Greetings from Diphu, Assam. Warm welcome to a most interesting week! Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates this special day!
The interesting discovery I made in the past week was that I was in Nagaland illegally. The Protected Area Permit that I was advised to apply for when I landed in Dimapur was required for traveling within all of Nagaland, not just in the village of Longwa as I had incorrectly surmised. I am so grateful as to the FRRO (Foreigner Regional Registration Office) officer in Kohima for his support and guidance (more details below). I traveled from Kohima to Diphu in Assam State, which has fewer foreigner travel restrictions, pending a response to my PAP application. I'm quickly embracing the opportunity to explore Assam State as a possible alternative.
Karbi tribe traditional dress
I had my first travel experience, albeit brief, on an Indian train. I've had a lifetime of reading about what the trains are like in India, so having a first-hand experience was both exciting and anxiety provoking. Ensuring I got on the right train, just getting on the train with the mass of people on the platform and getting off at the right station were just some thoughts filling my head.
I'm grateful for the continuing kindness and support from everyone I met throughout the week. The universe is so full of thoughtfulness. That said, keeping vigilant on intentions is a necessary counterbalance in my travels.
The weather has been mixed during the week with some periods of rain. The temperature continues to be in the low 30s with a touch of humidity.
Periodic power outages were the norm throughout the week in both Nagaland and Assam. The outages are just part of everyday life.
I was equally blessed with the disappearance of the prickly heat rash by Tuesday morning. What a relief!
Travel update: I'm making a small change in the order of countries I'm visiting after India. I'm planning to visit Japan after Taiwan then fly onto South Korea. I've discovered flights to Toronto from Seoul, South Korea are about 50% less than from Tokyo.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
This week's travel tip is in the idiom of 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true.'
Travel Maps
I made the shared taxi journey to Kohima before being advised to leave Nagaland. I returned to Dimapur and took the train to Diphu, Assam which is about an hour away. My initial thought of waiting for a few days for a response on my PAP application is morphing into exploring Assam in the meantime. I'll make my way back to Nagaland if the permit is approved and the travel still makes sense.
Tuesday was travel day. I stayed an extra night to monitor the heat rash which thankfully disappeared. I'm sharing a few more photos of the area near the hotel I was staying at.
On the Way
Street vendors are just setting up for the today. This area is mainly clothing and shoes.
Market
The open market was a ten minute walk from my hotel. It's a place that fills your senses with a richness of smells, sights and sounds. Every time I visit these type of markets, it evokes memories of the Saturday market in Asosa, Ethiopia where I lived for two months. Yes, these markets are a good reminder of the risk we carry in taking many conveniences for granted.
A market entrance
Approaching the market
Vegetables, fruits, chickens, fish, etc
Geting into the hard goods
Hard goods, clothing across the road
Still early in the day
My Favorite Bakery
I discovered this bakery on the way to the market early in my stay. A young woman and her friend ran the bakery on behalf of the young woman's uncle. I bought my share of cookies (coconut and chocolate chip) to share with the hotel staff. I also bought two dozen cookies for the hospital staff as a token of my gratitude. I indulged in a few coconut loaves which tasted great. Visiting the bakery quickly became a lovely daily routine.
Oak House Hotel
My first Nagaland hotel experience left me with mixed feelings. I think the mixed feelings is more about my personal adjustment to the reality of where I was traveling. The hotel was conveniently located. The room was large, clean, comfortable with a kettle; however you need to bring your own coffee, tea and coffee cup. The construction underway was an annoyance. The reception staff eventually warmed up during my stay. The other hotel staff were amazing, friendly, easy to talk with, and most accommodating.
The hotel restaurant was where I wrote last week's blog as my room lacked a desk. The staff were so kind to keep me hydrated. The two meals I had were very good.
Local Thali dish with smoked pork
Welcome to how you get hot water for your shower. I had the same setup in Maldives.
