Riding to Mawsynram: The Wettest Place on Earth Didn't Rain on Us

They say that Mawsynram is the wettest place on Earth. Is it though? Because our trip tells a completely different story. I mean I don’t want to start the story of our trip by sh*ttalking the place. We did find rain, just not where we expected it.

She got up way too excited that morning. And why wouldn’t she? It was her first motorcycle trip. That too to Meghalaya, a place close to our heart. If I could, I would have given you a flashback like in the movies. I would have shown you how two hearts connected over mountains, waterfalls, clouds, and rain. But I did not expect the same rain would wreck her excitement.

It started raining early that morning. She was ready and all set. I was convinced that there was no chance of weather getting better. But she gave me this weird logic - “Rain will stop around 9 o’clock because that’s when people leave for their work”.

I did what every man would do. I went back to sleep and told her I would get up when it stopped. And surprisingly, it stopped exactly at 9. I loaded the bag on the bike, and we started our journey. It started drizzling near Umiam Lake, nothing that a rain jacket could not handle. However, once we crossed Bara Bazar, rain disappeared. It was pleasant weather for a road trip. No rain, no sun, just a few clouds hovering over our heads.

I have driven a lot in the mountains, but riding a motorcycle made me realize what I was missing. The curves, the scenic roads, and the constant ballet of changing gears and throttle kept me engaged with the ride.

I wanted to explore a few places in Mawsynram. Did you know that Mawsynram has the world’s longest sandstone cave? I didn’t either. We were already racing against time due to the late start. So, I was not sure how many places we would be able to explore. Also, we couldn’t book any homestay online as this place is not that touristy.

It took us four hours to finally reach Mawsynram. The first thing on our to-do list was to find a place to stay. After checking out a few options, we found a decent homestay. We lost around an hour in this process. By then it was already around 3 in the afternoon. So, we decided to head out, explore a few places nearby and watch the sunset.

Watching the sunset made me forget how tired I was from the ride. The rays reflecting off the white clouds were a sight to behold.

We had a good night’s sleep and were fresh and energetic the next morning. We checked out of the homestay and decided to return to Shillong. We didn’t want to, but we had to. Why? Because it was a Sunday, and every shop, every restaurant was closed in Mawsynram. Even our homestay owner informed us that they wouldn’t be able to provide us with lunch since everyone in the village was at church.

I was okay with returning early, since it would allow me to ride back slowly and enjoy the scenic roads. The morning was sunny and the sky was clear. We stopped at a waterfall on our way back to click some pictures. Stopped again to pick up a beer bottle lying by the roadside. I mean, c’mon, who does that?

The return journey was way more fun. Even the Mrs seemed to enjoy it more than the first day. She told me that now she wanted to do a motorcycle trip to Arunachal Pradesh. Even I would like to, but I’m not sure if my good ol’ Classic will make it that far.

One thing is for sure: I’m in love with Mawsynram. And I can’t wait to go back again.

P.S. Meet my cute friend from Mawsynram.