MEGHALAYA - DAY SIX : BACK TO SHILLONG

The Mawphanlur Pace of Life

        Thursday morning arrived on the back of a clear blue sky interspersed only with puffs of white. Once again, starting trouble, not of the bike but of the riders, saw us lie in bed till 8 am. We were finally disconnected from our beds by sheer guilt when Trancis came with two cups of tea. 

Quaint Bridge over a Sparkling Stream

          Ready to face the day, we packed up and went for a small walk to the nearby bamboo bridge while breakfast was being prepared. Half an hour later, we were drawn to the dining terrace by a delicious aroma where hot puris with delicious bhaji awaited. 

          Clearing the bill, we were about to leave when the neighbours who had decided to have a dip in the lake insisted that the water was lovely and we join them too. The offer seemed irresistible and we quickly unpacked our swimming clothes and joined them on the lake shore right outside the gate. Apart from the fact that the monsoon rains had made the water a trifle murky, the whole area was pristine - untouched by human hands. 

         Though the water was chilly, I entered in the knowledge that this was the warmest time of the year here. Their three year old daughter Imitha was with them, and she was busy being all grandmotherly around the lake, talking nonstop and telling us all what to do.

Highway back to Shillong

               Half an hour was all I needed to start feeling cold, and so we headed back to the room and got back into our travelling clothes. Loading everything onto the bike, we wished everyone goodbye and hit the road. Once again, the excellent condition of the road astounded us. On the way back, curiosity got the better of me, and I stopped to explore the indoor stadium with the five Olympic rings intertwined with each other while Anu had a cup of tea. It turned out that our fanciful guesswork could not have been further from the truth. It was a local all purpose stadium used by local boys who had painted the Olympic rings on to the side for show and used it to play various indoor games. 

Elephant Falls

            Anyway, continuing on our way, we made excellent time and so decided to pit stop at Elephant Falls, one of the tourist attractions just outside Shillong. The river plunged down three successive drops before continuing its course. The waterfall got its name from an elephant shaped rock near the falls that was destroyed in the massive earthquake of 1897 that wrecked much of the North East, the same one that had brought the All Saints Cathedral too down to rubble. 

Cafe Shillong

          As we hit the road once again, the traffic picked up, and progressively increased until we were in a full fledged traffic jam as we entered Shillong. Once again, cursing the narrow roads and never ending traffic jams and pollution, we manoeuvred the bike between the cars and arrived at Cafe Shillong Bed and Breakfast just as our tummies said it was lunch time. Checking in, we dropped our bags off before heading out to Cafe Shillong for a scrumptious lunch of pure sin - a beef burger, beef steak and two chocolate shakes. Walking back, we passed Loretto Convent and decided to have a look at it and the adjoining Grotto Church. We arrived back as the clock struck six and had a quick bath to freshen up before heading out once again to Marba's house for dinner. 

Marba and her Lovely Family

     Another crazy traffic jam had to be negotiated by the Himalayan, who was probably cursing the traffic even more than us, on the way to Marba's house. Once again, little Denissa kept us thoroughly entertained with her constant chatter while Marba showed us her wedding album. Dinner was unarguably the best meal we had had in the North East so far - rice, dal, juicy beef and pork, all made by Marba and her mother. 

          By now I was used to returning stuffed after overeating, doing it time and time again throughout the trip. The ride back was on open roads and we made good time. Reaching home, we changed and got into bed, excited for the beautiful drive to Cherrapunjee in store for the next day.