Me, an Indian, Keralite/Malayali, living in Mumbai as a True Mumbaikar for the last 37 years use to travel to so many places in India and some foreign countries, along with my life partner, (dont get confused, my legally wedded wife of 32 years) and daughter.
Now, as my daughter is married and is in Bengaluru, along with her spouse, I & my partner have planned a trip for two of us, post my 60th birthday and on our 32nd Wedding Anniversary period, to Indias North East States, which we never visited. The trip was from to
I would like to narrate our experiences in a Diary Style. (This is my first blog, so there may be mistakes galore, hope the reader will excuse me. Not only my travel details, about the thing I see, some of my personal thoughts, my view point in certain issues, etc. up in this writing. These are my personal thoughts, all readers are requested not to feel offended on something, you may write to me, good or bad, it may help to change my views.)
to Delhi with a proper breakfast in the full service airline and landed at Delhi at about 10.30 hrs. We have booked our one day stay at Delhi Ginger Hotel, owned by IRCTC and managed by the Tatas Ginger Group of Hotels, very near to the New Delhi Railway Station (Ajmeri Gate side) and a stones throw distance from the New Delhi Metro Station Exit No. 3 or 4.
We purchased 2 Delhi Metro Cards at IGI Airport Metro Station for easy unhindered travel within Delhi. It is a pleasure to travel the Delhi Airport Metro with a very lesser number of passengers, but at a high financial burden on the of the metro rail.
The Ginger IRCTC Yatri Niwas with its all self service facilities like a water filling station and ironing board at every floor, self & room service restaurant, an electric kettle in all rooms, etc. is a price worthy budget hotel, with a Tata Company style hospitality, which I enjoy.
Afternoon, we went to a relatives home at Indraprastha Extention (Patparganj) near Preet Vihar Metro Station using New Delhi- Rajiv Chowk- Mandi House- Preet Vihar (Yellow
Morning, even before breakfast, we went to visit the area of India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, etc. without the crowd. The advantage of early morning visits to the tourist places is lesser crowd and a peaceful time. We took an afternoon Air India Flight and landed at Guwahati at about 7.00 p.m. The Uber Trip to Hotel Raj Mahal, which is at a walking distance from the Guwahati Railway Station, was a ride through the dimly lit and a very little traffic road, of course, it to the brightly lit and traffic jammed roads of Amchi Mumbai. Hotel Raj Mahal is a good hotel, but, in my opinion, a little overpriced. But, the location near to railway station is a big bonus, in a city where you have to haggle with auto rickshaw drivers for even short distances too.
After a breakfast from the hotel restaurant, we started for the sightseeing of Guwahati in whatever time left for our afternoon train to Arunachal Pradesh. Here, even for a minimum distance fare, auto rickshaws are demanding Rs.100/- to Rickshaws waiting outside the hotel are
not even ready for a little bargaining. It may be a truth that they may be getting very few passengers and they have to collect a minimum amount for their survival from the very few passengers. If they charge a reasonable amount, more number of passengers will use rickshaws and their may increase. But who am I to teach them the basics of their trade?
Our first visit was to the Sukreswar Temple on M.G. Road, on the banks of the mighty Bhramaputra River. A very short walk from the river, there is an old structure named Brooks Gate or Gateway of Assam. Historical significance is that it is constructed the landing of British Viceroy, Lord North Brook, into this location, after his steamer journey from the then capital of British India, Calcutta, on is a granite plaque detailing the history of it.
