504t Khasi Villages South, Megalaya : Stewart Green Travel's 2009

504t Khasi Villages South not finished, Megalaya 4-6/4/09

Sat - Khasi daytrip with Mayfereen

- Mayfereen was going to visit an NGO project in Mawlynnong ..famed for the title "Indias cleanest village"

- There were 7 of us in 2 cars ...drove straight south into Scotland like moors then down down then off the main road finally ending in Mawlynnong... which had a touch of Disneyland..it ended in a carpark with a bus of tourists banging out bangramusic

Mayfereens house
- The guest house Mayfereens NGO and John are building
Mayfereens house 2

Sat - Mawlynnong

- On the way in we stopped at a big holy stone 1Km before the village.

- After lunch we went out to the waterfall 6Km back along the main road - OK but it's not rainy season. X tried fishing but we got nothing, but a couple of leeches.

- Next we went to the path to te root bridges 20minutes walk.

- The team climbing the rootbridge

- I walked upto Nowhet village on the other side.

- We walked back to Mawlynnong to the bamboo welcome bridge over the road
- then past the 105 year old stone church to the Bangladesh view platform - someone has put bamboo ramps around a tree so you can see the plains of Bangladesh. Actually you get the same view from the tourist bungalow at the next village. Mayfereen walked me there. It's a good quality bamboo chalet perched right on the edge of the hill with Bangladesh 1000m below.
bangladesh view
- The view of Bangladesh from the bamboo guesthouse verandah

- In the end I didn't stay there , it's a great for a honeymoon couple or group of friends but you have to rent the whole place for 500Rp.... I opted for the floor of John's teahouse.

- After Mayfereen and her friends had left I go back from the river to find. 2 other British travellers at John's they opted for the 500Rp chalet. It turns out Tom and Colin had visited most of the same places as me in NE India.

Sun morning - hangout

- In the morning I rested and washed clothes

Sun afternoon - Explore

- After lunch I went for a walk. As ever it turned into a big trek I walked most of the areas biggest trek : the big waterfall to bamboo bridge trek. 3Km along the main road to the milestone and left onto good concrete path to a huge set of steps. I waited for a guy to catch up with me. He explained he used to teach in the village school and offered to be my guide. Strangely after we passed the next village he said he'd never been further along the path. Especially strange as 2Km later we were at a big concrete bridge overlooking a huge canyon wall and waterfall.
goret_falls

- Goret Falls and the teacher I met
goret_falls

- Goret Falls and canyon wall

- It was 5pm so we turned back. Pausing in the village to visit his cousin's family. This was the 2nd house we passed where all the Khasi children were watching Hindi movies .. More cultural imperialism.. Where are the Khasi movies ?

- On the way back I stopped to look a huge party of kids playing. Even though the village is on the road all the kids and all the mothers ran away when I approached.

Mon - Bamboo Bridge and Siliang then leave

- I decided to complete the walk I did yesterday to the bamboo bridge and Siliang Gasper village. I decided that if I was going to walk to Siliang Gasper then I would be practically almost back at the main road ..so there would be no point in walking back to Mawlynnong ..instead I coud continue to the market at Pynrsla.

- This time I took a shortcut. I walked 2Km along the road and picked up a more diagonal path, wich actually came out beyond the 2 villages ( so the above map is slightly wrong). It was 1Km back to the waterfall. 2Km later I think I found the path to the bamboo bridge on the right. I tried to check with the man woman washing clothes, but they were afraid. 2.5 Km later I reached it.
bamboo_bridge
- Bamboo bridge near Silliang Gasper
- On the way back I passed other people washing clothes.