Since the sumo hasn’t started yet, we are not aware of its dilapidated condition. The engine seems to be in a perpetual state of repair and the doors feel like they can come off anytime! We wait (as if we could do any better) and are pleased to come across a Lal chai seller on the street. Sumo guy is good to go after we are joined by 2 young schoolgirls headed to their homes. There is no need to keep our bags on the carrier since there is plenty of room in the back. 

We are on our way to Mon at 730 am and choose to ignore the piece of information that the first sumo has left at 530 am. It is the sumo guy’s first trip to Mon after a break of more than a month. There is also a Nagaland State Transport (NST) bus that runs from Sonari to Mon but thats supposed to be scheduled to leave at 11 am; this time means that by the time we reach Mon, the shared sumo to Longwa would already have left. 

Whenever we tell or ask a local in Sonari about heading to Nagaland, they tell us to eat well in Assam itself because we wont find anything to eat in Nagaland! The sumo guy halts for a while and we are still in Assam near a tea garden town; I finally ask a local why they say that we won’t be able to eat anything in Nagaland? Pat comes the reply, ‘The Nagas in Mon eat everything that moves’, I’ve heard that before and let out a small chuckle. 

The aroma of fried pooris and a dry potato vegetable being freshly made along with chapatis on a tawa is enticing and I ask the street seller to serve me a plate. It turns out to be delicious and I adhere to the golden rule of eating while its possible! We are hopeful of reaching Mon in time to sort out the permit issue and figure a way for the shared taxi to Longwa. However, the sumo guy was as laid back as one can be and kept stopping and chatting with almost every other passerby on the road. Anyhow, the tea garden town is nicer and I decide to make good use of the stop to eat! 

I eat to my hearts content and am pleasantly surprised when the amount to pay is a measly 40/50 Rupees. The sumo guy is simply going around and meeting everyone and asking what the rates of corruption are! We would later come to know all about the corruption later; that the sumo guys are supposed to pay the road mafia for an entire month and only then can they ply with passengers from Sonari to Mon. Since it was just the start of the month, we were sort of caught in the wrong date and witness to a prevalent system of bribery. 

His friend has also bought some stuff (maybe to be sold in Nagaland.) We start again and the landscape keeps getting greener and the civilisation is non-existent. The road continues and we enter Nagaland at Tizit gate. There’s a bridge and a big Naga symbol proclaiming ‘Welcome to Mon district, land of Ahng Nagaland’. 

It already feels like a different world with rudimentary tin structures functioning as dhabas and shops selling bare essential commodities; villagers carrying guns and our frail sumo guy stopping to be checked where every vehicle is stationed. There is a police check post; I notice the truck guys running to the police check post with more cash than documents! The locals are chewing betel nut and roaming around in shorts. I am unsure what to do with no permit in hand, and one of the police guys on the road signals us to come to the check post. 

The 2 local Naga girls are let off without any questions and we are asked for permits. The check post is in reality a makeshift police chowki, I tell the Konyak officer that we are coming from Arunachal and don’t have a permit. He starts making a day pass for us and asks us for everyone’s aadhar cards. The details are filled without a fuss, just as I am beginning to think he’s a very helpful police officer I notice the truck guy paying 800 Rupees for entering through the check post. I try telling him to make a 2-3 day permit for us as we intend to only stay for that duration in Mon district but he reasons that he’s only authorised to give a 1 day temporary permit.

He says it can be easily extended in Mon Police Station. I thank him, grab the permit documents and rush to the sumo before he can change his mind and ask for some money! The assistant of the police officer turns out to be a shrewd chap and quickly catches us before we start the sumo. Our lazy sumo driver doesn’t help by not being around and I end up going back to the police chowki and am asked for 200 Rupees per person as a fee. I sheepishly ask the police officer where is the 200 Rs. rule written and slip a 500 Rupee note towards him. 

I had made small talk about Hornbill Festival and other parts of Nagaland like Pfutsero, Kohima, Mokokchung so maybe he was a bit kinder but still pocketed the 500 Rupees and continued chewing on the betel nut. We also asked him if the Mon Police Station guy will try to take money from us to extend our permits. He mumbles that we should tell him that the money has already been paid in Tizit. According to him, it was a routine procedure for us of extending our permits and that it won’t take much time. 

We felt triumphant and sat in the sumo with a haughty air! One of the meagre establishments doubling up as a dao maker seems to be making omelettes served in dirty plates and charging a princely sum of 100 Rupees for his troubles! 

I notice the time on the watch and figure that we have hardly covered 15 kilometres and inspite of already spending close to 2 hours on the road! The date is 2 October, starting of the month so the sumo guy has to pay everyone and everywhere and get a pass. Gandhi Jayanti celebrations and a cleaning campaign by the school kids feels like an alien proceeding in this far off region of Nagaland. 

On the road, signs of Christianity are quite prevalent with signboards and messages. I spot the Tizit Village Baptist Church and a big signboard proclaiming ‘Christ is the head of Tizit Village’. As always, I have my eye on everything on the road and excitedly make a mental note when a road bifurcates towards the village of Shangsa. 

The sumo guy has to stop every 15-20 minutes to pay a bribe to the officials. While we were earlier laughing and enjoying the game, we get bored of it in no time and ask him more details. He tells us that most of the bribe takers are the police folks and mentions that they take 300-500 Rupees. We wonder how the sumo guy makes money, and then he makes us understand that after paying all the bribes he will get a badge to be put on the vehicle that essentially means he has paid for the month and can make as many trips as he wants! 

The road itself is in okay-ish shape, much better than we anticipated. There is a tar road in some places and big potholes are the norm otherwise. After a while of more paying of bribes, the sumo guy finally gets a tag of monthly pass on the windshield. I think its a total payment of INR 2500-3000 and it seems kind of ok that he won’t really have to pay anything for the entire month. 

The Naga girls are quite angry with him and even called their parents to complain about the sumo guy along with the sumo number! When we finally sit back and assume that now we will straight head to Mon town, some Naga locals stop the sumo and ask the driver to come out. We are a little perturbed but it turns out to be just a friendly encounter! The Naga schoolgirls have been chit-chatting non-stop and we can’t understand head or tail of the conversation!  

It was quite humid when we had started from Sonari in the morning but has now progressed to a pleasant breeze as we neared Mon. Mon town felt like it was situated on a hillock. The sumo guy tells us that there are many Rajasthani traders settled in Mon, that indeed comes as a big surprise. We tried telling him to drop us near the Police Station in Mon but he advised that we would be better off first booking our seats on the Mon to Longwa shared sumo. Our arrival in Mon was further delayed when some other sumo drivers informed our sumo guy that some sort of checking was going on and we ended up reaching Mon only by a supremely bumpy road in the jungle! 

It turns out to be a good decision as there are only 4 seats left (Inr 170 per seat) on the Mon to Longwa shared sumo and the sumo counter guy tells us that the last sumo of the day will leave at 2 pm. We have reached at 1215 pm and there seems to be plenty of time to find the Police Station and extend the permit. Two of us ask the way to the Police Station in Mon and make an uphill climb to reach an open sort of area and the Police Station is right across us. 

The locals line up the road near the sumo counter and are selling exotic looking fruits and vegetables. The prices are also quite cheap and if we were staying in Mon, I would definitely have picked up something. I spot a fancy looking eatery in the market. It is about a kilometre long uphill climb to the Police Station and once inside I speak to the officer in-charge for extending our permits. He demands to see all 4 of us! 

We tell him that 2 people are a little older and therefore they are waiting at the Sumo Counter. We ask him for a 3 day permit extension but he doesn’t seem very keen on more than 2 days extension. In a troublesome turn of events, he asks me the name of my local guide and our place of stay. We are asked for our id’s and he notes down the details in a register. In reality, we have not booked anything and haven’t spoken to anybody either but my mind reacts quickly and I tell the Police Officer that we have contacted Longsha Wangnao from Longwa and he is our contact. 

