Come 5.30 pm, and my feet would itch. My fingers would involuntarily start going faster on the keyboard. Whether or not my work was done, I would leave my desk by 5.45 pm, change into some comfy clothes, grab my backpack, and I was ready to roll.

Since I am not a morning person, evenings were very important to me in Shillong. In April 2022, the sun would be setting in another half and hour, just in time for me to have a glimpse at it one last time as I stepped outside for the day.

And Shillong, as I felt every single day, rewarded the walks. The sights, the smells, the scenes, the sounds – I would give up anything to fill my senses again. I discovered something new almost every other day during my 19-day stay in this beautiful, ever-so-changing capital city of Meghalaya.

The Ja and Cha Shops

For most of you this is going to sound like a strange combination but the ubiquitous Ja and Cha Shops are the soul of Shillong and the rest of Meghalaya. Ja is rice and Cha is tea. You can always stop by for a plate of rice served with some meat/beef and a cup of tea.

So sometimes I had Ja.

Other times it was Cha.

European architecture

My eyes just never got tired of the magnificence of the architecture spread all across the city. I remember cutting corners while Walking just to check if I had missed seeing any nice houses along the way. Many Assamese call it ‘Assam-style’ houses, but clearly the built is heavily European.

I would show some of these pictures to my local friends marvelling at the beauty, and they would be like – ‘oh you have seen nothing, there’s more.’

The detailing on the window panes, the thoughtfully planted flowers, amid their daily paraphernalia was all a sight to behold.

Never a dull moment

There are murals, cute road-side bakeries, the weather, the flowers. Walking in Shillong is like watching a good movie.

And ofcourse there were dumplings, and the smell of great food.

Food is cheap in Shillong. You can get momos in Rs 30. There are road-side Korean cafes too, if you love some K-drama.

The weather creates new hues every single day.

Post sunset views in Shillong are to die for.

Shillong is huge on berries too.

Their love for music and dance is infectious.

You are never alone

As I have said in my earlier blogs, Shillong has an active walking culture. As a result, you never feel alone. I have walked to my apartment at night without feeling eerie becuase there’s always enough people around walking home.

Shillong is calling everyone to Christ

A state with a whopping 75% of the population practising Christianity, what’s the need of calling people to Christ? And so you would think. Yet, at every other corner or a square, you will see warning signs of Christ’s Second coming. The boards contain verses from Revelation (the last book of the Bible) or Isaiah (a book from the Old Testament) calling people to repent and believe in Christ.

And I will leave you with that thought.