For Interactive map go Here Link for the album with photos of Delhi - 1985 - 1987. trip is given below
This album shared from the main album 1988-9ALBUM.5/88-5/90.@
After the course, we were posted to Shillong.
Knowing we won't be able to come to this part of the world in near future. We decided to visit our relatives in Mumbai Pune before proceeding to Shillong.
While planning for this trip was on, I was also discussing with W/C Bajwa about sending our luggage to Shillong. Plans for the hiring of a truck and when to dispatch the luggage were discussed.
After calculating the joining time, we finalised the dates for Our journey as well as for dispatch of the luggage.
Due to some spadework by us or maybe HQ, EAC had informed CDM that those posted to Command after the course will have to stay at Peak where 509 SU was based as no married accommodation was available at Hq EAC which was located almost 1000 to 1500 feet below and about 4-6 KM by hilly road.
We packed our luggage. All ready for loading in the truck. Luggage which was to go with us on the trip as well as on train journey from Hyderabad to Shillong was kept separate.
It was a finely tuned plan. There was a gap of only two days between our return from the trip loading of the truck and the commencement of the journey to Shillong.
We returned from the Mumbai Pune trip to an empty and fully packed house. There were still two days to go before we loaded the truck and boarded the train. For these two days, we had all our meals in RSI which was just across the road.
On the appointed date everything worked like a dream. The truck came at the promised time. When it reached our house it was already loaded with luggage of three officers Bajwa and two Army Officers. All going to Shillong. I could not see how our luggage can be loaded in a truck, which to us appeared already full. They opened the tailboard hooked the thick steel cables to hold it in place and loaded our luggage in whatever place was in left the truck and on the tailboard. After properly securing the load and putting a tarpaulin the truck departed.
Transport to take us to the railway station had also arrived.
After sending the truck, we got in the transport and left for the railway station.
Bye-bye 279/3 Allenby Lines.
We had some wonderful times there.
Reached Hyderabad Railway Station well in time to catch our train to Howrah.
Howrah station.
At Howrah, we had to wait for 48 hours as our connecting train to Gauhati was after 48 hours.
On enquiry at MCO Howrah came to know that there was a Sainik Aramgrah at the end of platform no 6. Went there and got a room and settled down.
When I was going around the station saw that there was a State Bank of India Branch at the station. Due to a welcome event, that branch and the kind-hearted Branch Manager will be fondly remembered forever.
It happened so.
Because we had planned trip to Mumbai - Pune and as long journey to Shillong was involved. I had drawn advance on posting and advance of pay. Now I do not remember the total amount I had. All the money was handed over to Priti. Being the good financial manager that she is, she made out different envelopes for Pune, Mumbai, Secunderabad, train, Gauhati and finally for Shillong. Each envelope contained money that was allocated for that place/purpose etc.
Somewhere along, with the passage of time, we realised that one of the hundred Re note was slightly torn. Shopkeepers and vendors were not accepting it. At that time it did not ring any alarm bells or cause us any concern as we kept the torn note away and took out one note from other envelopes.
By the time we reached Howrah Station, to add to the torn note, our spending slightly exceeded what we had planned. We had to dip in and take out maybe two notes from Gauhati/Shillong envelope. At Howrah Station, we were left only with two one hundred Rupee notes one of which was that torn note.
As we had to travel from Gauhati to Shillong in a taxi, and we did not know exactly what would be the charges, we were loath to take out any more money from the remaining envelope. In fact, we could not afford to do that.
After reaching Howrah with 48 hours wait, I tried to give the torn note to every trader, vendor, cooli, Chaiwala, coffeewala etc without any success. So effectively We had only 100 Re. I was worried.
It was at such a time that saw State Bank Branch at the station. When I saw this SBI branch at the railway station, desperate that we were, I marched into the Manager's Office. Explained our predicament and presented him with the torn 100 rupee note. He was a very good fellow & gave me a brand new crisp 100 Re note. I thanked him profusely and ran all the way to Sanik Aramgrah to give this very good news to Priti who was very very worried and close to tears.
Her smile on realising that we now had all of 200 was worth all the gold in the world.
We had gone on an Andaman Nicobar Trip in January 2015.
Ajeet & co travelled to Calcutta by air. We did Calcutta l trip by train. we had rendezvoused at Calcutta.
