Shillong

Shillong from Laitkor Peak

Our first experience of Shillong is being sandwiched in  bumper to bumper traffic that inches its way into the city in stops and starts. Over the next few days, we realize that this is the normal traffic scenario in all the main roads of Shillong. There are far more vehicles out on these roads than these roads can handle. The long time spent on the roads breathing in vehicle exhaust and dust is a price we have to pay for any excursion around Shillong.

Our shared taxi unloads us at a place called 'Anjali pump' - a tri-junction  with a petrol pump at the center. Several days later, while leaving Shillong we discover that just a few meters ahead is the Anjali cinema hall and right across the hall is the stand where shared and reserved taxi's wait for Guwahati passengers.


Room with a view at La Chaumiere

We have opted to stay in a 'Guest house' rather than a hotel. La Chaumiere hill where our guest house is located, turns out to be a quiet residential area with narrow curved roads snaking around the hill and down the sides. 'Summit Guest House' is located inside the compound of a colonial style bungalow with a beautiful garden.

View from the room

The common areas of the guest house - a sitting room with TV, the dining room, the staircase and  lobby - are tastefully done up. Our room is pleasant and welcoming with light streaming in through  floor-to-ceiling glass windows looking out at the town below and the hills beyond. A little balcony gives an uninterrupted view.

Summit Guest house has its little quirks. The food - breakfast and dinner - comes from the kitchen of the main house and has to be ordered well in advance. The landlady warns us that her kitchen is closed between breakfast and dinner. The order has to be written down to the T and passed to the kitchen. On one occasion we write down an order for roast chicken (the menu specifies roast chicken with vegetables/baked potatoes). We get what we asked for - only roast chicken, no vegetables! But quirks and all, the food is home cooked and wholesome and served exactly at the time requested. We really like this place.

Eating at Laitumkrah

Setting out to explore the neighborhood, we find that a short walk down the hill brings us to a locality called Laitumkrah, with the striking 'Mary, Help of Christians Cathedral', several schools and numerous eating places frequented mainly by local residents. We sample a Khasi thali at Jadoh which appears to be a popular eatery from the number of people queuing up. All the items available are on display at the counter. We opt for plain rice instead of the popular pork-rice as the staple. The thali comes with a small piece of chicken in a green curry, a vegetable (potato) and several spicy chatni's and a fruity drink. It is a quick and light meal served in clean surroundings. We figure out later that Jadoh is the generic name for the Khasi rice steamed with pork. In the next few days, we invariably see this dish being consumed in local eateries and at all times, at breakfast and even in the late afternoon.

Laitumkrah has of course more variety in food joints than just Jadoh's. We have heard that a popular restaurant among the young is 'Flavours'. Looking for 'Flavours', we come across 'Different Flavours' and decide that is certainly not the place we want. Returning to Laitumkrah on another day, we ask for directions from a local youth. He tells us how to find 'Flavours' and 'Different Flavours' but is non committal about which has better food. We finally get to 'Flavours' and order steamed momo's that turn out to be as delicious as we have imagined. In the restaurant, we realize that both the 'Flavours' are part of the same chain!

The archery sweepstakes

Crowd waiting for results of the Archery sweepstakes