14 February 

Happy Valentine's Day to all those who are celebrating!

I always remember Valentine's day not for the 'celebration of love' day but as one of my closest friend's birthday. She was my batchmate when I joined the corporate world. We were in the same induction class and both of us being a little awkward in social interactions we kind of started gelling together. She was very intelligent and a true geek in every sense. I was not that much of a geek but still I loved her company because the other kids in the batch seemed too different from me. They were outgoing, party loving, pulling night-outs and living the best time of their life with the new found independence of staying away form home. Me on the other hand felt homesick in Mumbai being so far away form home.  Partying was never my forte not was hanging out in a large group. So I felt pretty lonely in an unknown city. This friend of mine was a localite so she was staying at her home. The very first interaction point was the food she got from home. I used to love aunty's cooking and her dabba became one of our conversation topics. Food was always an ice breaker for me, even back in the days.

From classroom, when we moved on to real projects, we became bosom buddies. We discovered there was more to us beyond our asocial construct. We enjoyed office trips, we ran an inhouse magazine for 6 months, we did many such things which was quite enriching for us. I know you might be thinking these guys are such bores, at an age where they should have partied hard, she is talking about mental enrichments. But ya, for me mental enrichment was the most fun thing to do. It also pushed me to pursue many of my creative interests. 

The most fun part of being with her was her birthday. Now she was not at all a mushy kind of person. She was very practical and straightforward person. But her birthday fell on 14th of February. You see the irony here. We thought the person who is miles away form all these lovey dovey things gets born on a day of love. And just to irk her I would wish her 'Happy Valentine's Day' first thing on the morning of 14th February, instead of wishing her 'Happy Birthday'. The expression on her face after that was priceless - just like a deer caught in front of a headlight. This became a ritual for me even after she left the organization, I left the country, she got married and I moved back to Pune. I had visited her once while in Pune, when she was about to move away to another city with her husband. Somehow after that we lost connect, as there was a lot happening at my end and her end as well. But still I so fondly remember her on each Valentine's day. Its like I cannot start this day without wishing her in my mind. I also wish that we connect back soon again someday.

Now coming back to this day - the day of love. During the college days this day used to be perceived as something special. I used to see my room mate getting loads of Valentine's day gifts from her then boyfriend who used to stay in another state. I envied her, not because she had a boyfriend, but because of the cutesy gifts she would receive. I just wished that someone would also give me some nice, cute and pink gifts someday! The die-hard romantic soul in me would overpower the logical intellectual inside. 

Valentine's day back then would mean the city being painted in red balloons, the Archie's gallery in our neighborhood giving discounts on everything, restaurants playing romantic numbers and young couples bunking classes and heading off to some amusement parks or gardens. Our college was very much like a school, so I never saw anyone in my class buking college for going on a date, but we heard about it from the other girls in our hostel. Couple giving gifts (even teddy's), dressing up on the day and hanging out together seemed like a perfect definition of love. 

Now with all these years behind me, a special day for love seems futile. If there is one thing I have realized that is a person (guy or girl) who makes you special in even small things in day to day life - like complimenting on your cooking or helping you in household chores, hearing you out on your lowest days, supporting you in achieving your dreams, or just spending time with you even amidst their busy schedules is probably what love looks like. Love is not what you put on your Instagram photos or your Facebook wall, its the one that you cant specifically pin point but its always surrounding you and cushioning you against all the hard times. You cannot take a photo of it, you can just feel it. 

For me food is also an expression of love. When I cook for my loved ones, I feel happy from within. I wanted to make strawberry scones this weekend with the beautiful strawberries I had bought a few days back. The scones are possibly the easiest things you can bake. Scones got their start as a Scottish quick bread. Originally made with oats and griddle-baked, today’s version is more often made with flour and baked in the oven. As for the origin of the word “Skone”, some say it comes from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot’, which means beautiful bread, while others argue it comes from Stone of Destiny, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned. According to Webster’s Dictionary, scones originated in Scotland in the early 1500s.

