NE India Trip - Hey BRO!

Border Road Organization signs, Arunachal Pradesh, India

We were bouncing on the craziest, dusty rutted road system I could imagine, heading far north into the hills of northeast India when I first smiled at one of the “BRO” signs. Like the old Burma Shave people fondly remember in the US, the BRO signs boasted of the road condition (ghastly), and with a touch of humor urged caution in driving. With quirky typos, grammar and sometimes sexist sayings they encouraged drivers to pay attention, avoid alcohol, gossip and speeding, drive with caution and honk their horns in blind curves. 

I soon realized that Bro wasn't slang but the initials for the Border Road Organization and it tickled me even more that every sign started with the word BRO. I got out a pen and paper but it was hopeless to try to write in the bouncing jeep. My butt was soon numb and as flat as the hard back seat of my brother's '96 Mahindra jeep that we traveled in with three nephews and two little pups we eventually picked up in Tawang. 

The entire state of Arunchal Pradesh seems to be occupied in the business of road construction but there was little evidence of progress. Women dressed in colorful tribal-wear often with babies on their backs and knitting in hand for break time, chipped rocks at the roadside. Occasionally there would be a short stretch of paved road but it was just a tease before clouds of dust poured back in the windows from Army convoys in front of us on the dry dusty road. Indian Army soldiers with rifles waved cheerfully from the back of their trucks at my two year old nephew. Cow, goats and yaks ambled across the road. Diverted highway stretches for roadwork were marked simply – with a boulder in the middle of the closed section. Memorial tributes scattered along the route paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in the construction of the road or who hadn't heeded BRO's wise advice. I mentally designed my memorial stone in case it was needed.

On the mornings that we got an early start we saw the day unfold at the side of the road. People watched us go by as they brushed their teeth, scrubbed and washed clothes at taps and waterfalls. Groups of kids in uniform walked to school and trucks dropped off the road side laborers. Convoys picked up and dropped off soldiers at army bases. Roadside workers enjoyed their picnics and tea breaks. 

The scenery was breathtakingly dramatic. We passed through mountains that reminded me at times of Ireland, the Peruvian Andes, the Rocky mountains and Switzerland as we headed into the foothills of the Himalayas. TATA trucks stormed up the mountains with their professed religious symbols painted on the front. From Christian symbols in Shillong, Hindu in Assam, the trucks heading north soon changed to the Buddhist Om Mani Padma Hum and had solar prayer wheels spinning efficiently on the dash. The back view reminded drivers to honk their horn “HORN DO” and "Use Dipper at Night."

 

You know me, I was in hand-painted sign heaven. Unfortunately most were in spots too dangerous to pull over for photo ops. Some of the others we remembered were:

Don't Gossip. Let him drive. 

Do not rally in the valley. 

For safe arrival, no liquor in driving. 

Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer. 

Life is a journey. Don't let yours end here. 

Check your never on my curve. 

Alert today. Alive tomorrow. 

Kindness is giving the right of way. 

This is not rally or racy; drive with gracy. 

Speed is a knife that cuts life. 

Safety is as simple as ABC. Always Be Careful. 

Wanna enjoy life fully? Drive carefully. 

Retro sign - Rita's

Rita's, Folly Beach

Photo from a recent visit to Rita's on Folly Beach. I am not enjoying it getting dark so early. It's pretty much impossible for me to get home, grab a bite to eat and get out for a walk while it is still light. It seems almost unreasonable to go out for a good walk when it is pitch dark. Blah. Hopefully I can get out this weekend and freshen up my Charleston photo album with some Christmas in the lowcounty shots.

I arrived home to find the police at my door today. They were making rounds in the neighborhood after the recent suspected arson fire on my street. There has been a string of arson fires in old Charleston houses in recent years but this is the first time one has been as far south as Vanderhorst St. and I don't like it. I'd really like them to catch the person doing this. They are all set in the middle of the night and mostly seem to be in rental properties. It's left me thinking of escape routes from the house and wondering if I could get out of my window if necessary.

