We all grow up very fast to become adults.. However very few things manage to bring out the little kid in us. One such thing for me is obviously the word TRAVEL. And more so if it going to be anywhere in the North East India, my mom will get to see the real Jagan that she gave to .. The pure unadultered form :)
So when YHAI Mizoram State branch opened up the registrations for 'Mizoram National Trekking and Caving Expedition- 2012'. the kid inside Jagan woke up in full swing and started planning for this once in a lifetime trip (I claim all trips to be like that ) and finally it turned out into not just Mizoram, the last state in India, But I made sure i took the longest route to Mizoram so that i get to travel as much of Assam as possible. In the end, i managed to travel through Meghalaya as well after the trek... below is the detailed account of the journey...
Day 1- November 3rd
2012
2:30 AM sneak out of the house on my Bike
with a huge backpack accompanied by a small Laptop bag and my cousin…..
5:20 AM Board the first ever Flight of my
life J - A Spice Jet flight from Chennai to Kolkata…
5:50 AM- Take off
8:35 AM- Landing @ Kolkata Airport for a connecting flight to Aizwal scheduled for a 10:10 departure
9:15 AM- Simple breakfast of Idlis and
Pooris just outside the airport
11:15 – On board the delayed JetConnect
Flight to Aizwal, only to come back to Airport waiting room because of further
delay
13:25- Second Boarding pass in hand for the
same flight
13:50 Back to the Waiting lounge after
further delay
15:25- Confirmation of Flight Cancellation
Pondering over the options
16:40 On Board a JetConnect flight headed
to Guwahati
17:50 Down in Guwahati airport with plans
of moving to Guwahati Railway station and boarding the 15603 Intercity Express
to Ledo- the easternmost tip of Indian Railways
17:55 On a hitchhiked ride towards ISBT,
Guwahati
18:20- landed in ISBT for boarding the
ASRTC direct bus to Aizwal…. Unfortunately missed the bus by just 20 mins
19:40- Inside a bus with the name ‘Pooja’
on its side heading to ‘Silchar’
Day 2- 4th November
2012
8:30- getting down @ ISBT, Silchar
wondering how to make our way to Aizwal on time...
After enquiry, Booked 2 seats in a shared
SUMO
8:35 Finished the morning duties @ ISBT,
Silchar and ready for breakfast J
8:45- Hot and Steaming Veg Pulao @ just Rs.
10 per plate
9:37 On board the so called SUMO headed to Aizwal… The worst part was we were made to sit in the Rear seat. Even more worse was 4 people were made to sit. So me and my cousin decided to take the window seats instead of getting crushed between 2 hefty guys
Lunch on the way in a roadside hotel… First
taste of likely Mizo food…
12:17 Finally reached the Mizo border check
post at Vairengte
Initial snaps of Mizoram… The roads felt
like heaven in Mizoram after the long and arduous Assam roads…
First sightings of Aizwal nearing
17:30 Setting foot in Aizwal. I got down from the Sumo after the 8 hour journey from Silchar to Aizwal.. Karthik vomitting exactly 5 times in the 8 hours... That drained him out he just literally fell out of the Sumo and lay flat on the pavement..
18:12- Youth Hostel building
19:03 Well deserved full course meal for
Dinner
19:20 to 20:10- Introduction session and
photo shoot
Straight Crashing on to bed for the most
static sleep ever in my life… I am sure I was in the same Latitude and
Longitudinal location when I woke up the next day
Day 3- November 5th
2012
Local sight seeing
7:35- A visit to the War Memorial @ Aizwal...
Sleep through the morning. Wake up on time
for Lunch J
14:30 Done with a Heavy Lunch of Rice and
Curry and Dal. That was Bamboo Shoot curry :)
15:45- On board a local city bus from Lal
Pianga point headed to Aizwal City
15:49 Lost our way and enter the Football
Ground …
Mizoram Archery Championship 2012 in
progress
16:16 Walk through the city... Again lost
our way and got into a Painting exhibit at Aijal Club
16:51- Already pitch dark…Egg Chow and Egg
chow Mein
Extended walk through the market and
finally reached the bus stop to meet our friends J
Back into the market to get a bottle of
Mizo Wine J
18:05 An extended walk and took 2 taxis
back to Lalpianga point
Day 4- November 6th 2012
Day 1 of the MZNTCE 2012- Base Camp to
Vaipuanpaho camp
10 AM- Initial small bus ride till the
Bridge at the start of Aizwal- Reiek Road
A Sumo got stuck in the mud when
negotiating a curve for us… Took nearly 45 minutes to clear the way and proceed
10 50 AM- Reached the Trek start point...