Lucy's Gift
Here's where I introduce Lucy, an exceptionally personable and super smart hotel employee, She caught my attention in the reception area. Lucy was the only person who showed any enthusiasm when I offered cookies for the first time. She beamed from ear to ear and was the first person to take a cookie. Two colleagues followed her lead. Lucy was consistently smiling, inquisitive - a person you wanted to talk with.
During my last conversation with Lucy, I had a chance to share some of my travels with her. Her response made the whole conversation. She said that so many of my destinations were on her bucket list. Here was this woman in her early twenties thinking larger than life. Totally unexpected response (highlights a limited view I may have) when I know how little hotel employees are paid. She also offered me a container of specially flavoured brown sugar that she had purchased. Truly a magical moment. 🦄 How thoughtful, kind and generous of her. I felt compelled to reciprocate. When I asked her if she liked tea, she said, 'I'm Indian, of course I like tea!' The moment keeps intensifying. Lucy is now has the special tea I received as a gift when I was in Sri Lanka. She opened the sealed bag immediately to smell the tea. She also insisted I take at least one bag so I could have a taste.
My first shared taxi ride was uneventful. When I arrived in the Railway Station parking lot where the shared taxis are located, I was assigned to a taxi. The trigger for the taxi's departure is having four passengers. I started chatting with a young woman was also heading to Kohima in a different shared taxi. She invited me to join in their taxi which would only be one passenger short of departure. She did mention in our conversation the noticeable lack of passengers that morning. With that information in hand, I switched to her taxi and offered to pay for two passengers. My offer was accepted and we were on our way for the two hour ride. Hard to imagine having three people in the back seat in a small car. My total cost was approximately double the single rider cost, 575 Rs (~ $9.32 CND/$6.76 USD/€5.86). Small cost for more comfort and a shorter wait time.
NH29 highway is intended to be a four lane toll highway. Perhaps some day. The majority of highway was either under repair for hillsides that slipped onto the road, sections of highway that had buckled as well as sections that were still being twinned. Quite the travel adventure.
We went through a police checkpoint where I had the brief chance to speak to a police officer about my travels to Kohima. He wished me a safe journey and off we went. In retrospect, this brief encounter could have had such a different outcome if the police officer had checked for my permits.
First Impressions
Kohima is in a dramatic setting - nestled on a series of hills. Nagaland's capital is picturesque from afar. The horrendous single lane traffic that snakes through the city certainly detracts from the overall experience. This is another city that fully engages your senses - smells, sights, sounds and continuous activities.
This highly restaurant was a five minute walk from my hotel. Finding the restaurant involved climbing a series of stairs with limited signage as to where you should head. The prize for your extra effort is wonderful authentic local cuisine served by the most kind and attentive people. A very simple eatery that focuses on the food and service.
I had three destinations planned for my first full day in Kohima. I'd be walking to the Kohima War Cemetery, Superintendent of Police and the Mary Help for Christians Cathedral.
Why is this cemetery important?
This is the location in India where the Japanese advance into India was halted at Kohima in April 1944. Garrison Hill, a long wooded spur on a high ridge west of the village, was the scene of perhaps the most bitter fighting of the whole Burma campaign when a small Commonwealth force held out against repeated attacks by a Japanese Division. Please check out the link for more detailed information.
An inscription at the cemetery to be shared: "When you go home Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, We gave our today."
Superintendent of Police (SP Office)
My next stop was the SP Office. Foreigners are required to check in with the SP Office within 24 hours of arriving in a new district. For a guy who views rules as being flexible, I made the fateful decision to comply with this rule. The first step is checking in at the gate to state your business. The duty sergeant had several questions for me including asking why my travel plans involved traveling on Easter Sunday. Nagaland is 98% Christian, so the idea of violating Easter Day was unsettling for him. My bad as I was so preoccupied with my travel plans I forgot about Easter. I consider the sergeant as my first nudge from the universe towards celebrating Easter in this visit.