Did Andaman trip and on return to Calcutta Ajeet & co returned to Delhi.
At Howrah Station, we saw the state Bank Of India's Branch. It brought back a flood of memories. And story of 100 Re note. After my return, I had written about this incident in my blog on 01Feb 15. To see the blog go here.
Victoria Memorial.
After exchanging the torn hundred rupee note we were better off.
With that, now princely sum of 200 Re we decided to do a little bit of sightseeing.
Went by tram and Metro to Victoria memorial.
That was our first experience with Metro.
It was also the first time that Ajeet Anuj and seen escalators. They had whale of a time going up on the escalator and coming down by stairs and going up again. There were plenty of other kids doing the same :-) Finally, we had to drag them away from the escalators!
By the time we reached Victoria Memorial, it was evening and getting dark. It did not make much difference as the building itself was well lit inside and out.
It is white Marble and of very grand design with lots of beautiful statues.
Extract if information about Victoria Memorial from Wikipedia is given in mapograph
Guwahati Railway Station.
Now, do not remember what time we reached Guwahati nor how much the taxi fellow charged us for the journey from Guwahati Railway Station to Air Force Station at peak.
Shillong.
By the time we reached Shillong, it was getting late and quite dark. We thought it would be better if we had something to eat before we reached Peak. Our driver took us to the bus stand at Shillong. We did not see any restaurant, but there were lots of huts/shacks serving food. Mainly rice, dal and vegetable. We settled in front of one of the shacks and had the fare on offer. The best part of this dinner was that it was well within the budget of extremely limited money left with us.
By the time we finished dinner, it was night. The sky had become overcast and started raining hard with very strong winds. After dinner left for the peak.
The road had a lot of hairpin bends and climbed steeply.
SP 110/4, Peak.
After dinner started for Peak and our house.
By the time our taxi, loaded with luggage had started the final climb to the peak, night had already fallen. It was raining, accompanied by strong winds. Maybe half a kilometre or so short of sub guard room, the road was totally blocked as due to rain and high winds, a huge tree had fallen across the road. Took small items of luggage and started walking to the guard room. The taxi driver was a decent fellow. He also picked up a couple of items. Walking through the drizzle in pitch darkness at an unknown place was something we are not likely to forget.
At guard room, men were very cooperative. The orderly officer was contacted. Transport and manpower were organized. I took the transport up to the roadblock. Taxi with our luggage was on the other side of the fallen tree. Luggage from the taxi was carried across the roadblock to transport. Finally, after a couple of hours of delay due to a fallen tree, we finally reached SP 110.
Our house was the last on the road before it took a U-turn and went to the houses located behind our row of houses.
At the beginning of the turn, a footpath went straight ahead and led from the road to small Khasi village with few hutments. This footpath was in regular use by the locals who seemed to have free access to the road.
Our House had four fireplaces. Twice a month a contractor’s truck used to dump around three tons of bituminous coal by the roadside in front of our block. It was supposed to be used in fireplaces. The truckload was for all four houses. It was a big operation carting our coke to the first floor. The main effort was by the maidservant but everyone pitched in. We were amazed to see that even though locals passed by the dumped coal they never ever pilfered even a single piece. Hats off to their honesty and moral values.
Lighting fireplaces and heating up the house by fireplaces was also a totally novel experience. Never repeated after that.
There was no KV at Peak. Ajeet Anuj went down to KV located at EAC. They commuted in a mini-coach. By the time they returned it was fairly late.
I used to scooter down for work. It was normal for all the EAC officers staying at peak and so was taken in stride
From the terrace of the house and even standing by the roadside, we had an uninterrupted view across the gently rolling hills as far as the eye could see. The sight of endless lush green rolling hills was totally out of this world. An experience of a lifetime.
We were told that close to the sub guard room, there was a very scenic spot from where one could have a fantastic view of Shillong. It was called Shillong view Point. Further on, the road passed very close to Liatkor Peak.
There was no TV in those days. There were no smartphones.
Every opportunity we had we went to Shillong viewpoint. Went climbing the Liatkor Peak. Even explored the countryside around Khasi village next to our house.
The term “Quality time” was not coined then. But we can confidently say that not only at Peak but even at Upper Shillong we did spend such marvellous “quality time” which today’s generation cannot even imagine.