NE India Trip - Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

One of the highlights of my recent trip to India was a visit to Kaziranga National Park in the midst of the tea plantations of Assam on the banks of the Brahmaputra river. The park is home of the one horned rhinoceros as well as tigers, elephants, panthers, bears and thousands of birds.

I had done this trip as a kid and my children grew up hearing stories about riding elephants out into the morning fog in grass as high as the elephant's belly. Not much had changed (not even the dreadful bathrooms in the park - yikes folks) but this time I rode the elephants with my own daughter and my nephews Murray and Rydin while their parents slept late.

There were seven or eight elephants in our group and three of them were recent mothers. The baby elephants ambled along behind us eating the grass in their path as we moved along. The babies were so unbelievably adorable that I spent half my time looking behind me and taking pictures of them. The elephants walk right alongside the herds of deer, rhinos, buffalo and it felt like we were in a nature documentary. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be able to experience this again. There was a sudden hush as our guide thought he spotted a tiger in the grass but couldn't be sure. I am claiming it as a sighting since the tigers are much are harder to find.

We followed up with a jeep safari and interrupted a confrontation between a male and female rhino on the trail. The park ranger was ready to fire a warning shot as they started charging towards our jeep. Big excitement!

We stayed at the Wild Grass hotel which was the most upscale hotel of our journey and for the first time on our trip ran into other tourists. There was a Canadian couple, a group of German tourists and many Indian visitors there to worship nature with us.

NE India Trip - Old British Cemetery

Anglican Cemetery, Shillong, India

As is my custom at home and when I travel, I try to walk through a cemetery and when I was in Shillong I tracked down the old Anglican British cemetery. I would never have found it without help although it is mentioned online and probably a site still visited by descendants from England. We finally did find it after asking for directions multiple times.


The gate was locked but a groundskeeper heard us and let us in to wander. There is still a small chapel and he was using the bushes to dry laundry. Many of the tombstones had been relocated there from tea plantations and battles sites in Assam. There weren't as many women and children as I would have imagined and the cemetery is still being used for burials. It was a sweet spot and I slipped the caretaker a little money for upkeep.

Boom - 'Tis the Season

Holiday decorations at Marion Square

Since I was away for Thanksgiving it feels like I have been drop shipped smack dab into the middle of Christmas. Santa came to Charleston last night and Marion Square is festive with trees decorated by area school children. I went to see the Symphony Gospel Choir last night which always puts me in the holiday spirit and then out for dinner at Leaf Cafe with Yuriy Bekker the Symphony Concert Master - how cool is that? His enthusiasm for his music and the Symphony was so infectious.
 

B

Black Santas make me happy :))

How can I? You didn't leave your number?

Ummm....a little sumthin' for the ladies? Heheh.

Waaaa.....I have to go to work tomorrow morning for the first time in over three weeks. Do I remember how to do this routine? Help me.

Northeast India Trip - Sacred Forest & Living Root Bridge

Khasi Monoliths near the Sacred Forest

We took a few side trips from our guest house in the city of Shillong, traveling on crazy mountain roads that reminded me at different parts of the journey of Ireland, the Peruvian Andes, lush Costa Rica and the Canadian Rockies.

My brother James and his wife have a peaceful piece of property in a beautiful valley. He built a comfortable cabin and has wood cut and drying ready to build a few more that will eventually make a peaceful retreat for travelers looking for a base to explore the area. We had lunch, snooped around his solar panels and the wind turbine already in place, crossed the river and hiked up to the Sacred Forest.

Maplepine Cabins, Mawphlang

School kids on a picnic eager to practice their English

Memorial monoliths in the Sacred Forest at old sacrificial sites

Khasi Chief's Meeting Hall

We passed this structure on our drive to the forest and were invited in for a partial tour. The village courthouse is next door. A piece of string tied in a secret way is sent to area village head men to announce the date and time of their meeting. This entire building is built without a single nail. 