Step two was meeting with the FRRO officer to register my visit who, coincidentally, was walking into the police compound as I was speaking with the sergeant. I followed Senezo, the FRRO officer, to an office in the police building. We had the most enlightening and pivotal conversation in my Nagaland adventure. I learned I was in Nagaland illegally because I lacked the Protected Area Permit. I had mistakenly surmised the Permit was only for visiting Longwa. Apparently, enforcing the PAP started last December so the requirement is relatively new. Once Senezo had all my information he disappeared to confer with his boss. When he returned he (and his boss) suggested that I leave Nagaland until I had an approved PAP. He also mentioned that I could be arrested and sent to jail for up to five years for being in Nagaland without the permit. He suggested that I travel to Assam, a neighbouring state to the north with less foreigner travel restrictions. When I asked if I should leave immediately, he said that I should enjoy the rest of my day in Kohima with plans to depart on the following day. He also shared his name and phone number should I need to follow up with him. His final words was that we should both act as if I never had this conversation with him. Welcome to David's surreal world of travel. I felt like I was given a 'Get Out of Jail' free card (for those familiar with Monopoly). Nudge two.
With his advice in mind I set off to continue my walk to the Cathedral. On my way past the police station entrance gate, I stopped to thank the sergeant. I left the police compound with the sergeant's travel blessings. He assured me that I would continue to have safe travels, especially if I observed Easter Sunday. Nudge Three. Celebrating Easter was a done deal.
So grateful to the universe for continuing to protect me 💖
For some unknown reason, I've started to visit churches in this part of my journey. The churches have been impressive structures, however, they are far short of the historic churches one finds in Europe or other parts of the world.
Roman Catholic churches are the easiest for me to visit as I was raised in a Roman Catholic family. Familiarity can be comforting.
I was blessed to experience the universe's magic in multiple ways during this church visit. The first magic wand was when the lights were turned on in the Cathedral. My version of 'Let there be light!' Perfect for taking photos. The reason they were turned on was for the Bishop, who oversaw the diocese, to have photos taken. The second wand was speaking with the Bishop. He invited me to participate in the Holy Week celebrations. Suddenly, Bridget, a parishioner appeared, to share a soft copy of the week's program through WhatsApp. The third wand was meeting Timothy and some of the Cathedral staff. He invited me to have a cup of tea before I left. Timothy was responsible, with his team, for supporting church programs through the diocese.
Cathedral entrance
Stations of the Cross starting point
Impressive Stations of the Cross
Impressive Stations of the Cross
Impressive view - between the periods of pouring rain
Another impressive view
Bishop and photographer
My new BFFs
Timothy
Here's a 'borrowed' photo of the Cathedral's exterior. I forgot to take my own photo.
Heading Back
I'm sharing sights from my four km return walk to my hotel
How would you find the right cable?
Thinking green is good, red is bad.
Sidewalk market for your fresh vegetables, fruits and the like.
These stalls line the one side of the street for some distance,
Please meet Jess (centre) and his fellow college classmate. Jess is the class captain. They stopped me on the street to learn more about me and my plans. Jess recommended a new travel destination to visit, close to Kohima.
Hotel Conversation with Leo
I met Leo somewhat by chance. I was sitting in the hotel lobby, taking advantage of the high speed internet connection I was unable to access in my room. Leo was a restaurant consultant from Assam who partnered with the hotel in setting up their restaurant that opened the previous evening. He shared he had 17 years in the restaurant business, just setting out on his own in the last six months. I forget what the trigger was for starting our conversation. I thought the discussion we were having was surreal given I was sitting in the heart of Kohima, Nagaland speaking in flawless English with someone about esoteric topics. The juxtaposition with the challenges of daily living most people around us were having was mind blowing. We were in this little intellectual bubble. We had a most unusual discussion about societal norms, existential crisis and following your heart in spite of family pressures and expectations. We also touched on the power of consumerism in our lives, how much is enough? Leo had just bought locally crafted Earl Grey tea he wanted to try so we continued our conversation in the restaurant. Our discussion ended as Leo was required by the restaurant staff in preparation for the evening dining. Welcome to my world of continuing unique travel experiences.
