Kohima - Nagaland
I left Dimapur with a shared taxi on a bypass road, which later became a two-lane road and made its way up to Kohima. Kohima, with its 200,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Nagaland and is located at an altitude of 1444 meters. From up here, it is a random and haphazard collection of concrete blocks, representing the ugly modern architecture. With temperatures of 20 degrees during the day and 8 degrees at night, I was expecting cool nights. However, in my wonderful family-owned "Maple Homstay" with Chisti and Xabi, I lacked nothing. That is, good food, hot showers, 3 blankets on the bed, and, not to be underestimated, the evening fireplace. Here, it means that as long as the fire is out when you enter the house, you put on your jacket and hat.
Khonoma - Nagaland
I took the nearest taxi driver and asked him to take me to Khonoma, which is 15 km away. However, this journey ended 5 km before the village because the road was closed for the next 4 hours. The reason was, and for me, it was a bit surreal up here, a rally. But that didn't stop me. I told the driver to pick me up in Khonoma at around 4 pm, and I would walk. So, I set my feet in the dust and walked. Just after 15 meters, someone from behind yelled at me to leave the road and walk behind the barrier tape. What a comedian, there wasn't even enough space to walk behind the tape because there was either a gutter or the side of the road was ending and the slope was rising. So, undeterred, I switched back to the roadside and kept walking. After a few minutes, it was time to take cover again. I could hear the cars approaching from a distance, racing around the curve and shooting past me with a deafening noise. Every time, I was completely covered in dust.
After about 2 hours, I reached the beautiful little village of Khonoma, which is actually quite idyllic. Unfortunately, the rally cars roaring in the distance over the next few hours spoiled the whole atmosphere here. I strolled through the village and admired the beautiful surrounding landscape, mountains, and rice terraces. At 4 pm sharp, my taxi driver was at the agreed meeting point.
Khomima Museum or notI took another taxi to the other end of the city. Here was the Nagaland Museum, but I could have saved the 400 rupees, as the gate was closed. They could have told me that too, so I could throw my money down the hill. Feeling a bit humiliated, I walked the 7 km back.
Hornbill Festival Ground
I did get to learn a bit about the culture the next day when Xabi drove me to the Hornbill Festival Ground and told me a bit about Nagaland. Afterwards, we visited an old village off the tourist route, and on the way back, Xabi bought rice beer in a shabby neighborhood, which we enjoyed by the fireplace on the last evening.