Greeted by a huge Orange tree with fully ripened delicious Oranges… To our surprise
the Oranges had RED colored flesh inside…As sweet as honey...
Easy casual trek to the next camp with a stopover
@ a small tea shop cum the owner’s house
This was the SUSPENSION GIRDER BRIDGE on
the Aizwal- Reiek road…
One lady and a worker chopping fresh BEEF…
Hot hot Tea with biscuits
And first bite into the Blood red Amla
pickles which gave me company for the next 3 days till we reached a village
with shops...
Just when we were leaving on our trek, we
noticed a Wooden Boat of almost 10 feet length being built from scratch
13:27- Welcome Banner @ the Vaipuanpho
Campsite with Zela rumbling through his small backpack...
Lunch and refreshing session for about an
hour and then a relaxing chit chat session along the river bed with fellow
trekkers... Trying to get to know each other…
14:50 Mr. Dudu visits us in his military
attire and a Old school Scooter very much suitable for negotiating wet and
slippery terrain inside the jungles
Chit Chat session continues with Dudu
telling his experiences with previous batches and stories...
We get hold of a Knife from Mr.Zela for
just posing… Trying to give menacing pose ending with this one...
Dudu comes armed with a SLINGSHOT... All
of us take a trial by turns... It was fun getting a hand on it after many years...
15 50- Evening Snacks and refreshments…
19:30 Hit the sacks for a relaxing snooze…
Middle of the night some roaring sounds almost deafening… Unable to continue
our slumber... We just sneak out our head out in the dark through the tent
windows... Nothing visible except the color Black... And nothing Audible except
the same roar... Got a little scared and closed the window.. Everyone asleep…
Somehow went back to deep slumber again..
Day 5- November 7th 2012
4:45 woken up again with the still
continuing Roaring sounds… This time day has dawned a little.. Looking out
through the tent.. I realize There has been a heavy downpour throughout the
night… And the sounds make me believe it is still raining…
5:30 Wanna get out for morning duties.. But
the roar still continues.. But I am able to hear people’s chit chat… Get out of
the tent only to realize the rains have stopped… But not the flooding All our
tents surrounded by furiously running rain water…
This was the place where our group was
seated for a\the chit chat session the previous evening… No traces of that now…
Day 2- The Best day Caving Morning Small
trek to the Ailawng camp site
1 hour stop over before Caving
08:45 Start of the second day trek after a great
campsite experience @ Vaipuanpho
10 AM Crossing the same river that was
flowing through the campsite… Still at the same speed.. Faster than Shoaib
Akhtar…
11:20 Still walking through the woods… Just
starting to think about lunch J
12:35 Still making our way to the camp
site.. But a small Pine apple farm tempting us to step aside and take a bite..
Skies opening up just as we were
approaching a curve on the road… God sending .. A house to shield ourselves from
the downpour… The Portico of the house could not accommodate all 18 of us.. We
were pushing against each other.. Just at the right moment, the people in the
house were courteous and sweet enough to let us in.. Half the crowd inside the
house now…
14:10 Reached Ailawng
camp.. Lunch and then get ready for the Caving expedition… Little did we know
at this time about how thrilling and satisfying this would be
Wonderful views on the
way to the cave as the one below
15 21 First sighting of
the entrance to the cave… KHUANGCHERA PUK… PUK is the Mizo word for CAVE
Stepping onto the approach step to the
cave.. The approach step was built on 24.5.2008 by the DYSS
15:26.. Started our expedition into the
cave… I was the first ever person to take a camera into the cave it seems… Dudu
had warned everyone so strictly not to bring the camera in… Since it would be
struggle for us to get ourselves through to the exit…
16:22.. A Long step required to cross the
most thrilling and scary part of the cave… The 2 college guys who were our
guides turned into makeshift supports for us to step on and cross the long gap
in the rocks…
Imagine their rock solid shoulders
supporting the entire body weight of almost 14 people stepping on them. A few
of them wearing trekking shoes with teethed soles.. Hats off to them..