Scones became popular and an essential part of the fashionable ritual of taking tea in England when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 – 1861), one late afternoon, ordered the servants to bring tea and some sweet breads, which included scones. She was so delighted by this, that she ordered it every afternoon and what now has become an English tradition is the “Afternoon Tea Time” (precisely at 4:00 p.m.). They are still served daily with the traditional clotted cream topping in Britain.

So lets get started with these super easy strawberry scones. And don't forget to also make the delicious glaze mentioned in this recipe. It adds the right amount of zing to the taste.

Wet Ingredients:

• Half & Half  ( 1 part cream + 1 part milk) - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla Essence - 4-5 drops
• Egg - 2
• Milk (for brushing) - 2 tbsp

Ingredients for Glaze

• Icing Sugar - 1 cup
• Half & Half Milk - 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Essence- 3-4 drops

Equipment:

• Baking Tray
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Strainer
• Oven

Recipe Video:

Procedure: 

1. Line a baking tray with baking sheet. 

2. Add all the wet ingredients in a bowl ( Half & half, eggs, vanilla). Whisk them together and keep aside.

3. Now in a large mixing bowl sift the flour. Add the sugar, salt, baking powder and whisk them uniformly to incorporate the baking powder evenly.

4. Now add cold butter into the dry ingredients. 

Tip: I had cut the butter into small cubes and kept them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using them in the recipe. Super chilled butter will help the scones rise better and become fluffy. 

5. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your hands until it resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use a food processor for the same. 

6. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the chopped strawberries and gently fold in. Use your hands without putting too much pressure, mix everything together.

7. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it starts forming a dough. The dough will be a little sticky, don't worry - just try to bring everything together.

8. Now transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Form a ball first and then flatten it into a disc of about 1 inch height and 8 inch width. 

9. Using a sharp knife cut the disc into 6 or 8 equal slices. 

10. Now transfer these slices to the parchment-lined baking tray. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each scone with milk. This will ensure it having a golden top.  Sprinkle some icing sugar on top for extra crunch - this is optional. 

11. Transfer the tray to freezer for 15-30 minutes. This will help the scones raise and become flaky.

12. While the scones are getting chilled preheat your oven to 375 degree F or 190 degree C.

13. Bake the scones for about 17-20 minutes until the top starts to brown. Keep an eye on them towards the last few minutes. If they begin to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil over top to slow the browning process.

14. Remove the scones form the oven and let them cool down completely.

15. While the scones are cooling down make the glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, half & half and vanilla essence. Drizzle this glaze over the cooled scones.

Elephant Falls

We visited Meghalaya at such a time when tourism was just reopening after the long Covid shutdown. The already beautiful vistas of Meghalaya seemed more untouched with very few tourists around. 

We started Day 2 as decided but almost 30 minutes late than planned time. As mentioned in the previous blog, the plan for the day was that we would split up in 2 groups - 

• Group 1 would go for the Mawryngkhang Trek. We heard that it takes about 4 -5 hours to complete it and hence once they complete the trek they would join group 2 where ever we were at that point in time.
• Group 2 would start with Laitlum Canyon, come back to hotel for breakfast, wash and change and then proceed with the local sightseeing.

Group 1 comprised of my cousin and his mother. And the rest four of us were in Group 2. Since I was not part of group 1 hence I do not have a first hand experience of how the overall trek was. However I would jot down some of the overview from what I heard from my cousin and some nice pictures which will give you a glimpse of the terrain in the next blog in this series. 

Laitlum Canyon

Laitlum Canyon:

• Entry Fee : Rs 50 / group
• Parking Available : Yes
• Covid Document Check : No
• Mask Mandatory: No

From Harish Bali's Meghalaya video and other bloggers videos it was very apparent that Laitlum canyon looks like a paradise if you visit it in the wee hours of the morning in monsoon season. Since we were not visiting during the rains I thought that at least if we can be there by 6 AM we would be able to see some clouds in the valley. Accordingly I told the time to the group and no one seemed to be excited by it. Finally I managed them to all agree that we should be at the spot by 6.30 AM. 