The Police officer then asks me to note down the contact of Longsha and I am able to note down his number from my research. I have my heart in my mouth when the Police officer makes a call but thankfully due to the terrible mobile network in Mon, the call doesn’t go through. He narrates a past experience of some tourists from Bangalore who accidentally ventured into Myanmar and were captured by a terrorist group. Then the Army had to get involved and ultimately all this gets the Police Guys in trouble. So, he wants to make doubly sure we don’t venture where we are not supposed to be. 

In a lighter vein, the Police officer tells us that there is nothing to see in Longwa or Mon district and that we must get out of here soon. Along with another officer, they seemingly make a funny joke on us. He tries to call Longsha again and thankfully Longsha’s phone is out of network! I worry thinking what might have happened if the call had connected and Longsha saying that he had no booking with him. 

Finally, the Police officer stamps the extension papers and tells us to revisit the Police station in Mon when we come back from Longwa. We grab the papers and rush to the sumo counter, whilst I kept trying to call Longsha all the time. The bad network issues persist and I am unable to connect with him even though the phone sometimes rings. The time is about 115 now and we are super hungry and a bit tense as well! 

We reach the sumo counter and are relieved to know that the sumo number has been given and that we will leave in some time. There’s another sumo for Longwa stationed and all sorts of packages like chickens, potatoes and groceries are being piled up on the carrier. I am finally able to connect with Longsha and tell him to book 2 rooms for us and also tell him about the Police officer trying to call him. He confirms that he has not had any contact with any Police guy and that our rooms are booked for INR 800 per room. Longsha tells me that he is also in Mon for his daughter’s function in school and that his brother Nockao will receive us in Longwa. 

We heave a collective sigh of relief and head to a nearby ramshackle eatery. I had spotted an inviting bakery in the main market but decided not to buy anything being almost certain that the stuff made will be from maida only. The tea shop opposite to the sumo counter is a safer bet since it is close-by. There’s only tea and rusks on offer and I am pleased when the tea turns out to be actually good. I thank the relatively friendly owners and step out to buy a bottle of water, where I am asked for INR 30 for a bottle of water with an MRP of INR 20 because I am an ‘Indian’.

It is fun to sit at the shared sumo counter and indulge in people watching – most locals carry guns in a sling! At the stroke of 2 pm, our shared sumo arrives and we are supremely excited to get out of Mon. I happen to chat with a Social Worker for the church who lives as a tenant in Longsha’s home. He assures me that we will be dropped exactly in front of Longsha’s house in Longwa and that we need not worry about the location. 

Everyone’s bags are hauled up on the carrier of the sumo and we sit in the back even though our seat numbers are of the middle seat. We are stuffed with onions, potatoes, chickens and meat in the back beneath our feet under the seat. There is no space to even think about stretching our legs but we are happy to just get out of Mon and will bear the hardship. A passing conversation with someone confirms the fact that there are many Rajasthani businessmen settled in Mon since a long time and they pay protection money to be safe! 

I come across a signboard in the market. Network Travels and Lucky Travels in Mon seem to run a few services too. Mon to Wakching 12 noon, Mon to Shiyong 12 noon, Mon to Naginimora 12 noon, Mon to Dimapur 3 pm – Night Service. We finally start our journey to Longwa at about 220 pm and are told that the 40 odd km distance will take 2 hours. The road is predictably in bad shape and almost merges with the green forest. It is broken in patches but still better than the Sonari to Mon road. The road is maintained by BRO (Border Roads Organisation) because this region shares a border with Burma (Myanmar). 

After 1 hour of the journey, the sumo stops at a local dhaba where the ladies are selling farm produce. The bananas are massive in size and are priced at INR 5 per piece. The guavas are tiny and are packed in polythene bags and are sold for INR 10 per polythene (about 15-18 pieces in a polythene). Also on offer are squash, bamboo shoots, chillies, locally brewed alcohol, cassava, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, small pineapples, beans and papaya. I am ecstatic to buy the guavas and bananas to satiate my hunger. They are nice and fresh and taste super yummy as well. 

We are back on the road, it is a quiet and peaceful drive. Apparently there are more than 50 villages of the headhunters in Mon district and about 15 villages where we can still come across headhunters. The sumo stops right at the entrance of Longwa and we are dropped at Longsha’s home which is located near the Helipad. It is a nice big road where 2 vehicles can easily cross. 

Nockao (Longsha’s brother) welcomes us and shows us the way to our rooms. They are located in an annexe, it is a concrete building which is opposite to the main house. The rooms itself are bare bones basic, there is no water supply in the bathrooms! It is about to get dark, so we put our bags and make ourselves acquainted with the layout of the room. 

Nockao takes us to the main house. It is a huge home made in the traditional style with ample use of wood, bamboo and thatched leaves. There are exquisitely carved figures of a Konyak tribal man & woman at the entrance of the house and also a log drum. The first room after we enter is like a hall with a massive ceiling. There is a carrom-board in the room and there are souvenirs for sale spread on a table. We keep walking curiously in the dimly lit interiors and come to the kitchen part. Across the house, the walls are occupied with wooden artwork in different shapes, designs and traditionally carved hangings. 

Among the souvenirs are necklaces, wooden masks, smoking pipes, metal masks, statues, bone work, necklaces made from bones, paintings and rustic art on wood. Longsha’s traditional home in Longwa indeed feels like a different world. Nockao plays church gospel songs on his phone. The kitchen area is very dark and the layout feels very common in the northeast – There’s a hearth with a sizeable hanging 2 layered logs of wood and varieties of meat hanging near the fire (to smoke it over a period of time). It reminds me of an Apatani kitchen! 

Nockao’s parents and a cousin is also sitting around the kitchen and we share illegible conversations as the parents don’t understand hindi or english while we don’t understand Naga. Nockao informs us that while everyone in the village is a Konyak, Wangnao is a title given to the chiefs of a clan. Longsha is the eldest brother and happens to be a local leader in this part of town. Nockao is 25 years old and we are surprised to know that his mom and dad are almost 70 years old but are very strong and well built.

We tip-toe around the house and notice skulls of bison and other wild animals with a wood painted panel depicting hunting, kitchen fire, and scenes from daily life. Through broken conversations, we come to know that Nockao’s father took part in a headhunting victory but didn’t take a head. Mom is quite chirpy and starts cooking a vegetarian dinner for us. We are served locally grown black tea in plastic mugs. 

I try to fix the price for food with Nockao since the room prices have been cleared with Longsha. My prior experience with ambiguity hasn’t been so good and although he agrees to my offer of the total price of INR 1200 for 2 people including food and a guiding fee of INR 1000 for the village tour the next day, there is no proper confirmation and I know that there will be a surprise whenever we ask for the bill payment before leaving! I can blame it on the corruption in the entire region and a homestay in Nagaland is no exception. 

Nockao’s dad shows us the pig stable where the pig is being kept and fed for the Christmas Feast. His food is the massive bark of the root of the banana tree; they boil it with many nutritious things and feed him. The pig is so huge that it is almost scary to look at it. Before it goes totally dark, we go for a quick walk to the outskirts of the village near the helipad. We cross a few old houses with the same pattern of thatched roof made from palm leaves, and made from bamboo. The houses look very big and sturdy though, in my mind I am comparing them to the Adi Longhouses in Along, Arunachal Pradesh. 

My ever inquisitive mind finds out that a road near Longwa leads to the villages of Phumching & Nyahnyu. There are Tangnyu and Chen Town villages from Mon accessible by a road. A steady drizzle continues and the pitter patter of rain accompanies us everywhere in the lush greenery. The road itself is full of big potholes and slush. We figure that its better to use these open spaces for peeing rather than using a washroom with no water supply. The weather in Longwa is misty and foggy and we are able to see a faint outline of the evening colours amid the dense cloud cover. 

We hear Church songs from one of the homes on our way back; Christian missionaries are said to have played a big part in the decline of headhunting in Longwa and everyone in the region practises Christianity now. The sky clears a little bit and we see nice landscapes with the last light of the day; there are rolling hills interspersed with fields and homes. Every farm has a small grain storage space and a small house to stay during the harvest. It is getting a bit chilly and we are glad to return to the warmth of the fire in the darkness. 

