Getting Acquainted

FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

Since you are planning on visiting, it might be a good idea to get a feel of Shillong before you arrive. The terrain is hilly and the mercury can drop from 28°C in the summer to single digits in the winter. Since you are coming to the home of the rain cloud, do carry sufficient water proof clothing and throw in an extra pair of footwear and socks or stockings. If you are

ODDITIES

 Although 50p coins are perfectly legal tender, they are not popular in Shillong. So don’t be surprised if you get looked at quizzically when you hand someone a 50p coin for something of low value you’ve just bought. It’s just one of those quaint idiosyncrasies that make every place unique in its own way!

You won’t find the hordes of beggars and urchins that seem so inextricably woven into the social milieu of other parts of the Sub-continent. This, of course, does not rule out the neighbourhood wino or the out-of-work vagrant. There’s no harm in palming off your 50p coins to them, chances are, even they probably won’t accept it, but then, one never can say!

Have you noticed that most people, while handing over or receiving items like envelopes, slips of paper and currency notes hold them in a stylish scissor like action between the index and middle finger. Avoid doing this, specially with money, in Shillong. The Khasis consider this an inauspicious way of handing over or receiving anything – it is seen as an act of cutting down the value of the item for both giver and receiver.

Instead use the good ole thumb-and-finger grip while giving and extend your palm while receiving.

If you have walked the streets in Shillong, you will almost certainly have noticed itinerant vendors selling green leaf inch-long sachets and nuts. If you’ve been wondering what it is, you probably haven’t been initiated to the Indian habit of chewing paan or betel leaf. Suppress any whim to be adventurous unless you are a masochist who relishes the sensation of having your head kicked in by a pair of pack mules. K*wai *– as it is called locally – beats chewing gum hollow as a ruminant in this part of the world. Kwai is a combination of betel leaf (tympew), areca nut (kwai) and a generous daub of slaked lime (shun) applied to the inside of the leaf. A word of caution for even those who have eaten or do eat paan. Take the trouble of unfolding the leaf and reducing the quantity of lime smeared on the leaf; not doing so can leave your tongue sore for days.

It is worth remembering that Kwai is a customary offering of welcome and goodwill proffered to guests. So if a friendly old lady good naturedly offers it to you, gamely accept if you don’t want to give offence, but don’t put it into your mouth at once. Instead unfold the leaf and gingerly nibble at it taking care to avoid parts smeared with lime. Should you want to go ahead and actually chew it, ensure that you don’t swallow. Instead, find a suitable corner in the garden and spit out the juice – you won’t be considered rude of ill-mannered. Don’t be alarmed by the red spittle that comes out of your mouth. It isn’t blood; it’s a chemical reaction caused by the mixing of the betel nut, leaf and lime. Despite all these precautions, if you still end up swallowing the betel juice, you might get dizzy and feel an intense hot flush in your face, break into a sweat, feel a painful knot form in your chest and experience difficulty in breathing. Don’t panic. Instead of drinking water, which is usually the knee-jerk reaction, eat a heaping spoonful of sugar; you will find the pain ease and the discomfort gradually dissipate.

GETTING AROUND THE CITY

Shillong’s traffic can be slow-moving, so you would be better off on foot; distances are not that great and the terrain is ideal for walking. Shillong’s winding streets with quaint Scottish names will give you a better feel as you imbibe the sounds, sights, tastes and smells of our city. Just make sure to carry an umbrella; they keep you dry and can deter stray pooches!

If you prefer transportation, though, the shared black-and-yellow cab rides are ideal. To book one for the entire day, just ask our help desk.

PLACES TO SEE IN THE CITY AND ITS SUBURBIA

• Ward’s Lake: boating, cobblestone walkways and botanical garden with unique species including insect-eating pitcher plant/orchids
• Lady Hydari Park: popular with young couples and picknickers; variety of local flowering plants and small menagerie
• Picturesque waterfalls: Sweet Falls, (Happy Valley), Spread-eagle Falls, (Demseiniong), Elephant Falls (Upper Shillong), Crinoline Falls and swimming pool (Malki)
• Shillong Peak (1,965m): gives panoramic vista of Shillong
• Wankhar Museum of Entymology, Riatsamthiah has a beautiful array of rare butterflies and insect on display
• Don Bosco Centre of Indigenous Culture (DBCIC), Sacred Heart, Mawlai,showcases Northeast culture & heritage exquisitely
• Sacred Heart Cathedral at Dhankheti: popular with Roman Catholics for size and architecture
• The august dorbar hall of Smit built without using a single nail provides the backdrop for the Shad suk Mynsiem (Nongkrem dance)

Things to do…

• Go speed boating and water skiing on the Barapani lake (Umiam)
• Trek up Sohpetbneng – a place of religious significance and rich folklore for the indigenous Seng Khasi – overlooking Barapani
• Emulate the F1 speedsters at Thrills Fun Park with its go-karting, ATV dirt-track racing and pony-rides at Umsning (25 km short of Shillong en route from Guwahati)
• Check out your gambler’s luck at the archery (teer) sweepstakes played from Monday through Saturday at the Polo Grounds
• Get a rejuvenating herbal oil massage from ‘God’s own Country,’ Kerala, in the Abode of the Clouds at the Mohanam Sreenarayana Ayurvedic Centre (Laitumkhrah)
• Explore the caves in and around Cherrapunjee for a view of some exquisite natural sculpture of stalactites and stalagmites
• Meet shoemaker James Syiemiong, Guinness Record title holder for the world’s highest platform heels at Motphran
• Bargain for ‘near-authentic fake’ designer apparel/footwear at Glory’s Plaza, Police Bazar; prices are absolutely unbelievable!
• Play a round of golf at the famed colonial era course also known as the “Gleneagle of the East”
• Browse through Iewduh or Barabazar – Asia’s largest fresh meat and fish market.

OUTSIDE SHILLONG AREA

• Cherrapunjee-Mawsynram (world’s rainiest area) – waterfalls, orange honey
• Dawki – Bangladesh border and fishing
• Nongkhnum – remote West Khasi Hills river island with seasonal white water rafting, trek routes/camp sites (bring your own tents)
• Jakrem – restorative and medicinal sulphur hot spring
• Thadlaskein lake – en route to Jowai dug using only arrowheads
• Mawlynong – ‘cleanest village’ in Asia close to the Bangladesh border with an eco-friendly village hut you can rent
• Nartiang – ancient Hindu temple
• Jyrni – living root bridge