3. NEFA trip

3. NEFA- 15.01.2001

I took my half Avomine and we got into the Sumo to undertake the long drive ‘down’ Megalaya hills, rather ‘up’ North and then East through Assam, across the Nilachal hills towards the World heritage Kaziranga National Park- supposedly the home of the One horn Indian Rhino.
Once in the plains, the plains were covered by Paddy, beginning yellow mustard (milder than the familiar rich yellow ‘Saron’ of Punjab)
And Tea , tea and Tea. They say that Brahmaputra which swells in the Monsoons later recedes and leaves the ‘plains’ so fertile that all you have to do is put the seed, go to sleep and return at harvest time for a rich ‘yield’. This is a rational explanation of the ‘lazy laid back attitude of the masses up there, the absence of absolute poverty, beggars on the streets or the need of higher ‘info-tech’ needs of a regular guy that ‘we’ know of in our part of the world.

Narayan slowed. ‘The people jam’ was not traffic but Ha Ha a Spanish Bull fight- part of the celebration of the Bihu festival. I woke up my Sakhi who jumped at the announcement, picked up the Sony and disappeared into the crowds while I was still manipulating myself slowly down the highish Sumo seats. The Bulls looked rather mild compared to those in Spain but the owners ‘hot’ with their long Dandas and the gambling streak. Narayan was instructed to ‘Dhoondo’ my friend which he failed at. Finally she emerged out of a family crowd with a young bride and groom clamoring for the attention of the ‘Sony’ and sneaking in their addresses for copies of their images with the foreign Indian lady. “How the Hell do they know I am from outside?” “Why the Hell don’t you know, it is your attitude?”

The drive was getting long and the day dark.
Finally the announcement, we were close, we were surrounded by trees in the dark and then aha! Wild Grass. ‘Wild Grass’ was the destination today our resort- Jungle mein mangal- The manager Royneesh was amply welcoming and also inquired if we were psychiatrists which we were and then that that meant there was a special invitation for us for Dinner with Manju the owner (infact the guy who had organized and guided our trip) and another Psychiatrist. After our usual chai we strolled around the wooded cottages, all nationalities of tourists around, music and sounds of tabla around a fire and finally joined our hosts around another big bon-fire. Here is where we met Sushrat, the shrink from London who was familiar with us through our e-group. So from virtual reality we met in real reality at Kaziranga. He was not a ‘transit’ visitor but someone who had chosen Wild grass as his Haven and comes regularly for ‘------???’. “Sushrat wo’nt you tell us about your wild grass connection?”

Next morning was the only morning we got up early which was for a 6 o’clock elephant Safari in the jungle followed by ones later in open jeeps through tall wildy grass and marshy land and dusty roads. We did see the famous Rhinos, wild elephants, deers, boars, crocodiles and ducks but the tiger was no where to be sighted.
There were birds, ‘migratory’ and unusual according to the guide. I tried to focus through his special binoculars, but concluded I was no Salim Ali who had said that the phenomenon of migration is most highly developed in birds, the most enthralling and still a mystery to understand. Assam and the foot of Himalayas form one of 5 popular bird resorts in India and reminded me of my earlier visit to the famous Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, Bharatpur where I had gone with Shobha, my bird-watching friend 2 years ago.

Veena caught the ‘Snuffles’ and after another Dinner around the Fire,
we retired to be woken up in the morning for our next stop Arunachal.

Veena Kapoor
5.2.2002