Ride and Trek To The Living Bridge

I am inspired by the wisdom that's freely shared on Indian trucks and road signs. “Socho-Saath-Kya-Jayega” (Reflect on what you’ll take beyond this life) painted behind trucks is one of my favorites.

Then on route to the Living Roots Bridge near the Laitkynsew village I came across another gem. “Heads in Clouds – Feet Firmly on Ground” 

Its important to dream big dreams and do the hard work on the ground to see it fulfilled.

A long time ago, the villagers in the East Khasi Hills wanted to cross the flooded rivers rushing down to the Sylhet plains of Bangladesh. They could have stopped at simply dreaming about it. That’s called wishful thinking. Dreaming, but doing nothing about it. Or worse, waiting for someone else to make it happen for you. 

Where clouds get distilled into wild waterfalls

Back then, the world only knew stone and wooden bridges. Wooden bridges would rot and stone bridges would have been washed away even if they managed to build one. That’s called a crisis. Crisis is an opportunity to innovate.

The Khasi villagers imagined something no one had ever done before. They decided to use the stem roots of the Indian rubber tree and train them over 20-25 years to form the living bridge. That’s called giving roots to your dreams so that not just you but your entire village benefits. 

Turns out, even 200 years later, Meghalaya is the only place on earth to boast of the living roots bridge's. And I was about to check one of the eleven out!

The receptionist at the Cherrapunji Holiday Resort located at the Laitkynsew village graciously offered to call up a guide for me. For Rs.400 I had the invaluable help and insight of Fredrick who took me down the steep 2 km's trek (1 hour walk)

10,000 steps to paradise!

And along the way I realized how unfit I was. I promised that I will not delude myself into believing that riding for hundreds of km’s is making me any fitter. I need to take care of my health if I want to keep riding and exploring my beautiful India.The Living Root Bridge was worth the stiff knee and soar muscles. It was beyond what I had imagined! It was like a surreal and timeless translucent cave made out of multiple shades of green.

The symphony of the jungle cicadas, the gurgling river and the rustling leaves were too heady a mix for my already weak knees. 

So much beauty...you start to levitate!

The only logical way to take in the entire vibe was by sitting in the cool water and chilling for an hour. 

Having already had a meal at the exceptional 'Orange Roots' Vegetarian Restaurant in Sohra, I decided to skip lunch and headed straight to Shillong. Or maybe I was feeling conscious about how I tend to overeat on such trips. Either way, I was happy to get back to riding after such an exhilarating trek. 

The final treat came in the form of this sunset that was like everything I had seen on this ride, unusual, unique and exquisite. 

Next: The Menchuka Ride - Arunachal Pradesh