As our plane was making a descent into Guwahati, I immediately fell in love. I saw the rusty corrugated metal roofing housing small brick adobes. The palm trees were as abundant as the lush green fields. The moment I stepped off the plane, I began to feel a nostalgic feeling towards Africa. The slightly warm humid air carried a very distinct mix of smells that I can only relate to my sub-Saharan Africa days. It consists of a combination of car exhaust, burnt rubber, cattle in the streets, and sweat from those working outside. Sounds ridiculous I know, but that’s the unique combination I have only found here in Guwahati and in Shirati. My local taxi driver took me on a 30 minute venture from the airport, so small it seems incredulous that they even land jet planes there, down the local roads. As the dirt from the road blew into my hair and face, I again felt like I was in Shirati riding the roads and looking out the windows. The difference is that Guwahati has a bit more stores, brand names circulating, paved roads, and larger population. The paved roads still contained pedestrians, goats, cows, rickshaws, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and trucks. The familiarity of seeing tons of street vendors selling produce, nuts, snacks from small little huts is almost comforting. I am so enthralled by everything I see, I have my point-and-shoot in hand snapping away. Probably better than looking at the actual road ahead because whenever I did, it seemed like we would get into a lot of close calls with pedestrians, goats, motorcycles, and other vehicles. I did look up when we stopped real short to just miss a motorcyclist. Gotta keep in my mind that the largest yet unpublicized cause of tourist death are car accidents – especially in India.
I notice the brand advertisements prevalent here. Tata is virtually everywhere – it’s a car brand, a dealership, truck logo, mobile phone company, and some other industries. I see how Tata is a billionaire controlling so many industries and how he made this Operation Smile center in Guwahati possible. I also see logos of Pepsi, some Coca Cola, Vodafone, and other mobile companies. We whiz past children playing cricket, baseball, and some soccer. I have a huge urge to just hop out and hang out with locals at the markets and fields which become increasingly more sparse as the ride continues into the city center. I can’t help but notice how beautiful the sun is here, just like Delhi. Sunrises/sunsets are things that awe me just about anywhere…it looks so different in CA, FL, Africa, etc but the same sun looks so incredible. My taxi passes by the Brahmaputra river, I feel a sense of wonder to see such a historic and important body of water. As we near the bazaar area where my hotel, Dynasty Hotel, is located, there is a bizarre (homonym haha) mix of upscale buildings like a Volksawagen dealer next to literal shacks or clothing stores next to produce stands, very strange indeed. I also sort of wonder, judging by the buildings and environment, how nice could this hotel actually be. As we keep driving, the rural and suburban scenes disappear into hundreds of small shacks and gradually larger buildings including a fancy VW dealership. I get to hotel, its good, a bit old and musty but quite nice compared to the living structures during my 30 min. taxi ride. The bathroom reminds me of Tanzania, it’s a shower and toilet in one. So fortunate that there is running water and warm water too (thinks back to many a cold shower in Africa)! My room has a fantastic view on the 7th floor that overlooks the area, a completely urban environment with a bustling streetview and multi-story buildings around. I can see down on the streets and on rooftops where women wash clothes and a little boy is practicing his karate or perhaps dance moves.
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