6 days in Shillong
Armed with Anjum Hassan’s ‘Lunatic in my head’ and my significant other’s memories of growing up in Shillong, I went into the city, expecting Pink Floyd on everyone’s lips and rolling hills in quick succession. In our house, all good things are benchmarked against those in Shillong. This was my first visit to Shillong and these are my list of it's good things - Umgot Lake – the National Geographic photos of the clear waters, and the boat appearing to be suspended in mid-air, have made this lake very popular. Heaps of tourists, a lot of them Bengalis, arrive here every day, exclaiming loudly about the water and its clarity. And heaps of Bengalis from the other side of the border, stand in a silent row, watching them with amazement and amusement. The India-Bangladesh border is menacingly divided by a stone on the beach saying ‘Do not cross Border’. None of the Bangladeshis seem interested to. They have way too much fun watching the squawking tourists from their...