But it turned out to be easier said than done. Group 2 started from the hotel at around 6.15 AM. By that time Group 1 was still waiting for their car. It took us around 30-35 minutes to Laitlum Canyon. We went straight from our hotel following the main road, across the circle crossing the entire market which was looking sleepy. People in Shillong are pretty early risers, we would see joggers and morning walkers as early as 5 AM on the streets, even when the light would not come up. Especially you would see lot of youngsters running on the street in the morning. With almost zero traffic at that hour and good roads with various gradients, its a very good natural cardio that one gets. 

There is something about Meghalaya that makes you wake up early. Maybe because its in further east which brings the dawn pretty early. Or maybe it was the sheer excitement of being able to travel after such a long and trying year made us wake up sharp at 5 AM everyday during those 9 days. I for one, who doesn't wake up before 7 on usual days would beat the alarm every single day! And it gave us so much more time to enjoy the day.

View from the parking space

Walk down the paved path towards the canyon

Landscape keeps changing throughout on the way to Laitlum. From city limits to meadows, low-lying pastures and quaint towns would keep you company. Almost 10 km from our hotel we came across a small village which I believe is known as Smit village. Time stands still here and technology doesn't seem to have permeated yet into the lives of these simple villagers. Traditional Khasi houses, wicker fences, fields of crops, little children playing on the road (because hardly there were any vehicles on the road apart form our car at that time), ladies and men pushing a unique looking trolley to carry water and other amenities. We even saw a small boy pushing a trolley with water. Since it was a Sunday and a Mass day so we also saw many Khasi villagers dressed up in their traditional attire walking towards the village church with their kids tagging along.

If you love the virgin air of early morning and like to get lost among the vastness of nature then definitely visit Laitlum canyon. This beautiful untouched secret of a place lies about 30 km from Shillong. Laitlum Canyons literally translates to “end of hills” and it does justice to its name. A paved concrete way leads you on towards the canyon.

Once you reach there you will see there is a designated parking space for the cars and bikes. We got out of the car as our driver found a parking spot. The first feel was - this is what infinity would look like! We couldn't see the vantage view of canyons from the parking, but we could already feel the boundlessness. The view form this side looks very pretty with undulating layers of hills covered in greens waking up to the sun. As we started walking towards the main area we saw the hill top is a vast area surrounded by fields and meadows, with just a couple of houses/tea-snacks shop on top of the hill.

While driving to Laitlum, our driver had shared a lot of stories about his film shooting crew experience at this place. He told us about the time Rock On 2 crew was here and shooting on the canyons. he also told that recently Ayushman Khurana was here for a month shooting for his upcoming film. He used to take him in his car to Laitlum and other places. After hearing this story I again checked out which part of Rock On was shot here as I had not watched the part 2. It seemed they had created a stage on the edge of the canyon for a song shoot. Frankly speaking once I knew it was shot here it felt oxymoronic. I could not believe such a concert stage tearing through the tranquility of this place which was the main asset. 

We kept walking towards the canyon, it was like a 2-3 minute walk. As expected by the time we reached there was not even a spot of cloud anywhere. The sun was high in the sky and the grassland looked more yellowish at this time of the year. I could only imagine how pretty it might look during the rains with lush green rolling grasslands.

Laitlum Canyon is also known as the amphitheater of Meghalaya and rightly so. You feel like crying out - "I am on the top of the world!" once you reach the ledge of the canyon. The breathtaking gorges and steep winding stairways that snake their way down to the lush valley makes you feel like a speckle in the landscape. You feel miniscule taking in the all encompassing nature around.   There is a small viewpoint created at short gaps where you can stand and have a look down the deep valleys and gorges. You can see a serpentine silver river snaking through the forest land below. Though the sun was up it was very windy and cold. We saw a few families had got some food and tea and were enjoying their food on the grassland. There were cleaning ladies deployed as far as our eyes could reach to pick up stray litters. It is really impressive to see how cautiously the people in Meghalaya maintain the cleanliness of the places everywhere and not just at the 'Asia's cleanest village - Mawlynnong'. 

