Scotland of the East

A week after celebrating Diwali, I found myself in the Delhi Airport, waiting for my friend Vedant. I was coming from my home base in Udaipur and had already passed through security. We met in the food court where we destroyed some chicken tikka before heading to our gate for our flight to Guwahati. This weekend we'd be in Shillong, the "Scotland of the East," a hill station located in the state of Meghalaya. We were off to explore the eastern hills of India and… to attend a two-day rock music festival, NH7 Weekender.

Landing in Guwahati at 8pm, we spent an hour trying to find a car or cab that would take us on a 100km, 3-hour journey to Shillong. After finding a cab for a reasonable price (~$40), we cruised through the night, ignorant of the beautiful hill sides and mountains. We finally reached Shillong at 11 pm where we promptly passed out.

The next morning, we met up with a few of our friends from Delhi and set off for the hills on our first adventure - Krang Shuri Waterfall. Driving through the hills was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I was awestruck by the scenery passing by my window. To the right I could see green forests and large trees climbing the sides of cliffs, while on the left were fields of rice and grains. When we turned a corner, the scenery would change abruptly. Instead of the woods, I would see rolling hills with blue skies and winding roads with no end. I felt like a child, dumbfounded by the beauty of world around me.

Arriving at the entrance to the waterfall trek around 1pm, we set off down the paved trail. Being the daring crew we were, we went to the waterfall's base. The plan was to take a dip in the water and hangout for a few hours. We climbed over rocks and headed down the stream a bit before jumping into the freezing water and fully taking in the scenery.

Krang Shuri Waterfall was absolutely stunning. Water cascades over the edge of the rock face splitting the water into multiple waterfalls. One can imagine the sight during the rainy season, a single solid face of water. Below the falls, the rocks create a natural pool. The pool's water is dark blue, giving you the feeling that the bottom is farther down than you can swim. Naturally, we swam in the pool.

After swimming, floating, and hanging out for a few hours, we headed back towards our cars where we grabbed a decent lunch at the small house near the entrance to the trail. Then we were off to the show. It was time to rock.

Day two was just Vedant, our friend Maini, and me, off to explore another tourist spot in Meghalaya - Smit Valley. Again, we drove through the hills and the astonishing scenery, taking our time navigating the craziness of the mountain highways and Indian drivers. We passed through a few small towns, careened through one or two villages, and stopped to purchase some Rice Beer, which was more like a sweet lassi (an Indian yogurt and sugar based drink) than an alcoholic beverage. We emerged at Smit Valley around noon.

Standing on top of a large hilled plateau, we were rewarded with an extraordinary view of a valley that sprawled for miles. The hills we were standing on rolled behind us, covered in yellow flowers and grains, in front of us was a drop off that was marked with tourists who were enjoying tea… or taking selfies. So what did we decide to do? We had tea and took some photos… and maybe a few selfies.

Since we had an early start on day 2, we decided to get to the show a bit earlier to enjoy the music in the day light. Since India is on a single time zone, you have to be mindful of your location. If you are in the far east, then the sun sets sooner. Add in the fact that we were at the base of Himalayas and the sun sets even earlier. Lucky for us, we got to the show by 3pm and had ample time to rock and drink; after all, the festival was called Bacardi NH7 Weekender. That night, we had a blast exploring the festival, eating some awesome food, and head banging to Steve Vai as he whaled on his guitar. What a day. What a weekend.

My adventure in Shillong is one which I won't soon forget - great friends, amazing sights, and great times. Special thanks to Vedant, Maini, Adithi, Adhir, and Pranav for such an epic trip.

Cheers!