The Mirage - Essences Restaurant
I'd be remiss if I omitted photos from the hotel's restaurant. What a fabulous dining experience! The restaurant had an amazing menu that could have been from any leading restaurant in the world, the wait staff were consummately professional, the food was delicious and the ambiance was superb. Hard to believe I was in Nagaland, India eating this meal. Again, the contrast between the surroundings I was constantly immersed in over the past six days and this restaurant was striking!
I'm getting an amazing education about the expectations I carry through all these experiences. An eye opener!
Modified fireplace
Black and green lentils
Falafel, hummus, tzatziki, and pita
Escape to Diphu, Assam
I know, I'm being melodramatic! I was on my way to Diphu in Assam on Thursday morning. I booked, through WhatsApp, what appeared to be a (the only) reasonable hotel in Diphu for two nights. My initial, wildly overly optimistic, thought was that my permit would be approved in a couple days and I'd be back in Nagaland by Easter Sunday. Keep the dream alive, my friend! Hahaha!
I was back to the bus station to catch a shared taxi back to Dimapur. My large suitcase was looking like an issue for this return trip. I rejected the option of putting my suitcase on the vehicle's roof for fear of any rain during the trip. After several minutes of waiting, a taxi driver offered me a sweet deal. He was to drive me to Diphu for 1800 Rs (~ $30 CDN for a 3.5 hour ride). His offer would simplify my journey by cutting out the short train ride from Dimapur to Diphu. I bit hard on the offer and we were off. I was the solo passenger in an air conditioned car. The ultimate destination I was to be dropped off at started to change as we approached Dimapur. I ended up with the driver dropping me off at the Dimapur Railway Station instead of Diphu. The cost of my lesson was about 400 Rs (~$6.48 CDN) in taxi costs. I paid a small premium for my ride. The ego stings when one thinks you've been had. Life continues, blessed to be safe, rode in comfort and I'm very near to my eventual destination!
I had a few anxious moments during the ride. The taxi was stopped at two separate police checkpoints where my driver's license was verified. No one seemed interested in the foreigner sitting in the front seat - thank goodness!
Dimapur Railway Station
I arrived at the Railway station around noon. The station's inquiry desk agent was incredibly helpful. He confirmed the next train to Diphu was at 12:30 pm, the first train stop was Diphu and he directed me to the ticket counter. The train ticket was 30 Rs (~ 50 cents CDN) for the 40 km train ride.
I survived the rush to board the train. A couple fellow passengers ensured I was on safely, stowed my suitcase securely, reconfirmed Diphu was the first stop and offered their help to ensure I got off safely. An hour later, I also survived the congestion in getting off the train as passengers were scrambling to board the train. I was at the hotel in 15 minutes.
Train station - ticket counter in background
Customer inquiry desk/train announcements
Entrance
Exit to station platform
My First Indian Train Experience
My train carriage. Photo misses the bench seats on left where eight more passengers are sitting (for each row of window seats on the right)
The universe was incredibly benevolent in guiding me to Diphu. The hotel I'm staying at has great rooms, kind, friendly and helpful staff and a wonderful restaurant. Thankfully, the hotel is located about 3 km from the city so the area is far less busy. I'm also located within two km of a significant local Karbi museum and village. Karbi is one of the five tribes in this part of Assam.