The locals in Longwa are not really friendly as such; whoever comes to the kitchen meeting others doesn’t bother greeting us. I ask Nockao about Longwa’s opium addiction and he triumphantly tells us that the locals of Longwa have decided to put an end to the opium menace and that Longwa has been opium free for the last 3 months or so. He also supports this with facts that the Young Konyak’s Association (Longsha is an influential member of that) has very strict rules. 

Dinner is served even before 7 pm. There is a wide variety of dishes. Eggs, locally grown white rice, fried potatoes, leaves curry, spinach, dall and a kuzhumbu chutney from Sri Krishna Sweets that a friend has carried from Chennai! Contrary to what we were warned against in Assam, the food has turned out to very tasty and we end up eating in copious quantities. The locals in Longwa grow a variety of veggies and leaves and also white rice, brown rice and red rice and they are all extremely tasty and healthy. 

Since Longsha’s family is quite accustomed to having tourists they keep oil and masalas for tempering; otherwise the Konyak food (like most parts of Nagaland) is predominantly boiled with almost no masalas. We thank the family for a grand dinner while Nockao is listening to Church gospel songs. The villagers take turns to play the carrom and it looks like winners to stay and losers go out as the rules. We are served black tea post dinner and the mom explains that every household grows their own tea leaves in the rolling hills of Longwa. 

We tell Nockao that we will need his services as a guide to accompany us in Longwa and say good night to everyone else. There is electricity, so we head to our rooms and chit-chat for a bit and then head off to sleep after charging our devices. We aim to head back to Mon and Sonari day after tomorrow by the 7 am shared sumo that leaves from Longwa. We try and sleep and are made aware of the not-so-clean-beds and blankets. Thankfully, all of us are pretty tired and somehow make do with the circumstances. 

We wake up early after a good night’s sleep and have a chai first thing early in the morning. It is a glorious day with blue skies and clouds forming in the far distance. The hills are gentle and rolling and lush green; we can also spot some other Konyak villages as well. There are a few homes being made with tins while most of the new construction is in concrete. We set off with Nockao to walk around Longwa. 

Kids are roaming about with their slings and trying to hit birds. At first, we wonder if they are actually trying to hit the birds but later when we see locals sporting hats made from monkey hair, we realise maybe the birds are a delicacy for the kids to eat! Who knows, after all the Nagas are known to eat anything and everything that moves! The kids are quite rowdy and ill-mannered and threaten to hit us when we request them not to kill the birds. 

Although most locals are not keen on conversations; sometimes when we end up talking, they invariably ask ‘Are you from India?’, as if they genuinely believe that currently Nagaland is not on Indian soil. Anyway, it is well known that the village of Longwa lies both in Myanmar and India and the Angh (King’s home) straddles the boundaries of both nations. 

There’s an army check point in the middle of the town; Longwa is a massive village with about 300-400 homes. The army guys get our entry done & check our permits. There seem to be different routes in the village and one can see Myanmar locals freely roam around on a peculiar sort of bike – Canda. We continue our walk to the India – Myanmar border stone from 1970-71. One side of the border is Myanmar and the other side is India. We sit for a while and enjoy the proceedings; it is stark sunshine while the other part of the valley is covered in clouds. 

Except the army check post, there is no visible security at the border stone. A church can be seen from this raised platform and many houses of the spread out village of Longwa. It is nice and sunny, and a pleasant breeze is blowing too! Myanmar seems even more densely forested as we look from this vantage point. No wonder the police guy had tried to make sure we are with a local in Longwa as its easy to get lost in the jungles of Myanmar if someone loses their way. 

There are flowers of different colours blooming where we stand. Only a dirt road is visible in the rudimentary infrastructure of Myanmar. Even the locals in Longwa are driving a Canda bike (maybe its made in China). There are numerous BRO signboards as we wander around town. Every kid in Longwa carries a beautiful colourful bag. I have seen these bags across the northeast and every tribe seems to have a different pattern and design. One common thing is that these are all woven on a backstrap loom. 

On the walk across Longwa, we come across 2-3 other headhunters as well. They can be distinctly identified by their facial tattoos and the fact that they show signs of irrational behaviour of hiding when they spot a camera or a tourist. There are a number of shops in Longwa; paan shop, grocery shop, tailor, essentials, petrol is sold in 1 litre bottles. Apparently, the only outsider in the entire village is one guy from Shekhawati, Rajasthan! He runs a shop there but funnily enough I miss meeting him. 

It would have been fascinating to converse with him and discuss why did he decide to do business in Longwa, of all places! We are fascinated to know that locals here require no permit or visa to go to Myanmar and the same goes for Myanmar locals into Nagaland. It is a novel feeling to be able to notice homes located inside the boundary of Myanmar. The Primary School in Longwa seems like a newly built structure and its fun to see kids playing football without a care in the world. 

We keep walking and reach the Angh’s house in Longwa (Angh means King in the Konyak dialect). It is a unique house, with half of it located in India and half in Myanmar. Its a popular joke that the king of Longwa eats in India and sleeps in Myanmar as the kitchen is in India and his bedroom is in Myanmar! The house has a sort-of a museum status; among many interesting things the bed is antique with wood carvings. There’s a proper log drum kept in the house as well. Skulls of many different types of animals are spread throughout the house. A signboard outside the house informs visitors that the house has been refurbished and built with Government’s help. 

Once we get to the other side of the Angh’s house, there are a number of souvenir sellers sitting in the verandah. On show are tribal accessories like necklaces, bracelets, statues, bone accessories, metal masks, bags and wooden mugs and masks and figurines. The prices quoted are quite exorbitant but I presume that the exclusivity of the stuff warrants them. The locally made traditional Naga jewellery seems to be reasonably priced and I end up buying quite a few of the stuff. 

Among the 3-4 sellers, only 1 seems to know the prices of the products. It is super jumbling to try and buy anything as conversations don’t have a common language and they keep disagreeing after agreeing with the price! I also spot an army officer in making a bargain to buy some souvenirs. Just outside the Angh’s house, I come across a signboard for a nicely built homestay – just in time because I wanted to pee badly! 

It starts drizzling as soon as we are back to continue our walk in Longwa. We still continue and reach the end of the village, where the landscape is a pretty shade of green with the clouds and red flowers. There’s an army camp close to the end of the road and we turn back from there. There’s a sizeable Morung with hanging skulls to our right and I take the chance to ask Nockao to tell us more about it, as its anyway drizzling and a chance for us to do things differently. The morung is empty right now and seems to be hardly used except a few occasions. 

Since we started quite early and the rain has changed the usual course of the exploration in Longwa, we end up getting back to our homestay and are pleased to know that its lunch time! For all the talk of us going hungry in Nagaland, we are actually relishing the food. There’s an array of local dishes for lunch – red rice, leaves, potatoes, salad, squash, dall. The red rice is extremely delicious and light. We eat in copious quantities and relax for a while. 

Nockao asks us if we want to visit a few headhunters in the vicinity. We go and meet 1-2 headhunters but the story has been so overdone, all of us are not really interested especially when we are told that we can click as many photographs as we want for a pre-agreed price. One thing is certain, nobody seems to be into the opium habit anymore. Nockao disappears after some time; we spot him with a bunch of Indian day-tourists who must have been staying in Mon. So much for being a guide for the whole day, I think to myself. 

Aunty gives us black tea; it is about 3 pm and the Indian tourists are going clickety-clack with their cameras – A headhunter is posing with a metal necklace and traditional earrings. I am not to be left behind a click a solitary photograph since the group has already paid for this. You are expected to pay INR 200 when you meet / photograph a headhunter. We head out in the direction of the helipad now that the rain has stopped. 

The sky is bathed in mellow colours. The sun is playing hide and seek and the intermittent periods of sunshine make the greenery look even more beautiful. It is easily the most surreal evening of the entire trip in Nagaland. A few local boys are also loitering around since we are near a school and for a change we are able to converse normally with them. It is an epic sunset with yellow, orange and pink hues and is unbelievably beautiful the rolling hills and as if on cue, we decide to make our way out of Longwa the next day. 

