First, we traveled from Guwahati to Shillong. Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and a not-so-big city. The busy sidewalks soaked in rain, people doing various kinds of business, and the atmosphere filled with the strong smell of smoke and cigarettes. It was a cold night that seemed completely unclean. But we soon got used to the hustle and bustle and the people.

Now from Shillong to Cherrapunji. If you buy a ticket from the Meghalaya Tourism Office early in the morning, you can tour Cherrapunji and return. By the time we reached, the ticket was sold out. So we had to hire a taxi from there. From the crowded surroundings of Shillong, we started our journey to another world, the cleanest, with the Assamese driver, who easily handles English and Hindi, speaking in Hindi that he knows. To the land of rain, mountains and waterfalls, from one end of India to the other!

It is raining heavily outside. Beautiful mountains covered in mist all around. Many waterfalls threading through them. Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls, Mawjymbuin Cave, these are the main sights of Shillong.

First in Cherrapunji is the Seven Sister Falls. When we reached there, it was completely covered in mist. The first moments of disappointment! But after a while, the mist started to recede. Seven slender, white beauties were flowing down from the top of the mountain covered in mist. Seeing that sight, we stood there looking at each other like strangers. If we go to the source of the waterfall, we can see the ‘Missing Falls’ that plunges into the depths without anyone catching it and return.

From there we went to Nohkalikai Falls. We had to travel about 10 km from Cherrapunji to get here. Although the road was covered with thick fog, we did not give up hope. We escaped there too. Every now and then the fog moved. Nohkalikai, which falls down from the green-clad mountain top, literally stunned us. Its history is connected to a village woman named Likai, who committed suicide by jumping down from the top of that mountain.

That night stay in Cherrapunji. In the morning drive to Nongriat village. The double-decker root bridge is located in Nongriat village, ten to fifteen kilometers from Cherrapunji. It is not easy to reach there. You have to climb and descend more than two thousand steps through the forest. At the beginning, you will see small huts that look like homestays. Later, it is a nice forest. Even during the rainy season, the water flows in a very clear light blue color. There are steel wire suspension bridges across fairly large rivers. At the end of the journey, above the calm flowing water, you can see a great miracle made in the roots of trees. They have been preserved for generations and are centuries old. In many places in the interior villages of Meghalaya, you can see many small and big bridges made in the roots. From there, you can see footpaths again into the forest. It leads to Rainbow Falls. After 3-4 hours, we returned to the place where we started the walk and waited for the driver.

On the Cherrapunji – Shillong road, you have to turn from Umtyngar to Mawlynnong Lake and Dawki Lake. Although every village in Meghalaya is beautiful, Mawlynnong, which is known as the cleanest village in Asia, is very beautiful. Beautiful plants, flowers, and children flying around like butterflies! They keep a village clean just like we keep our house clean. We met a family from our state there. From there, we went to Dawki. Dawki is the Bangladesh border. From the bridge there, you can see a beautiful view of Bangladesh. Boating on the crystal-clear water of the Umngot River is famous. But boat services are less during the monsoon months. There is a Shillong-Dhaka border bus service. We went to the soldiers and got permission and went as far as ‘No Man’s Land’ and returned. After that, there is no entry.

The rain is still pouring down heavily. The sight of rain in Meghalaya is never ending. But now I have to go back, hoping that I can come back again during another break in the busy life. Straight to Shillong, then Guwahati, and then back to my hometown.