After much of thrilling and adventurous
squeezes through unknown and mostly blind curves and rocks. We are all out into
the open with a final Chimney climb…
All of us but one came out with flying
colors.. The only color being the color of MUD as can be seen in the photo
below..
Day 6- November 8th 2012
Ailawng camp to Hawl Hah camp
10:31 Wonderful View Point … the longest
photo session in our entire trek…
We were getting into Reiek village… And
walking through the jungles which were part of the village…
We saw a milestone telling we are on the
“Jeepable Road” from Mizo Typical village to the recreation Centre… And now we
were heading towards the Mizo Typical Village in Reiek…
Reached Lunch point at around 12:10 PM…
Just outside the Mizo typical village... Lunch done straight away.
Reiek Mizo typical Village… If the jungles
were made mostly of Bamboo Trees and interspersed with Wild banana trees and
other random trees.. This Mizo typical village was built entirely out of
Bamboo… Everything right from smallest to the biggest was made out of Bamboo…
Last but the most weirdest and yuckiest
scene ever in my life… See it for yourselves below.. Frog Fry using
electricity. That must be yummy yummy for a few people.. But it was the
yuckiest I have ever felt in food…
We left the village at around 13:00 hours…
On the way we got some signs of a somewhat
more populated village.. With nice beautiful flowers on the way…
And needless to say.. Sweet kids too
One kid was brave enough to fight a fully
and overly grown adult
Football football everywhere….
14:25- reached the Hawl-Hah campsite… Where
we were entertained by the colorful character Mr. Manojkumar Sahu..
Day 7- November 9th 2012
Hawl Hah Camp to the final camp…
River bath.
Butterflies from heaven
Strong Strong kids… with Live Crabs
Raw Bamboo Shoots offered by the kids.
Photo session
Somersaulting session by the kids…
Reach Final camp by the roadside…
Sweet Pineapple, Papaya
Early Tearful farewell. All good things come
to an end for another good thing to start.. Since we had lost 2 days because of
our cancelled flight we decided to take flight back to Guwahati. We booked the
AIR INDIA Flight AI 9758 from Aizwal to Guwahati for 10th November
on 5th November..
Dinner @ base camp… 3 full plates of rice… at
least half a kg gulped down in 15 mins
Day 8- November 10th 2012
Light Breakfast of Bread and Butter
initially… Then a full loaf @ 11 AM
Photo session with Rebecca and Little
Rebecca
Trip discussion for Meghalaya with the
couple from Kerala
11:30 Leave for the airport along with 4
people from 1st batch
Landslide on the way… but cleared enough
for Marutis to pass through without any delay
Market- colorful fruits and vegetables
Reached Lengpui Airport, Aizwal for the Air
India Flight from Aizwal to Guwahati
15:50 on board
16:50 landed back in Guwahati
17 45 bus to railway station
Book a basic double room in Hotel
Day 9- November 11th 2012
Guwahati- Meghalaya- Guwahati in 14 hours
Snap of nice tennis court behind the hotel
5:35 AM- In the Taxi stand opposite to the
hotel
Shillong shillong
06:20
finally filled up the SUMO and started..
9:27 Reach shillong
Take a walk through the Police Bazaar to a
small hotel
Delicious Rotis @ just Rs.5/ piece and veg
curry @ Rs. 15
9:55 MTDC office
10:20 On board a ALTO headed to Cherrapunji..
Driver- Mr. Happy.. A Driver by profession.. Racer by Passion
11:22 At the
Shillong- Cherrapunji border…
Duwan Sing Siyem Bridge, which is the
entrance to Cherrapunji with line of small tea and snacks shops.. Selling
Balaclavas and scarves and essentials for the biting cold…
And a wonderful view point for the
mountains and valleys in Cherrapunji…
12:14 Ramakrishna Mission.. Just a through
the window photo session of Ramakrishna Mission.. We were running short of
time.. It was past noon and we had not seen anything worthwhile in
Cherrapunji..
