Meghalaya and a Bridge Too Far

Charapunjee is famous for its living root bridges and we’ve travelled from Kolkata to see them.  The bridges are formed by the roots of fig trees which the villagers train to grow across streams.  It’s a slow process taking upward of 15 years but once formed they can last hundreds of years.  They never stop growing and are incredibly strong.

The daddy of the bridges is the double decker at Nongkiat which is not far from where we are staying.  The down side is that seeing it involves a 8km trek down 2,400metres and 3000 steps down.  It is the same distance back and not surprisingly, we decide that there was a high probability of one or other of us not making it back so instead we bought a nice postcard of the bridge.

There are other root bridges which are more accessible and we opt instead to visit the Umkar bridge. It may not be as picturesque but we are still breathing.

Umkar Living root bridge

Mawshamok was voted the cleanest village in India  and it lives up to its reputation.  There are a lot of rules to be followed for a simple visit for lunch. Obviously, every village has its idiot and we spot where this village’s idiot lives!

Rules are Rules!

Spot where the village idiot lives

The root bridge close-by is an amazing specimen and one visited by lots of Indian Tourists.  The bridge is protected by over-zealous anti-photo police who assail anyone who tarries on the bridge for a snap with shrill shrieks from their standard issue police whistles.

Mawlynnong Living bridge

Strolling around the small market town in the hills the size of the people was quite a shock.  The people are tiny and even I feel tall.  The market stalls are very small and John went into one of the vacant stalls to demonstrate that in this area, he is a giant.

Small but not so far away

Not much room for John

Making a living in these out-lying villages must be hard, they are isolated and everything takes place communally.  The British rule has left a marked impression with churches dotted around and houses that are built small and with chimneys which I haven’t seen anywhere else in India. The rolling, bleak moors are reminiscent of Scotland - the roads are narrow and the fog and mist roll in quickly and frequently

Everywhere there are Indian tourists or day trips from school or college.  They are crammed into dangerously over-crowded mini-buses and coaches.  We counted 32 people getting out of a 15-seater mini bus although no one seems to mind the discomfort.

We went to see the Nohkalikai Waterfall but the weather changed on route and when we arrived the mist was thick and we were disappointed.  A return visit the following day was rewarded with some spectacular views

This is the dry season -Imagine what this is like in the monsoon

We are close to the Bangladeshi Boarder and head to Dawki to see the border. The roads are poor and it is slow going but the journey down through the mountains is breath-taking with soaring peaks and deep valleys with rivers and dense foliage. Everywhere, there are waterfalls cutting down from above – they are small now but in the monsoon must present an awesome sight.

We cross a narrow suspension bridge and come to Umngot Creek, a gorgeous turquoise blue lake.  As we continue on we’re pestered to go for boat rides but we decline….politely. 

All life is here

There is a large sandbank full of Indians and Bangladeshis paddling in the water. From   Bangledesh you can hear the call to prayers.  

People cavorting on the sands

The next bit is a bit daft – we decide to leave India and pass through the border into Bangladesh – we’ve no passports and no visas and we do sort of stand out because we are wearing shoes.  Half way across sense takes a hand and we return to India.

You're going the wrong way!

Indian border ahead

It’s a long drive back in the dark and it is slow and tough going. The trucks come out a night – slow, dirty, big and badly lit – there are hundreds of them crawling up the narrow, pot-holed roads.  Luckily, we have a super driver who regards overtaking trucks 3 at a time, often on bends as a perfectly normal manoeuvre. It’s an adrenaline fuelled journey of almost 4 hours with everything clenched.

We flash past candle-lit roadside markets

Now off to Assam for the next part of our North Eastern road-trip.