Guwahati was certainly not my favourite place on this trip. I’d just spent almost a month in North East exploring Nagaland and Ziro to meet the Konyak and Apatani peoples. In just a few hours on a sleeper train, the cool mountain weather and verdant rice paddies gave way to the urban grit and extreme summer heat of the largest city in Assam. It was chaotic, hot, noisy, and unforgiving in every way. After a month of peace, I simply wasn’t ready for Guwahati. Nevertheless, it was India and nothing will stop me from exploring India.
Did I mention it was hot? The only times the heat was bearable were the early mornings and late evenings when the sun was close to the horizon. For the rest of the day, the sun beat down on your head and the pavement sent it back under your chin. Pro tip: If you’re in India and the locals are lounging about sweating in the shade, head inside.
Despite the heat, I was determined to see what life was like in this city and spent these cooler times exploring the streets and meeting a handful of curious people. Guwahati is usually a stopover for tourists visiting the tea fields or reserves of Assam. Very few people stay, so the locals were certainly curious as to why I was there. As always, though, a few cups of hot chai down the hatch assured my fellow humans I meant no harm and a warm welcome was always forthcoming. Here are a few frames from my couple of days there before flying out.
