Travelogues North East Travels
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Each year we plan a long holiday (usually less than 10 days as our tour is sandwiched between 2 weekends) to explore our mighty India, with Indian Railways. This year my wife, Jayashri and I, ventured out to explore the North East of India. We had some experience of travelling in this region, this being our third trip. In the past, we had covered Darjeeling and Gangtok in one visit, and on another trip, Bhutan and Jaldapara wild life sanctuary in another. In both these trips, New Jalpaiguri (or Siliguri) in the State of West Bengal was our base destination and this was the farthest train journey that we had ever undertaken.
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Our self designed tour itinerary was to board the Friday night Bangalore-Guwahati express at 11.30 pm on 19th December, 2008 and reach Guwahati on Monday 22nd December, 2008 at 5.50 am. The minimum travel time was close to 54 hours, plus any additional hours that our tired train driver may wish to add for chugging his way through a distance of 3020 kms.
I got into the train and quickly found recluse in the top berth of the Second Class railway compartment. The train primarily comprised of students and inhabitants of the State of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh who were all heading homewards to make their Christmas vacations as merry as it could be. The train passed through the State of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam. We finally reached our destination in a State of Exhaustion. Our railway smoke begrimed face gave us the look and feel of a coal miner returning back from a hard day at the office.
Monday 22nd December, 2008 The city of Shillong, also known as the Scotland of the East, is the capital of the State of Meghalaya as well as the head quarters of the East Khasi Hills district. It is located at a height of 1496 metres and is bedecked with fruits and flowers and shaded by pine and fir trees. By noon we checked into a budget hotel and got ready for the local sight seeing. We visited the famed golf link at Shillong, a huge 18 hole course it perfect setting. In the heart of the City is the Ward lake, developed in the year 1893, named after the then Commissioner of Assam, Sir William Ward. The Beadon and Bishop Falls also offers some spectacular scenery amidst mist and greenery. We visited the Don Bosco Cathedral, and the Butterfly Museum which pays respect to many rare varities of the winged beauties. In the east it gets dark by 4.30 pm. We visited the Bara Bazaar for obligatory tourist shopping. The temperatures during our visit was 14 degrees C during the day and dipped to 5 degrees C at night.
Tuesday, 23rd December, 2008
Wednesday, 24th December, 2008
Thursday, 25th December, 2008
Friday 26th December, 2008
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Editor: Romola Butalia   (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. |