Day-2

Pedaling to Charapunjee started around morning 6 0 clock. Even though it was not so cold as assumed, as
we start riding, our assumption happened to be wrong. Due to downhill from the starting point and the cold
breeze, our fingers were becoming so numb, such after riding few kms we have to decrease our speed. Soon
after the downhill route goes through a gradual uphill around 7 kms . Despite of the climb ,Shillong cold air
was enough to defeat to keep our body warm. We stopped at the end of the climb near the Shillong Peak.
Shillong peak is the highest point of Shillong, where u can get the beautiful glance of the town .
Chillness of the air , forced us to take a hot red tea in a small local shop .By that time Sun rays also giving us
warm welcome for the day of the tour.



Our ride continued with low intensity rolling road followed by few nice downhill at the beginning till the
junction of Dawki and Cherrapunjee .





Cherrapunjee bridge: Here it begins the platues of Cherrapunjee’s nice  and deep lines of hills, anywhere
you see only green lines of hills. Moderate chilled wind and the downhill slopes was making my body to be
covered with one more layer of cloth.

After few hour of cycling..our stomach started gurgling.Can't resists to take a plate of dal rice with few pices of yammy pork.Then continued our journey through a limestone cave named Lumshynna cave till seven
sister falls(Nohkalikai falls) .We were enjoying the downhill almost 10km before we end our one way
journey till the fall.











Imagine a view of earth touching the sky over the green hills, can be observed from that point. If time was
not a constrain for us, would have gone for an amazing track through the landscape till the top of the fall.
Body also indicating to re-fill with energy by that time, and the immediate stuff was to take few packets of
jam before we had our lunch .By the way , few mixed fruit jam and resins were happens to be our stored
energy bank. Decided to move back fast, keeping in mind the darkness as . We were yet to realize that that
much of the return route was a gradual climb and the sun was about to hide for the day.



Inclination of the hills and the cold winds was making our pace slow. Every time subconscious mind was
insisting us to ride fast, as there was a long way to go back till the city .Darkness and December cold was
another part of it .There you can realize the darkness of night unlike the our residential area in
city .Barely you meet any cars passing by you. Soon after the sun set, coldness in hills comes drastically.
Desperately feeling like, whenever we see any fire , we must stop to warm our body in comfortable working
conditions.



Started feeling that uphill was better than downhill at that point , because downhill speed and the cold air
making our uncover body parts numb, specially fingers. Luckily we saw a small village shop with a bonfire
to get little warmness .Still we were unable to figure how much to go back to get any nearby place for a halt
for the night .Even though the nice tarmac road, due to darkness and the sudden hairpin at the downhill
resists me to maintain the speed.



After riding for around 15 km in the evening, we took a cup of coffee to make us warm once we have seen
the Cherrapunjee bridge with a café .Felt little relaxed thinking we were able to figure out the remaining
distance till the city . Around 10km form there we take our halt for that night .We were so desperate for a
fire that , just after reaching the resort ,thought of getting a bone fire prioritizing more than the meal even
though there was nothing in the stomach.





Soon after a nice meal with a bowl of smoked pork(tested first time in my life) we sat again at the bonfire
gossiping about the local attraction with few local guys. By spending the night in the midst of the beautiful
hills with minimal resident, we could able to feel actual hill side atmosphere, making our Cherrapunjee trip
more memorable.





Fig: Shillong to Cherrapunjee route



Fig:Return from Cherrapunjee towards Shillong