Along the road we passed many of these tiny thatched shacks built out of flattened mustard seed oil tins. Roadside workers were constantly at work chipping rocks into gravel for road repair and they built these shelters along the way.  The lady in this one worked as a school teacher in the morning and made extra money smashing rocks in the afternoon. She welcomed us in for tea when I asked to stop for a photo op.

Driving to the Living Root Bridge took us to a little village called Mawlynnong which was a complete surprise. It looked like a flower garden and had wicker basket dustbins tied along the paths. It is billed as the cleanest city in India and I could easily believe it. I had to duck my head to avoid hanging blossoms to enter the tea shop for lunch.

Blossoms in Mawlynnong

The Living Root Bridge was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I'd seen it on a National Geographic video a few years ago. Tree roots are gradually woven and trained to completely cross a river. It is strong enough that paving stones are put in place. It was a lovely spot. Googling to find a good link I found this travel entry from some years ago by a photographer who mentions my brother helping him find the village and bridge.

Living Root Bridge - Mawlynnong

 

Farewell committee

This is today's entry. I'll post a couple more of these and then get back to my usual Charleston photos! This is a good exercise in sorting and remembering my visit.

Northeast India Trip - Garo Hills

Charleston Daily Photo will be on field trip status for a little longer as I share some of the photos from my trip to India. My brother Jim lives there still and was our escort and travel guide. What a relief! He drove the insane road system in his rugged Mahindra jeep and coordinated hotels and meals which made it so much easier than it could have been. The north east is not exactly on the regular tourist route.

My daughter and I flew to Delhi (14 hour flight), and then on to Gawahati. Jim, Val and my three adorable nephews met us and rushed us directly to the Garo Hills to the Wangala Hundred Drum Festival.

We left the plains heading into the lush hills and I was delighted to learn I had landed in India during orange season. The best oranges in the world grow here. I was determined to eat one every day and I did, except for breaks to enjoy local pineapples, kiwi, bananas and coconuts. Jim had friends who had coordinated guest rooms for us over a baby care nursery and there was an immersion heater in a large bucket of water waiting for well needed warm baths.

The next morning we explored the local market, drove, parked the jeep and joined a mass of people walking to the drum festival. Tribes in colorful costumes competed with each other in drumming and dance ending up with all of them on the field together making an awesome thunderous noise. I walked the field with my camera and soon discovered that each group had it's own container of rice wine and were eager to fill the communal gourd in exchange for a look at their picture in the back of my camera.I got slightly tipsy and had my fix of colorful costumes with willing models all in one fell swoop.

I traveled with two great assets - a beautiful daughter and cute nephews. Everywhere we went people wanted to be in pictures with them. Here was my daughter's photo fan club in Tura.

The next day we went on a walk looking for Gibbon monkeys. We didn't find any although we tried to with our best Gibbon noises. We did however encounter another form of wildlife - leeches! One sucker made it all the way up my pants to the skin above my knee and made me want to get back to my room for a full body check. The Garo village was clean and charming. They typically build lookout cottages high in the trees and made mini structures on stilts to protect their grain in the same way.

Slept like a baby last night. Woke up once disoriented and couldn't figure out where I was. I grinned in my bed with the awareness that I was back in the land of porcelain flush toilets. I hope everyone has been well and had a good Thanksgiving while I was away. Thanks for all the kind messages! I've been out of touch - no computer, no newspapers and only Hindi television. It was a real escape. I'll follow up with the rest of the trip in sections  but right now I need to walk down and sniff my ocean.

More photos from this section can be found in this album: Garo Hills.

She is back!

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

I am back! Safe and sound. I've seen and done so many things it is hard to absorb it all. We ended the trip riding elephants out into the morning mist to find the one horned rhinoceros in Assam. Talk about drinking local - I drank Assam tea in the midst of the world's top tea plantations.  I traveled with two great assets, an adorable nephew and a beautiful daughter. It seemed like everyone had to have their photo taken with either one of them.  My brother Jim and family have the most incredible local contacts and new friend Smita was the hostess with the mostest in Delhi on our return stop. Many photos to sort but first things first - a nap is in order!