I'm back in Assam this week. Assam is part of the Northeast States and is a bit in the boonies, even for India. I flew into Guwahati and then rode 3 hours to Tezpur. When I was here in September, the rainy season was just ending and everything was bright green, muddy, or flooded. The rivers and tributaries were well outside the banks--even for monsoon season--and we saw a lot of tenement camps along the highway while people waited for the water to recede from their villages.
This trip things are browner and drier. The temperature in the day is in the upper 60's to 70's, and the dampness is all gone. It's nice to ride around the countryside in the fresh air, and at night I can see stars. People here are mellow, they're much more fit than elsewhere in India, and all the women have beautiful skin. I'll be here working (and eating well) with IIRM until Friday
When Roughing It isn't
The last time I was in Tezpur, we stayed in a hotel the travel guide described as "A tired, soulless place..." The food was good, but the description is apt. My suite (pronounced "suit") was large but mothbally and very worn. The staff was polite but also seemed somehow weighed down and vague (a byproduct of the rains?).
This time, I'm at the lovely KF Hotel Tezpur. It's brand new with Euro-ish dark wood cabinets, a flat screen TV, and a huge fluffy comforter (and I'm not even in a deluxe room!). It has a cute little departmental store with cheap Chinese imports (Barbie Uno, anyone?) and lots of snacks. The only downside is that they serve crappy machine-made Nestea instead of brewing Assamese tea properly, and my sambar was tepid. Free breakfast or not, I may have to venture elsewhere tomorrow. I mean--seriously--how can you screw up tea or sambar in INDIA?
Just because Tezpur translates to 'blood city' is no cause to worry
I JOGGED OUTSIDE TODAY! I was able to go running for forty glorious minutes before work this morning, along the highway (size: American 2-lane) through town. It's not too dusty here compared to Bangalore, and the only motor vehicles at that hours are a few trucks, buses, and Army caravans. I jogged pass the guys with AK's, the bicycle rickshaws, and the kids waiting for school in relative safety, especially since every morning from 3-7 AM, the army sweeps the area with dogs to guards against roadside explosive devices [insert soft "whump" as Mom passes out reading that phrase].
Assam experiences frequent signs of political instability--strikes, riots, and the occasional bombing. However, I'm a) near a city (5km), and b) right down the road from the Commandant's house, so I'm pretty safe. The army "sanitizes" the highway for at least 5KM on either side of his house--perfect for a short run!
It's so much nicer when the most common vehicle is a bicycle. I got stared at a bit, but I was less of a draw than some guy net fishing. In fact, I got far more weird looks when I went running in Greece and Turkey (though I don't run in a cowboy hat here).
3 years ago