We make it back to the homestay and request for an early dinner and also to book 4 seats in the earliest sumo for Mon. There is a little bit of daylight left so we rush to pack our bags so that we are prepared to leave early morning even if there is no electricity in the night. Dinner is yummy as usual and I ask Nockao to buy 1 kg of red rice. He is ecstatic that we have liked their local produce and tells me its only 20 Rs. per kilo and that I don’t have to pay for it. 

He makes a huge bill for us though and even though we had discussed a flat rate of INR 1200 per room including food, the bill comes with a separate 200 INR per meal charge! We pay the required amount (no point bothering) and chat with Nockao’s mom and dad and thank them. Longsha has some work in Mon, so he doesn’t come during our stay and we are unable to meet our saviour. 

We say our goodnights and go off to sleep. The shared taxi duly arrives at 7 am. We load our bags and leave after having a quick round of black tea. The seats are super comfortable since the sumo is not full and there is ample space to sit. We are repeatedly told that Aoling festival in April is the best time to be in Longwa when the Konyaks are dressed at their traditional best. We discuss that it would be fun to return someday if the bureaucracy wasn’t that difficult! 

The shared sumo stops in the same place and this time I decide to let go of buying anything. We reach Mon at 10 am, delayed for some time because there was a roadblock on the way. I am hoping that the Mon to Sonari shared taxis will be available easily. Alas, that is not to be! We are left with no choice but to ask at the taxi stand for a ride to Sonari. We are quoted the most outrageous prices on the planet – a battered van asks for 10,000 INR without flinching an eyelid! I get a bit angry and tell him he should have asked for INR 20,000 since he has to come back as well. Haha. 

Someone takes us for ransom and seemingly we have no choice but to pay INR 300 per seat for a shared sumo to Tizit. We reach Tizit at 1 pm. It is a breeze from Tizit to Sonari as we get a ride in an auto for a total of INR 200. As soon as we are near Assam, the prices show a semblance of normalcy. 

Bye bye Longwa. Perhaps, we will return someday in our own cars to try and explore some of the far off villages. 

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We get lucky when Manash’s friends who hail from Dibrugarh informed him that they had some space in their car if we could somehow ‘adjust!’ Now we all know how we adjust in India; it was the last row of the Honda Mobilio and we were 3 grown-up adults. At best, the space was barely enough for 2 people. My co-travellers were both over 6 feet tall and we had fully stuffed backpacks in our laps. It was a comical scene and as I write this in hindsight; the hosts of the car – Ronal and his friends were very considerate to stop the car almost every hour to enable us to stretch our legs. When we sat in the car, Longwa seemed far far away!

We had started our journey from Ziro at 1030 am after the bus for Guwahati left. It was a challenge to make Ronal understand that his car was our only way out of Ziro. Thankfully he understood our predicament even though he was adamant that it would be very uncomfortable and I found a middle ground by suggesting that we could tag-along with them till Potin (which was a bifurcating point for many roads in Arunachal Pradesh) with more likelihood of finding a shared sumo/bus/other public transport.

I’d done a basic research of a Sumo from Ziro to Dibrugarh but since it was a day when everyone was getting out of Ziro; the taxi guys quoted an astronomical range of INR 18000-20000 for a drop to Dibrugarh! Even by usually very expensive north-east standards; that was way too much for 230 kms! On an overcast morning when we left, we had little breakfast; paranthas, black tea, thelpas and pickle that we had carried with us! Once we crossed the shared sumo stand in Hapoli (Ziro); the enormity of the situation was evident when we observed the hordes of youngsters standing with their backpacks on the road – in hope of a ride!

After hardly 30 minutes of leaving from Ziro, it started drizzling and we were stuck in a traffic jam as a bus had got stuck in slush. We got a breather from sitting and wandered outside even though it was raining. I wondered if the folks waiting had a better chance of hitching a ride if they stood on the highway out of Ziro since a lot of the local attendees were going back to Naharlagun / Itanagar. It was fun to observe the locals when the bus was stuck : A Nyishi tribal man was surveying the scene in his elaborate headgear.

Only a few two-wheelers were able to manoeuvre their way through the blocked road. This traffic jam has given an opportunity to Ronal to rearrange the baggage and he somehow fits 2 backpacks in the boot. Now, only my 15-20 kilo backpack was is kept on us and its a lot more easier when the weight is spread. In the meantime, the Police have arrived and they are bringing a rope to somehow get the bus out. Ronal and his friends (Doctor, engineer, scientists) have a few conversations with us and realise we are chilled out and will make it to Dibrugarh, inspite of the strife!

The rope has arrived and the bus is moved from the centre of the road; clearing the traffic jam. All the vehicles start moving; and we reach Potin in 2 hours; at about 1 pm. Potin is one of the entry points for getting into Arunachal Pradesh from Assam. The road is excellent here; unlike the mud and slushy road from Ziro to Potin that has turned even worse due to the constant rain in the past 2 weeks. We are a bit hungry but don’t dare to eat because there is barely any space to sit and an extra inch on the bellies can seriously hurt us! So, even though Ronal & Co. stop in Potin for lunch; we just roam around and decide to eat on the next stop.

I’ve carried back 2 bottles of the locally made fruit wines with me; one is a pear wine & the other one is a pineapple wine. Its time to share one of the bottles with Ronal & his friends and they all love it.

Read : Trekking to Dzuköu Valley, Nagaland

In Potin, the road bifurcates for Guwahati/Itanagar/Naharlagun. I noticed an APSTC bus from Ziro to Itanagar costing only 150 INR per seat. Arunachal Pradesh has become so much better with the public transport in the last few years. We resume our journey at about 130 pm and we are feeling so much better after the much needed break and breather to let our legs feel normal again. My wishful thinking says we should hopefully make it to Dibrugarh by about 7 pm – it felt impractical to even dream about reaching Dibrugarh by daylight.

I was also hoping that it was possible for us to get seats on a bus headed to Dibrugarh from North Lakhimpur (a town that we would be crossing later). Nice playlist of songs in the car; we make another stop at one of the fruit sellers on the highway. I ogle at the pineapples & guavas. The pineapples are at 10 Inr per piece and we are juicy (like always in the northeast); so we gobble a lot of them and I end up buying a kilo of guavas to be shared with everyone. I thank Ronal and give 1100 INR (handed over by Manash) as fuel expenses. We have covered good distance as the road is now in much better condition and are about to enter Assam.

I am not certain but we must have taken the Kimin border road. We stop for a breather in the town that is surrounded by tea gardens. I spot few ladies on the street selling sel roti and pickle! It is as delicious as it would be in Nepal/Kalimpong and we enjoy the unexpected bounty! We all take a moment to thank Ronal and his friends for being extremely considerate and stop the car after every 1-2 hours so that we can stretch our legs and prepare ourselves to sit again in the cramped space. We experience moments of excruciating pain because we can’t move and the entire weight of the backpack comes on the knees.

The weather suddenly feels quite hot once we enter Assam and the windows are rolled up and the ac is put on. Its nice and cool now in the car and we are happy after entering Assam, in the knowledge that we should make it to Dibrugarh in respectable time. The distance left is about 180 kms and the road is a proper highway so we should make quick time. While crossing North Lakhimpur, there is no sign of a bus and this ride seems to be our only way! Now the question of an alternate ride doesn’t even cross anyone’s mind and we stop in Gogamukh for a short break.

I’m trying to look for a hotel on the many online platforms for a comfortable night stay in Dibrugarh but am unable to finalise anything. We take the opportunity of the break to take a short walk in Gogamukh. I meet some marwari businessmen in the sizeable market there; it seems the marwaris from Rajasthan are everywhere across India for business! Once we are back in the car; I ask Rolan to book us in a reasonably priced hotel and he recommends one Raj International in Marwari Patty in Dibrugarh. We are dropped right in front of the hotel at 9 pm and we can’t thank Ronal and his friends enough for the help.