We learnt that a long, narrow  and steep flight of stone stairs snake through the edge of the Laitlum canyon to the tiny hamlet of Rasong. It is the only route form this village to the nearest market, has almost 3000 stairs and takes almost 5 hours for the hike. There is a rope rope-way from the top to the village, which supplies the urgent needs to the village. It is only meant for goods transportation and not human.

While my mother and granny waited at one of the viewpoints, me and my uncle made way along the fenced ledge deeper into the canyon grassland. I must say even though it looks pretty flat at a glance but it is not so. There are places where you need to cross some kind of a thin stream and it can become tricky. Also the land is very uneven at places and if you are not used to hiking, you might even feel shortness of breath after a while. This especially happens when the weather is cold and you struggle to breath in the cold air during a brisk walk. We kept going for some time and saw a patch of potato plants. I never knew how a potato plant looks but my uncle being a specialist in this area pointed out to me to take a note of those pretty plants. We had been seeing them even on our way towards Laitlum at many places. Small plants with pretty white flowers planted in rows very abruptly in a patch on the grassland. have a look at these pretty things below in the photo series. 

Potato Flower

Potato Plants

Potato Farming Patch

Village of Rasong at max zoon form my camera

A playground (?) beside the village

We spent some more time navigating through the terrain until we decided to walk back. We had a packed itinerary today and wanted to be back to our hotel by breakfast time. After getting some more pretty photos of the place we left for our hotel. On our way back we saw a group of bikers coming towards the canyon. The group even had lady bikers. Some more construction was happening at one side of the canyon and it seemed they were coming up with some staying options and washroom facility. 

Tips: 

• Visit the canyon as early as possible in the morning e.g. 5 AM to view the sleeping clouds or before 5 PM when the clouds again start settling down in the valley
• This place is best visited during the monsoon when it is stunning in green
• If you are carrying snacks or food, do not litter the grounds. There are trash bins placed at places, put your trash in designated bins only

We reached our hotel and decided to meet directly at the breakfast table. We had got information that the other group had already begun their trek to Mawryngkhang and almost half way done. So we anticipated they would be able to meet us pretty soon at some of the next viewpoint we were planning to go to.

The breakfast was served at the rooftop restaurant in Poinisukh. It was a buffet breakfast comprising of the very standard menu like - breads, sandwiches, fruits, cakes, tea/coffee, eggs, puri - subzi and some south Indian options like vada, idlis and chutneys. Unfortunately by the time we reached the place the previous group had already wiped the vadas clean and the hotel informed that they would not be repeating the vadas. I felt the south Indian menu was the best in the whole spread. We finished a nice breakfast and then headed for our next destination. The plan for the day was to do as many local sightseeing as possible. The original plan was like the below: 

• Elephant falls
• Umiam Lake
• Shillong View Point
• Don bosco museum
• Bara Bazar & Police Bazar
• Churches of Shillong

However we had already done Umiam lake the day before. So that was out. And as expected, our driver intervened in deciding the locations. He said Shillong view point was closed due to covid restrictions ( we didn't argue with him because there was no point). After this I simply submitted to his judgement and let him plan the day for us. The first place he took us was the Mary Help of Christians Cathedral. 

Mary Help of Christians Cathedral (both levels)

The first few things you notice about the church is the pretty powder blue color, Gothic style of architecture and how huge the place is. This church is located in the Laitumkhrah itself and was like a 5 minute drive from our hotel. This is a Roman Catholic Church and also known as the Cathedral Catholic Church. Dedicated to mother Mary, the Cathedral Church of Mary Help of Christians was built by the Germans in 1913. According to history, the construction of the present shrine was built after the first church got destroyed due to a fire accident in 1936. It got the status of a shrine in 1980, on completion of the Catholic Church's 100 years in North East India. This church falls under Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong and is the principal place of worship of about 3,00,000 strong Catholics of Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

The church is built on a sort of high plateau and one has to take a steep short flight of steps or a gradient to reach it. The beautiful church has two levels. Each level had a church. While the lower level is a small chapel that has a prayer hall and is filled with candles and prayer books, the upper level is a huge cathedral with big seating capacity. The upper level church seemed to be for the elite and higher class while the smaller chapel was housing the tribes of this area and less well off class. The church has high arches and stained glass windows which add to its grandeur. 