Two hotel staff members, Junali and Jonathan, enter my story in an important way. Junali works in reception and Jonathan helped me settle into my room. When I mentioned about attending the Easter mass at the Cathedral, Junali, a fellow Roman Catholic, sprung into action. She connected me with Jonathan who was a member of the parish suggesting that I could attend with Jonathan and his family. Jonathan was agreeable with being my host. He also spoke to Dr. Dilip, the former Parish secretary, about my intention to attend Mass. Dr. Dilip took the time on Saturday evening to visit me in my hotel, introducing himself, his former church role and offering to be my host on Sunday as well. Dr. Dilip is a general practitioner who operates his own clinic, having stopped his hospital privileges a few years ago. My Easter Sunday experience was an extraordinary blessing that occurred completely by coincidence (act of divine intervention); all because I had to leave Nagaland because of the missing permit. Next week's blog will have more details on my full day gift from the universe.
Junali has also been helping me with my travel arrangements, by local bus, to Kaziranga National Park, my intended destination on Tuesday. I learned about the National Park and its safaris from a third hotel staff member during dinner at the hotel. This is one way how my travel plans are spontaneously developed.
Festival Grounds
Friday, April 18th was an important celebration day for the Karbi people at the park near to my hotel. The religious gathering was near the museum. This was the second consecutive year the Karbi people held a celebration to reinvigorate the historical religious beliefs they held before being converted to Christianity.
Entrance leading to where celebrations were held
Clocktower - Park entrance on right
Up close and personal
The streams of people, in traditional dress, were just starting!
Looked important
Nothengpi Karbi Heritage Museum
The video below provides a good introduction to the museum including following the road into the park area before arriving at the museum. A picture (or video, in this case) is worth so many words!
Interesting that all the information boards in the museum where written in English. Very easy for me. Just wondering how the Karbi people feel about that?
The museum is equally impressive at night when the lights are turned on!
My attempt at being somewhat artistic 😉
Rongbong Artu.Taralangso
I wish I could share more information about this model village, however, I was unable to find any. The place felt like an abandoned village that had so much potential. All the buildings were open without any signboards. The central plaza where the totem like structures were beautiful. They also were adorned with lights so they must be equally impressive at night.
Artistic attempt #2 - in the same day!
The Gift
I met these two small groups of people as they were making their way to the Karbi celebration. The little boy's traditional dress caught my eye. Now imagine large groups (think busloads of people) of similarly dressed individuals streaming into the park.
Love how each person showed up differently in this photo. The guy on left had attitude, right?
My adventure for Saturday was twofold - visiting the nearby Catholic Cathedral as I was planning to join the Easter Sunday celebration and walking into the city centre for a more first-hand experience.
I unexpectedly met the Parish priest, Father Thomas, in my search for a toilet. We had a lovely conversation including my intention to attend the 10 am Sunday Easter Service. I was also invited to the common meal for all parishioners after the service. I'll share more details next week about my Easter Sunday experience.
Entrance to Cathedral grounds
Cathedral exterior
Cathedral altar space
Diphu City
My key objective in walking to Diphu Proper was to get some exercise. The city seemed far less congested than both Dimapur and Kohima.
City's main intersection
Looking into the business area
Looking right from main intersection
Looking left from main intersection
Travel Administration
Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I bit hard on the taxi driver's offer to drive me to Diphu for 1800 Rs. His original offer was 1800 Rs to take me to Dimapur Railway Station, the normal destination for shared taxi rides. He sweetened the offer to Diphu when I suggested the 1800 Rs was expensive. He would typically earn about 1350 - 1400 Rs if he had four passengers so 1800 Rs was sounding good. Driving me from Nagaland to Assam, an interstate transfer, should have been my alarm bell on his offer. I heard what I wanted to hear and stopped thinking. Relatively inexpensive lesson learned.
Next Week
The most I have planned for the upcoming week is traveling to Kaziranga National Park to go on a jeep safari to see one horned rhinos which this park is known for. I've booked a two night stay in a local hotel close to the east range gate. I was blessed to have a fellow guest, Das, offer me his National Park travel experience. I still need to plan what I'm going to do from Thursday onwards. My outstanding PAP application status is an important dependency that will shape my future travel.
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