We feel like kings at Raj International; nice hotel & very comfortable separate rooms. The rooms are air-conditioned and we quickly order dinner and I take a relaxed shower in the meanwhile. I ask the waiter to order food for me and choose the dishes as whatever he would like and atta chapatis. I am very tired and sleepy and polish off 4-5 rotis with the freshly made delicious mixed vegetable curry.

(I recently sent small gifts to Manash & Ronal from my craft platform ‘Indilocal’ & they were well received in Dibrugarh!)

We are so exhausted that no-one bothers to check about the status of food for the other room and we end up eating separately. I thank the waiter, close the door and sleep – like only a tired body can after so many hours of uncomfortable travel! I wake up from my sound slumber directly at 8 am next morning and feel fresh and relaxed on a proper bed. After all, we were in a campsite in Ziro and the mattress felt so much better than the sleeping bag!

My co-travellers have woken up as well and we laugh over the discomfort of the previous day. We ask for breakfast in the form of aloo sabji + puri and masala chai with lots of ginger. After all it is a hotel owned by a marwari and thats why the food and chai is on point. The flight at Dibrugarh airport arrives at 1 pm and our target was to reach close to the Nagaland border and stay for the night in Sonari town.

After a hearty breakfast, I go down to the hotel reception to enquire about autos / cab to the airport and then the subsequent mode of transport to depart for Sonari, that was the last sizeable town before entering Mon district in Nagaland where Longwa was located. I was also a bit concerned about the ILP for Nagaland – there was no physical office for us to go and get the ILP (Inner-Line Permit) issued. The online permit was just for namesake and wasn’t really something that worked in real life. I was told that there is a Nagaland Government office in Dibrugarh that issues ILP but that information turned out to be false and we decided to just enter Nagaland and see how it goes with the ILP.

At the hotel reception, a Maruti Alto taxi driver was standing and asked for INR 500 for pick/drop from the airport. I asked him for drop to Sonari and he quoted INR 3000 for the same. I check the distance to the airport from Raj Palace is 16 kms and from the airport to Sonari is 75 kms and offer him INR 2100. He declines my offer and says its not profitable at all. He takes down my phone number and informs he that he will call if he changes his mind. I tell him that I’m going to the bus stand to check about a bus to Sonari and also for an auto or other mode of transport to go to the airport.

The bus stand is a 6-7 minutes walk away from where I am and I find that there are buses to Sivasagar every 10 minutes. We ‘d have to switch buses for Sonari from Sivasagar and the frequency of the Sonari bound buses kept decreasing in the latter part of the day. Some locals informed me that it would take roughly 2 hours from Dibrugarh to Sivasagar and then another 2-2.5 hours from Sivasagar to Sonari if we were able to find a bus. The fare for the buses was estimated at INR 180 per person; i.e 720 for 4 of us. Further, the auto guys asked for INR 350-400 for a pickup/drop from the airport. I estimated the total to come to about 1200 INR and involved a lot of hassle + uncertainty about the bus timing.

I made up my mind to call the taxi guy and fix the price with him. The taxi should take maximum 3 hours for reaching Sonari and it was better to arrive in that unknown place before dark so that we were better placed to find a hotel to stay and check about the shared taxi to Mon.

I walked back to Raj Palace and had a quick shower. Luckily, before I could call the taxi guy – he only called me and that ensured that the price was fixed at INR 2100 for pick-up from the airport and drop to Sonari town. We checked out from the hotel and were picked up by the cab guy at 1230 pm; he had a drop to the airport and that guy was sitting in the front. The flight was on time and I was glad that the taxi guy was making extra money.

We leave for Sonari directly from the airport and see buses marked for Tinsukia, Jagun on the airport road that led to Namdapha National Park. The journey is very smooth and after an hour or so, we begin our search for a nice rustic bamboo dhaba. We’ve got home-made food packed from Delhi and luckily we spot an empty dhaba with chairs and a glorious view of the green grasslands. We give the food to the driver as well and he is pleased with our carefree behaviour. I thank him for being kind! We are overjoyed with the home-cooked simple food and realise that however exotic travel in the northeast is, we still can miss home food.

The dhaba owner comes and gives us a bottle of chilled beer. It is a priceless experience. We resume our drive to Sonari; the scenery is stunning with green grasslands and sunset colours at 430 pm. I try checking some homestays just before reaching Sonari town but it is more practical to stay on the road leading to Mon in Nagaland. We are dropped bang in the centre of Sonari Market; the taxi guy tells us that he has to rush back to Dibrugarh. Sonari market has an eerie feel omnipresent in border towns; there are policemen roaming on the road.

The market is sizeable and all the products are available in Sonari; vegetables and greens are available in plenty. It seems like most of the locals from Mon district in Nagaland come to Sonari to shop for all essential commodities. I ask around for a nice and respectable hotel in Sonari, preferably on the road to Mon so that there is no trouble with the early morning shared taxi. We walk on the road to Mon and there is water filled in potholes in the dirty town of Sonari. We find one hotel and there’s a huge room for 4 of us and it also has an air conditioner. This is the advantage of reaching a place in daylight; the same hotel would have costed us a lot more if it was dark.

We figure its easier and more entertaining with all 4 of us in one room and settle for it for INR 1500. The entire building is very damp with the constant rain and we keep the room open to air it out. There are sufficient charging points and I am told that the Mon shared taxi booking counter is nearby. We step out just as its about to get dark; with the aim of finding some light dinner and also to check if there’s a Nagaland ILP office in Sonari town.

There are battery rickshaws in Sonari that charge us 10 INR per person and drop us in the main market. We come across a nice looking hotel in the market – since it is already night and the rooms are available we are quoted a final price of INR 1100 per double room for the supremely comfortable business class rooms. We are a bit disappointed to not check this place but anyway since the pre-requisite of staying on the road to Mon were clear, can’t do much about it.

We ask for a chowmein and are delighted with the preparation; the prices are very reasonable as well. After finishing dinner, we walk back to the hotel and notice the signboard with funny rules! The shared sumo taxi stand is quite close to where we are staying and the guy there informs us that a sumo for Mon will ply at about 6 am. We will have to take another shared sumo from Mon to Longwa. We try to book the front 2 and back 2 seats but there’s just a tree and a stool_chair which is the booking office and it hardly inspires any confidence. He just tells us to come early in the morning.

The distance from Sonari to Mon is some 50 kms but the price of the shared sumo is an astronomical INR 250/300 per seat! ‘Welcome to travel in the northeast’, I say to my travel companions. High transportation costs are one of the biggest reasons that the northeastern states have not been explored well by travellers. I take down his phone number and tell him that we will be there next morning.

We go back to the hotel and relax; there are funny conversations about how well the day has gone! Thankfully, Sonari has excellent mobile internet connectivity and that means we are all on our phones. The issue of ILP for entering Nagaland has still not been sorted out and even though it appears that we are already on a never-ending journey; the truth remains that we are still in Assam. The difficult and troublesome part of the journey is yet to begin.

Since I don’t want this to become an unbearably long post, I shall be continuing the narrative of the journey in a separate post.

Imagine our fright to go to the sumo stand early in the morning and be told that the shared sumo to Mon has already left! Would we be allowed inside Mon district, Nagaland without an Inner Line Permit? As we are nearing the border in Nagaland, there are locals in Assam who ask us to stop and eat while we can. They say,’There is no food in Nagaland’; as a reference to the pre-dominantly non-vegetarian culture that is commonly thought of by the outsiders.

It will be fun to write the next chapter of this …

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We reach Dimapur at a very early hour in the morning, even before the clock strikes 6. Just as we are exiting the railway station, we see lots of shared taxis to Kohima are available but we have to first go to DC office in Dimapur to get the ILP (Inner Line Permit). Even though we are travelling in Nagaland during the Hornbill Festival time when the rules are said to be usually relaxed, we don’t want to take any chances.

Since the DC office is likely to be closed at 730 am, we first go to see the Kachari ruins in Dimapur. The auto guys quote astronomical prices, and it is very funny indeed! The auto guys in Dimapur quote a minimum of 100 Rs. per kilometre and make a killing! Most are migrants from UP and Bihar.