Second Level - Main Church

Garden in the second level

Since it was a Sunday and a mass day, we saw people dressed in their Sunday best waiting in a queue to get into the church. We also saw a board by the entrance to the church which said tourists not allowed inside. Maybe because of it being a mass day, the restrictions on tourist was in force or maybe because of the pandemic the entrance was restricted to outsiders - I am not sure of the reason here. So we didn't try to go in but just walked around. There is a small garden outside where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere. We could hear the choir inside playing. People were dressed so well it appeared they were here for some high class party. We even saw ladies in LBDs and gents sporting their best suits. The upper level has a huge parking area. There are a few buildings surrounding the parking area, one of which was a bookshop/ souvenir shop. We spent some time in the open area and then headed back. There were beautiful poinsettia blossoming in the garden which added a sharp red contrast to the otherwise muted landscape.

Before getting into the car we heard that the other group has completed their trek and will be heading back soon. We gave them our next coordinate which was going to be Elephant Falls and asked them to directly meet us there.

Poinsettia blossoming in the garden of the Church

Elephant Falls

Stairs going down towards 2nd level

Traditional Baskets made into litter bins

The bridge at the second level

Light & Shade on water

Level 2 waterfall

As the name suggests this waterfall has 3 different levels and each level has a different beauty. The third and last level is the most pretty one. We visited on the last day of October and still the falls had good amount of water. I could only imagine how much more prettier it would look during the monsoon. While the first level of the falls can be easily reached by going down about 20-25 steps, the second and the third levels are much more difficult to navigate as the steps are tall and steep. Its almost 100 more steps down to the final level after the first level. Litter bins are available all over the trail so make sure you are not unnecessarily littering the place.

3rd level

Boating at the 3rd level

Our adventures for Day 2 will be continued in my next Meghalaya blog. Till then stay tuned and if you haven't already checked out the other three blogs in this series do check the links at the end of this blog.

Important Takeaways from this part:

1. If you plan to visit Laitlum Canyon, then make sure you reach there by 5 AM max or come in the evening time just before sunset. 

2. Laitlum feels the best in monsoon.

3. You can also hire local taxis for half or full day sightseeing in and around Shillong.

4.  If you are planning to trek down to the Rasong village, do carry water and snacks as there are no shops around the area.

5. Elephant Falls is a must visit place. Till Level 1 everyone can walk down. Level 2 & 3 are pretty steep and not recommended for people having any kind of mobility issues. Ample seating is available at Level 1, if you want to sit and enjoy.

6. Carry a small bottle of water with you when you walk up and down the levels, you will feel dehydrated with the tedious climb. 

7. Refill your bottles with the aquaguard placed at the entrance of the 1st level. The aquaguard is fed by the mountain water, is super chilly and tastes wonderful. 

8. Wear good shoes, especially if you are going there during the rains. The steps might become slippery.

9. Paddle boating facility available at the 3rd and lowest level of the falls. You are however not allowed to go into the water for a swim.

10. Trash bins are available everywhere in Meghalaya viewpoints, so try not to litter any spot you visit.

11. Pay and use washroom facility is available at Elephant Falls. We did not see a functional washroom at Laitlum.

12. Ample parking space available both at Laitlum and Elephant Falls. 

13. Food/snacks facility is available at both the spots.

14. Mask is mandatorily used within Shillong city limits but in both the viewpoints we didn't see people wearing masks and it was safe. 

To be continued in Next Part 

Other posts in this series:

• Meghalaya Trip Summary
• Meghalaya Travelogue - Day 1 (Part 1) - Umroi Airport, Umiam Lake
• Meghalaya Travelogue - Day 1 (Part 2) - Umiam Lake, Shillong, Laitumkhrah, Police Bazar