Friday, September 25, 2015

The clear waters of Dawki!!

The clear waters of Dawki!!

About how the sun rays piercing through the sublime waters of Shnongpdeng left us in awe and joy, opening up and letting free the child in all of us. The trip had been long sought after, we all had heard about the place over and over making us eager to land our feet on the sand covered riverbed. Starting of the morning in a shaky car with a reckless driver behind the wheel left each of the traveler in frenzy. Cutting through the traffic and the twisted roads from Guwahati to crossing Meghalya we reached in vicinity to the Bangladesh border in the little but guarded town of Dawki overseeing the green waters of Umngot river. As one arrives at Dawki, the presence of the Indian military can be felt easily but the whole purpose seems Ok given that Dawki is a border town. The first site of Umgot river does not seem very promising as you may find the locals involved in fishing, construction or their daily laundering business and that was one of the reasons we did not stop by to take pictures of arrival.



If you are lucky you may find something like the above picture i took from the web if not, do not worry the land ahead has more to offer as you move on.

Snuggling, making our way through the broken roads based on pieces of broken information we managed to gather from the locals due to a language barrier that exists between the travelers and the locals... we reached the rock laden river bed in Shnongpdeng village.

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Now, being true to the traveler ethics one must make a sacred pact with oneself to leave the place with great memories only but without any footprints on the place.So be ready to pack all your garbage into a bag, if not one does not deserve to cherish the beauty of a place like this.

A ride by the wooden ferry or a modern kayak can easily be uptaken to cross the river and reach the promised riverside where we stayed the night. Be informed that the night stay is deficient to any kind of electricity or any facilities uprising from its use. Lighting comes from hurricane lamps and bonfire.
Basic amenities for reliving yourself of the natures calls are well established using make shift arrangements.

The boat rides awaits.
Its easy to learns to steer these things

The nighfall





The bonfire is the camp center. Chit-chats, boiling water and
cooking, all can be done here.





















Dawki along with clear waters is also a place of clear skies. Visiting Dawki will change the night sky for you forever. Its a humbling experience to just lay back in the land an watch the night sky full of all the stars and the interstellar beyond and just be a part of the whole marvel the universe is.

Early mornings begin with gushes of cool air and cool sand beneath your feet. Trust me, the place is only for a water enthusiast and if you are one...a jump into the chilling waters will be inevitable.

A small fire can help boil the water and saves from the chilly breeze
When all is said and done for all the necessary morning rituals one must embark upon the task for which we came, "enjoy the waters"

The locals....always smiling

joy of the water....more to follow

















Look at the rivers beds while scuba diving or snorkeling.Swing across the rivers and jump from the highest points into the waters. Its simply amazing.





The beauty lies n the eyes of the beholder...but such a place has to be sacred for a traveler. Maintaining the integrity and longevity of the place is utmost...so when you are moving out..do remember to clena up the place off your footprints.