We end up having breakfast somewhere in Dimapur market, at a small eatery. The food is tasty and freshly made, and we are relieved to eat mainland India food like poori sabji. It might perhaps be our only proper meal before we enter ‘real’ Nagaland – Kohima onwards.

Dimapur is full of Marwaris. It is perhaps the most cosmopolitan town in Nagaland and where usual Indian food is readily available. There are signboards for Zutho – Rice beer that is available everywhere in the market. We also come across a vegetable market in stalls and many sellers for Naga chilly.

Dimapur doesn’t feel like like a proper Nagaland town, it is a sort of a city and we spot many posters that are trying to get ILP (Inner-Line Permit) in Dimapur too. The weather is surprisingly quite hot for December and the dust levels in Dimapur are a different category altogether.

Kachari ruins are officially closed at the early hour in the morning, so we can only see them from outside. The guy who has the keys hasn’t come yet and even though we inquire from the nearby school/shop we are unable to find him. The official opening time is around 10 am so we give up the idea of seeing the Dimasa Kachari ruins and just go to the DC office to get the ILP done at the earliest.

We end up bargaining a bit with the auto guys and reach the DC office. After spending 2-3 hours at the permit office and getting awed by the level of corruption in Nagaland, we are finally issued our ILP permits. The official cost of the ILP is around 100 Rupees, but we are asked to pay 400 Rupees per person. This is the usual price of corruption in Nagaland.

At the DC office, we meet some interesting people who have travelled far and wide and are in Nagaland for the ‘exotic’ Hornbill festival. We talk about the mired up bureaucracy in Nagaland and how this state could do so much better! After having been to other states in the northeast, I can safely say repeat that for the entire northeast region!

Thankfully we had carried all the documents and photographs required for getting the ILP issued. The ILP only mentions 3 districts and we got the document in our hand and triumphantly walked out of the compound! It is around 1230 in the afternoon.

Dimapur to Kohima

We then rush to the shared taxi stand in Dimapur and get inside a van leaving for Kohima. The distance from Dimapur to Kohima is around 70 kms and the charges are fixed at 150 Rupees per seat. We get 3 middle seats. The ride is crammed for space but surely not the worst that I have experienced. We leave from Dimapur at around 1 pm. The road from Dimapur to Kohima is in horrible shape and surely rates among the worst roads in the entire Northeast.

The cab guy stops midway for lunch at a sort of a dhaba place. We are somehow able to eat because it is bearable food, and is vegetarian. The reasonably priced thali comes with rice and is a staple here as I notice everyone eating the same. I figure it is better to eat something than to stay hungry. After all, it is Nagaland and it makes sense to leave my picky behaviour at home!

We reach Kohima market at 330 pm and immediately try to find a cheap hotel or guest house to stay. Within 5-10 minutes, we understand that there is minimal chance of a cheap place to stay, especially since this is the time of the Hornbill Festival. Luckily on the road, we find a van to Pfutsero.

We had heard the name earlier and there are 4 of us headed to Pfutsero now. It is a fun 2 days in Pfutsero. We come back to Kohima via a shared cab in the morning from Pfutsero and ask the shared cab guy to drop us to the festival site near Viswema.

Now that we know a little bit about the layout of Kohima, and the fact that there are more possibilities of finding a reasonable homestay near the festival site itself. It also ensures that we are free from the famous traffic jams and dusty environs of Kohima. There are many signboards for camping sites near the Hornbill festival site that set up shop during the Hornbill Festival dates. The prices are quite expensive at around 1000 Rupees per person for a stay excluding meals.

I spot a signboard for a homestay near Kigwema, Vicha Paying Guest House. We understand that there are many homestays in the region and it makes sense to get out from the shared taxi. At Vicha Homestay, the host shows us a dormitory for 4 people, it is 400 Rs. per person including breakfast. There is a nice open space in the homestay. The common shower and toilet, have a geyser too.

He has rooms too on the upper floor and quotes 1500 per double room that look really comfortable and he offers the room to me for 1200 Rs. if we plan to stay for longer, but the room prices don’t include breakfast. The dorm room isn’t big but it has a reasonable space, is located on the ground floor and works for us. The beds are nice and comfortable and the linen and blankets are clean. I really like it since it is a family run homestay sort of a place, and the kitchen is run by the ladies of the household!

The homestay is located at a convenient walking distance from Kisama – Hornbill Festival Site. Around 1.5 kms. It always made for a nice walk when we used to return half drunk from the festival site.

Kohima to Kisama Hornbill Festival Site – A local bus plies and charges 10 Rupees and even the regular shared cabs charge 30 odd Rupees.

Kigwema is a big village and also has a church and marketing shed where vegetables are sold, there are shops on the road and a few restaurants too. The best bet for eating simple food remains the homestay where you are staying though.

Vicha Homestay, Kigwema – The dining room is a cosy & separate space with 4-5 tables and one has to tell in advance if lunch / dinner is required. We usually had breakfast at the homestay as it was included with our price and had lunch at the festival venue. For dinner it was a buffet setting with hot casseroles for rice, vegetables, dall, papad, salad and freshly made and tasty. It is priced at 150 Rs. per person and feels reasonable.

A water filter is installed inside the dining area itself and is really helpful since one can fill the water bottles at their own convenience. Bottled water everyday can become too expensive and anyway I hate the taste of packaged bottled water. I always carry my own bottle and am pleased to fill water from the water filter itself.

World War II Museum – Located in the same venue as the Hornbill Festival, the World War II Museum is a good place to know the history of World War II. Memorabilia is kept, alongwith stories and placards. It is a big museum with exhibits and can easily take over 1 hour to explore. 

Vegetable Market, Kohima – The vegetable market is in Kohima city and all kinds of exotic stuff is for sale here, in addition to the usual vegetables. Local ladies sell snails and weird stuff, ducks, fiery red chillies, greens, bamboo shoots, variety of mushrooms, tomarillos, exotic leaves. 

Shopping in Kohima – All the northeastern states are like the fashion capitals of India and Kohima is right at the forefront of it! Fashionable clothes at only 300 Rs. per item, really good stuff if you can see a sale signboard, otherwise for boutique and unique stuff the prices in Kohima can get quite expensive.

World War II Cemetery – The World War II cemetery is located at a fantastic location on a hillock overlooking Kohima city. It is peaceful and green and I highly recommend it when you are sick of the dust and traffic of Kohima. It is maintained by the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) and pays homage to the soldiers who died in World War II.

Nagaland State Museum – Fabulous collection of Nagaland things from across the state. The museum showcases the artefacts of tribes and their daily life, weapons, tribal costumes, instruments and utensils. It is a must see when you are in Kohima. 

Street art of Kohima – Nearly every wall is painted in Kohima and the street art and graffiti is very well done with messages and social slogans.

Veg restaurant Kohima – Yaotsu Veggie Restaurant. Overlooking Kohima, it is a concrete establishment but perhaps the only pure vegetarian restaurant in entire Kohima. It lies on the main road on the way from Kohima to Kigwema. On offer are dosa, aloo paranthas, puri sabji, chai etc and served at very reasonable prices too. We eat lunch here and have snacks 1-2 times.

Hornbill Night Carnival – During Hornbill Festival; stalls, street food, parties, and concerts are held here from 7 pm. The Hornbill Night Carnival is from Y junction to Razhu Point, it is a crazy atmosphere and I recommend going once.

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Also check : Tribes of Nagaland – Hornbill Festival

Jita had attempted to go to Dzuköu Valley on an earlier visit and had the basic information. There are 2 possible entry points for the trek to Dzuköu Valley – Viswema and Jakhama. Jita had already narrated his ordeal of spending a difficult night at the entrance of Dzuköu after he had lost his way! It made me aware that we just couldn’t wake up one day and go hiking to Dzuköu Valley, and that we might require help. 

At Hornbill Festival, I bumped into my friend from Kolkata who had driven with some of his other friends (I had met him in Nongriat and Auroville earlier). They had a car and were also planning to trek to Dzuköu valley and had already decided on the services of a guide. It made the task very easy for us and we told them to just pick us up from our homestay on the morning that they were going! 