12:28
Reached the first real attraction of Cherrapunji
Nohkalikai Waterfalls
12:35 Start descending the New View Point..
A stair case down to the actual falls
12:45 Back at the top giving up after just
a few steps down… Realized it’s a long winding stairs till the foot of the
falls
13:23
Reached the Eco Park, Mawsmai.. A small
nice view point in Cherrapunji with a small water fall
13:59
Mawsmai Cave- Extended photo session in the
multi colored caves inside… Extended a bit more on request for a photo session
from a group of 3 Bombay Girls J One of them and least beautiful Pooja
14:44
Leave Mawsmai Cave..
15:55- Back at the Duwan Sing Siyem
Bridge..Me and my cousin Karthik have the habit of having food at the same spot
or shop if we get to pass through the same route again… The habit continued and
we stopped at Duwan Sing Siyem Bridge even though we were racing against time..
One Lady recognized us and sported the broadest smile possible J
Fantabulous views of the Sun Set over the
mountains which were painted with the setting sun’s colors … One side of the
mountains were almost pitch dark.. The other side was still bright and sunny J
The cold was so biting that I had to take a
sip of hot tea which I hated.. just to keep my body warm.
16:20 We have entered Shillong and we could
afford another 1 hour before ending our flying visit to Meghalaya and board the
SUMO back to Guwahati..
So the driver took us to Elephant falls…
The cold had become more biting… We just had a quick distant photo session.. It
had become almost full dark.. We just wanted to run back and went ahead..
17:05 Boarded the SUMO.. This time NO
selling of tickets. Just a 2 member swap from the neighboring SUMO.. Front row
seats..
20:30. Landed back in Guwahati…
20:35 Took shelter in an Assamese Authentic
restaurant.. By name “Bamboo Shoot”
Duck Curry, Pigeon Fry.. The main course
being authentic Assamese Thali which had Bamboo Shoot curry and Sesame seeds
Chutney which different and good too… And the Bhaigan fry was the most
delicious I ever had in my life.. So very deep fried but no traces of oil…
21:15 Dinner over and after a short visit
to the barber…
21:45 Reached back @ the hotel with clean
face J ready to take on the 47 hour trip back to Chennai
Took some nightly snaps of the PALTAN
BAZAAR from the balcony of the hotel room
Day 10- November
12th 2012 Start of the 2631 km long Train journey through acres of PADDY
fields
4:45 Wake up excited thinking about the 47
hour TRAIN TRIP lying ahead…
5:30 Fully packed up and ready for the race
through countless acres of PADDY fields along the eastern coast of India…
Starting from somewhere near “New Jalpaiguri” station the only thing we could
see on either side of the train was PADDY FIELDS…. On seeing all these,
realized India indeed is an agricultural country….
14:30- Shortly after lunch, some guy taking
orders for Dinner came and ordered 2 egg biriyanis by paying Rs.200 … To our
surprise the dinner arrived at 3:30 PM.. Before I could react, the guy
disappeared and after opening the pack realized that he had duped us with the
stale egg biriyani that was prepared for lunch…
16:37 Took the last snap of the day at some
intermediate station… Went to bed and woke up at 5:30 AM the next day…
Day 11, November 13th 2012…PADDY
Procession continues..
The final day of our most memorable trip…
Nothing but relaxation in mind…
The first major station for the day would
be “Cuttack”.. Eagerly awaiting to get down there and take a snap.. that gives
a strange feeling of having covered another place to our travel list J
PADDY procession still continues along the
East Coast… This gave me a warm feeling that Agriculture is the heart beat of
the nation
We were close to the east coach beaches of
Odisha for few hours today.. few snaps here and there with a small island snap
too
All good things come to an end… At least
temporary… This was the final snap of our breathtaking trip to the North East
covering most parts of the 3 states.. Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya in the same
order…
List of National Highways spotted along
the Train Trial using Windows Mobile Offline GPS app..
NH31
NH 31D
NH34
NH 2B
NH 2
NH5- Starting from Balasore Junction it was
NH 5 all along till Chennai
