and it was very narrow without any sign of someone accompanying them. And since they were the only ones present he did not want to take any risk.
Capturing the vicinity, they returned and continued on their journey to Mawsynram which was only a few kms away. It was not a destination but a journey into dense reserves of Cherrapunji Mawsynram forests. By then the weather had become unbelievably pleasant, they were witnessing greenery they had never seen. Within few minutes they got surrounded by baby clouds crawling in the valley. Mrs. Tarzan made Mr. Tarzan to pull over so that she could capture the disciplined queue of trees atop hillock along with the mist. However, she did not know that it was just the beginning. The journey had become even more interesting with the curviest road overlooking steeper valley and the clouds were scattered here and there like cotton balls. The windows were open and she was lost playing hide and seek with the clouds while dancing in the car leaning from left to right, finally asking Mr. Tarzan to stop. Mr. Tarzan noticed her eyes were sparkling and then laughed when he knew why he had to stop.
Now, the question was whether to turn around or proceed further. Ravenous for the land of clouds, she asked if they could see the reserve if the road looks okay and anyways they could turn back at any point of time if anything goes wrong. So, they were moving into dense reserves and the roads were getting rougher, but the sight of the greenery around kept them moving.
Mrs. Tarzan wished to reach till Ranikor river beach which was supposed to be around 40 kms . In some time they crossed the reserve and the road was under construction. It was almost single lane which had sudden potholes or no-road patches. But sensing her wish Mr. Tarzan kept on moving. The scenery was still awestruck around them being moving through mountains and valleys, and their music could be heard in bigger radius. There were occasional encounter with truck and dumpers which were both irritating but brought relief of being in human territory. In few more kms, the road had become pathetic and then Mr. Tarzan decided that he will turn if it gets any worse, only convincing fact was that there were bunch of houses and people they noticed at least couple of times but they looked scary enough by the gaze they threw. In next few kms it became bit uncomfortable for Mrs. Tarzan as well since the sun had started sinking down and this path did not show up any mammal yet.
They crossed a river bridge and slipped further towards Ranikor. As it was getting dimmer when they almost reached the destination. But, there was no signboard telling them about the river beach, only that they were following the instinct provided by google map. They were going past the cluster of homes couple of times but that did not send any good vibes, instead it shivered Mrs. Tarzan with spookiness. They even saw one huge government facility, and at one point when they were almost close to the river beach as per the map, but still could not locate the river beach and there was no sign board so they could make out what they were chasing should be dropped now. Mr. Tarzan needed a break and had to make a decision, so he stepped out. Mrs. Tarzan was however a bit scared as she could feel weird spookiness in the air. After his return in couple of minutes he told her that he could not get any information about such place from anyone around and it is getting dark, so better to get out of here.
Part 14 Part 16
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