So, it was decided to make Dzuköu Valley a day hike – to leave from Viswema in the morning, park the car at the Dzuköu Valley entrance, trek to Dzuköu Valley, come back by evening, and drive back to our respective homestays. My friends called me in the evening and confirmed that we would be leaving next morning at 7 am! 

My friends were at our homestay by 730 and we left on time, already having had our breakfast that was included with the stay and because we had requested for it earlier. We picked up the guide from somewhere along the way and he took us via the Viswema route. The guide told us that while the Jakhama trekking route was shorter, it was steeper, more difficult and confusing and thats why everyone preferred going by Viswema route. 

We parked the SUV at the parking place and Jita showed us the tin shed where he had spend the night! It was around 9 am when we started our trek. The weather was cloudy and the sun was hiding and nowhere to be seen. We started our hike through a dense jungle where the first signboard ‘Dzuköu Valley’ was marked. The trail started with stone steps and was steady and steep and we ascended non-stop through the forest. 

Even though Dzuköu Valley is a very popular trek, the path wasn’t well marked at all, and after only 20 odd minutes we were confused about the right trail when the light had gotten worse in the thick foliage of the jungle. It was foggy and misty and there seemed to be trails leading in multiple directions; thank God we had the guide with us or it could well have been a case of taking a punt about the right path! 

Our guide was a young chap from Kohima, around 25 years old and had been to Dzuköu Valley numerous times. He charged around 1500 Rupees for the entire day and had pre-agreed the price with my friends. 

The scenery was stunning and the aroma of the jungle was pleasing, it was stunningly green for the month of December and there was moss on the stones. There were some random markings on stones (M.900) but it was unclear if we have covered 900 metre distance or if 900 metre distance is left. It is an eerie feel in the jungle with the sounds of birds and insects, dense mist and no sunlight. There seems to be hardly any daylight and proceedings are a bit stalled with no breeze blowing. 

After around an hour or so, we reach a point where the jungle opens up and we come across the first sight of branchless roots, wavy valleys and unique trees that are a hallmark of Dzuköu Valley. There are undulating tiny outcrops in the mountains with waterfalls amidst lush greenery and mist emanating from the greenery. The sky is covered in clouds and there is an occasional pitter-patter of raindrops. 

The trail is to our right and is muddy after the recent rain. To our left are the stunning views of the start of Dzuköu Valley. After a while the branchless trees disappear and reveal streams flowing through the valleys when the light improves. It is an incredibly stunning landscape and this is just on the way when we haven’t reached Dzuköu Valley yet. 

At around 1045 am, we come across a small tent and a sitting space that is covered. Rain is in the air and we decide to light the wood that is kept there and enjoy the silence and breeze. The trail stretches ahead in the distance and we can see the path now. After some time we resume our hike and walk through spectacular scenery, through small shrubs of green growth. Dzuköu Valley appears more and more prominent as we keep going. 

It continues drizzling steadily slowing down our progress and just before noon, we come across a signboard ‘Alternate Trek Route’. The guide explains that there are other trekking routes to Dzuköu Valley from Manipur as well as it is very close to Manipur State Border as well. We can spot the Rest House of Dzuköu Valley that is located on a clifftop. It is the only staying option in the entire valley and is quite prominent, even from afar. 

The Rest House is spread over a sizeable area too – 2-3 buildings with one building located at a 5 minute walk away from the others. The secluded building looks like a nice, cosy cottage! We have a spring in our step now and almost skip, jump and run to reach the rest house at 1210 pm. So it has taken us roughly 3 hours to reach Dzuköu Valley even with a relaxed pace and a stop in between. 

Our jackets are drenched in the rain that has been constant since 1030 am, I am feeling a bit cold since my jacket is flimsy and is not rain proof meaning a lot of water has seeped inside! We are on a vantage point and a stiff wind blows. Thankfully, I have kept a rain-proof daypack for the camera, water bottle, snacks and chocolates for emergency. It is a surreal sight as we reach the rest house; we finally have a birds’ eye view of Dzuköu Valley. 

We are in an exhausted condition and are very hungry. Our guide takes the charge and orders food for all of us. The kitchen at the rest house is run by locals and they make everything fresh and charge INR 200 per person for food. The rest house guys inform us that many tourists are on their way and it is better that we get done with our lunch first so that we can explore the valley peacefully later. There is a bench in the open with a vantage view of Dzuköu Valley and everyone enjoys their time until the rain arrives. 

Once it starts raining, we gather in a shelter space with a log of wood burning. Someone rolls a joint and food also arrives in that time, we eat well. The log of wood provides the much needed warmth and we relish the food that comprises of rice, vegetable curry and dall. It is around 1-130 pm and a welcome respite when the rain stops. 

The Rest House is built from wood and stone in a pitiable condition, the windows seem to have been broken long ago. It is surrounded by an array of beautiful flowers though. There are various signboards on view with warnings to not pluck flowers, destruction of property and basic civic sense please. 

There is a huge dormitory at the Rest House for travellers and visitors to stay. Bedding is available – Mats at 100 INR per mat and 50 INR per blanket. It is a common space and is done up with graffiti and art! Looks like a very rustic space perfect for backpackers who are looking to chill with like minded company in a pristine location! We have only planned for a day trip and don’t have to take the decision of staying here, so I choose to ignore the dirty blankets and the unkempt space. 

The views from the porch of the rest house are spectacular to say the least. We are pleased when it finally stops raining. It is around 2 pm and some of us start descending on the trail to Dzuköu Valley. We are tired and ask the guide if it is actually possible for us to go to the bridge of Dzoköu Valley. He remarks that the bridge is far away and takes around 3 hours to go and come back to the rest house. He also says that is the main reason why most people stay for a night at the rest house so that they can explore Dzoköu Valley properly. 

That statement takes the wind off our sails and we decide to give up the idea of going to the bridge in Dzuköu Valley and instead choose to sit at the bench and savour the otherworldly views on offer. There are other benches too to the right and all of us enjoy our solitude for a good 30 minutes before we decide to head back. 

The rest house guys inform me that while it is possible for travellers to just hike up to Dzuköu Valley and stay at the rest house; sometimes the lack of space might mean there is no room if the space is not booked in advance. There is also the possibility that there is no staff at the rest house if it is off season. 

We are lucky when the clouds part after lunch and the sunshine lights up the incredible landscape of Dzuköu Valley. It looks like a crater, an unreal world with the numerous rocky outcrops in a dark shade of green, ‘a land of fairies’ as is called sometimes. Our guide seems to be happy to be chilling with the rest house guys and hardly seems keen on us actually exploring Dzuköu Valley. 

As we know, sunsets in the northeast happen pretty early and in December that would mean that it is close to dark by 4 pm. Our taking a chance would be stupid considering the last part of our return hike will be through the dense canopy of the jungle that had hardly any daylight even at 10 in the morning! Sanity prevails and as the clouds start sweeping in Dzuköu Valley again, we start on our return journey. 

I realise that it might be totally worthwhile to come back to Dzuköu Valley in July/August when it is blooming time for the famous Dzuköu Lily. This time when I come back, I would make sure of staying at least 1 night at the rest house so that I am able to explore the valley properly. From the rest house, it takes 1 hour to go to the bridge in Dzuköu Valley and 2 hours to come back. 

We enjoy our hike back and encounter many tourists on their way to the rest house. As I had thought, it is almost dark when we descend through the jungle. We are pleased to make it to the car parking spot at 4 pm. We drop the guide on the way and my friends proceed to drop us to the homestay. 

We celebrate our last evening together with a bottle of the precious Angami Sticky Rice Wine (600 INR per bottle!). 

If you are at the Hornbill Festival and reading this, please reach out to me. It would do a world of good if you could get 2 bottles for me (trust me it is one of the finest wines ever made!). 

Check : Cherry Blossoms in Nagaland, India

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Photographs of Locals of Nagaland during Hornbill Festival

With increasing modernisation in India’s Northeast, it may be possible that the only way for tourists to witness the tribes and have a peek at their culture is to attend their cultural festivals such as Hornbill. And even that looks like a deteriorating possibility to experience true culture as it existed. 

Other Photo Stories with a focus on Locals :

Portraits from Manipur

Photo Story : Snapshots from Tawang Festival

Celebrating a Traditional Festival in a village in Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Brokpas of Ladakh – Culture & Portraits

Portraits that speak, from Turtuk

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Photo Stories from Hornbill Festival, Nagaland

The World War II Museum at Hornbill is a must visit for the knowledge of important history concerning everyone.

I didn’t spend much time at Hornbill Festival Venue because seeing the tribes performing curated events is not my choice of experiences. Instead, I was happier trying out the different rice beers at different morungs, millet beer and buying more and more bottles of my cherished rice wine.

I clicked a few portraits at Hornbill Festival. Guess that calls for a separate post.

Check these posts as well :

Life on Loktak Lake, Manipur : A Photo Story

Cherry Blossoms in Nagaland, India

Trekking the Offbeat Trail from Nohkalikai Falls to Nongriat, in Meghalaya

Chasing Tranquility in Majuli island

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The walking trail to Tsupheme passed through Pfutsero town and was all of 6-7 kms. The gentleman also told us his name and suggested that there may be a possibility for us to stay at a local’s home in Tsupheme. We started walking at around 11 am after having had breakfast in a chai dhaba. Village kids played in their usual carefree manner; the landscapes were vivid as we passed the grassy meadow to our left. After about an hour of walking, we came across the first cherry blossoms. Pink and white flowers, on a big tree standing tall on the left side of the road.

Read : A Backpacking Guide to Meghalaya

Not one vehicle had passed us on this road and for a minute all four of us wondered if we were not on a wild goose chase! I was accompanied by Jita, Johann and Devesh on this memorable trip. And suddenly it did not matter any more; what lay next on the road was the stuff of dreams!

There were cherry blossoms galore. As the road took a turn, I counted three trees laden with cherry blossoms. Against the backdrop of the blue skies, the pink white flowers looked very pretty! The light wasn’t perfect for photography and after spending 10 odd minutes gawking at the beauty surrounding us, we resumed our walk to Tsupheme again.

“The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short.”   ~ Homaro Cantu

Cherry blossoms are widely associated with Japan and there they are known as sakura flowers. Hanami (meaning flower watching) is actually a tradition in Japan and the custom is more than a thousand years old. Families go to picnics during the sakura blossom season in Japan. The cherry blossom season in Japan typically happens during March-April. It is also a significant reminder of the impermanence of things because the cherry blossom season is very short and lasts only for around 2 weeks.

Check : Food Heaven : Cafés & Restaurants in Auroville

On this lonely stretch in Nagaland, it was the first week of December and we had the cherry blossoms to ourselves. A stiff breeze welcomed us when the sunshine gave way to some shade on the road. Tsupheme village was another 2 kilometres away and an even more prettier view awaited us. The next part of our path was lined up with cherry trees; and they were laden with cherry blossoms. If the earlier sight was pretty, then I was in heaven with these cherry blossoms.

It was nothing like I had ever seen before. I’d seen cherry blossoms earlier in Himachal Pradesh but this was on a different level altogether! Cherry blossoms in Nagaland were totally unexpected and this walk to an unknown village had turned out to be one of the best memories of my north east trips. I clicked pictures of the cherry blossoms with my iPhone for some time, and then realised that it was worth taking the trouble of taking out the dslr from the backpack.

Read : A Mixed Experience – Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh

Some of us posed with the cherry blossoms; once we tried taking a selfie. It was such a happy feel and even though clicking all these pictures meant we were getting really late to reach the village but who cared… After all, the pleasure of a journey lies in on the way moments; chance discoveries – and what better discovery than finding cherry blossoms on the way to an obscure, unknown village in Nagaland!

People talk about offbeat; and we had found the epitome of offbeat! 

We sat and chilled under the cherry trees like they would do in Japan; on the other side there were lush green fields and a house in the midst of it. The light wasn’t perfect to click that shot and as it is, my mind was preoccupied with the cherry blossoms. I took some close-up photographs of the cherry flowers. I tried to smell them and see if there was any aroma from these beautiful flowers, but there was none.

Pablo Neruda’s lines crossed my mind once or twice :

“I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.”

I was being asked to hurry up and when I did not stop my newfound obsession of clicking cherry blossom pictures; everyone else moved ahead. I wondered if there was a female model there in that setting, would the pictures have a classy quality to it? But there was no possibility of the same and by that time it was necessary that I pack my backpack and start off again if I wanted to catch-up with the others.

It was as if a goldmine had been unearthed that day; within 10 minutes of resuming my walk; there were more cherry trees to our left. The cherry blossoms on these trees were not in the same pink and white colour though; these looked a little bit dull and maybe had blossomed earlier than the ones that we stopped at earlier.

Check : Danish Delight in India – Tranquebar (Tharangambadi)

Tsupheme village was now within touching distance and I dare not bother with my dslr; it would just mean taking more time when we were already running quite behind schedule. In my mind I briefly thought about clicking some more pictures but realised that it was better to look at the cherry blossoms without the lens of a camera to keep the memory vivid forever.

Once we reached the village; it was a different story. Even though the locals welcomed us after we had mentioned the name of the person from Pfutsero who sent us; after quite a lot of to and fro the village seniors decided that there was no place for us to stay and they asked us to immediately return to Pfutsero. We were given chairs to sit inside the community hall of Tsupheme village till the time the decision was taken.

We were all a little sad at the outcome but also wanted to rush back to Pfutsero since the sun sets in Northeast earlier than in other parts of India, and we clearly didn’t want to lose our way in the dark. We walked on the same trail on our way back to Pfutsero and the cherry trees swayed in the breeze. The sun had already set and the light was poor for photography. I was glad to have taken the chance and clicked photographs to my heart’s content, when I could!

Read : Sustainable Rural Tourism in Garhwal, Uttarakhand

In hindsight – like so many instances on a road trip where we come across majestic views and not get a chance to click pictures; I was glad we hadn’t found a ride to get us to Tsupheme. Life really sometimes finds a way to make things happen! And that day was only and only about cherry blossoms in this remote corner of Nagaland.

At the Hornbill Festival, someone had remarked that they had gone to Shillong for the Cherry Blossom Festival and came back very disappointed because there were no cherry blossoms blooming during the time of the festival in Meghalaya. And here were we, enjoying our tryst with the sakura flowers when we had no inkling of them even existing in Nagaland!

It did not matter that when we walked back to Pfutsero, a fierce wind blew and we shivered in the cold. It did not matter that we saw insanely pretty sunset colours and could not photograph them because we still had not found a place to stay. It did not matter that we had more trouble finding food because the entire town was shut by 6 in the evening!

Life had found a reason to smile; a local took us to a drinking den in Pfutsero and over conversations he narrated to us the charms of Pfutsero and the Japanese caves from World War II. We drank the famed Naga sticky rice beer (also called zutho) in huge mugs that instantly reminded me of the Germans and their love for beer. The beer mugs held more than a litre of beer each and cost only 30 Rupees!

Check : India’s French Colony : Pondicherry, A Photo Story

There were a few walks that we did in and around Pfutsero and I think that calls for a separate post. This one is about cherry blossoms and it should remain that way.

“The cherry blossom tree is truly a sight to behold, especially when it is in full riotous bloom. There are several varieties of the cherry blossom tree, and while most of them produce flowering branches full of small pinkish-hued flowers, some of them produce actual cherries.”  ~  Homaro Cantu

Also, while I am strictly not comparing the cherry blossom sightings that we had in Nagaland with the cherry blossoms of Japan; but you see there is a possibility of seeing cherry blossoms minus the crowds in our very own country – India. What it also means is that Nagaland can also try and plant cherry trees in a synchronised manner in a forest so that the cherry blossoms phenomena may be replicated.

The possibilities are immense. Do you want to travel to Nagaland to see the cherry blossoms?

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