Siaha Celebrity

On Monday we plan to leave as we head "home" to Aizawl in two or three legs; being Mizoram, though, everything will be closed on Sunday so our priority this morning was to get travel booked.

Plan "A" was take a Sumo to about half way, the town of Lunglei, then helicopter back to the city. But how to book the helicopter... We're so used to Internet for, at the very least, information, and ideally online booking. For this service there isn't even an up to date timetable online, no working contact number or email address, so we stolled up to the heliport after breakfast knowing there was a flight due.

All was locked but we could easily bypass the gate and enjoyed the view for a while until passengers started showing up - still no staff. The first passenger was Siaha's chief of police heading home to Aizawl; at least we had confirmation the flight was expected. Interesting chat and, of course, photos. 

When the "caretaker" did show, he couldn't book tickets, nor did he have a phone number, instead suggesting we contact Dr Pallai, our friend in Aizawl who is from Siaha originally. 

Ah well. Walked back to the Lodge and contacted Dr Pallai's nephew, Dixon, who was keen to take us for a tour today. 

Dr Pallai seems wholly revered here. We met him on our first trip to Mizoram quarter of a century ago when he was a senior government doctor and put us up while we worked at the local special school. Now retired he is very involved in health education, especially HIV. His name is certainly a door-opener! 

Our day out with Dixon and his friend involved driving up to the ridge overlooking the town to a park in the forest; the park was closed but the views fabulous. There are a couple of crosses constructed up there and a viewing tower in appalling condition - climbing the crumbling steps we feared collapse and the guard rails were half destroyed. 

In Scotland, towns and villages are not on the hills and ridges for obvious reasons. Mizoram is the opposite with defendable positions being most important and weather clement year round. We drove on to a sleepy village famous for strawberries, unfortunately we were a month too late, but we did try some strawberry juice... then we realised it was well fermented and very rough wine! Mizoram is a dry state officially, as Dixon said "In name only".

I was impressed with the butcher's shop. 

Back down the rough track which passed for a road we saw a school trip had possessed the tower - terrifying!

One stop on the way down to Rachel's farm, mostly bananas, potatoes and a fish pond in progress. 

Lunch in town then off to try and sort travel. 

We called on a pastor whose wife might have had access to helicopter bookings; she couldn't help, but it turned out that the pastor had trained at Serampore College at the time Jenny was growing up there and had known her parents well. 

Our walk continued through the Saturday market and we bought tomatoes and satsumas before booking our Sumo for Monday morning. 

Our guides were very keen to visit the chief minister of the region but it's really getting slightly embarrassing how so many people are going out of their way to help us. As I typed that sentence, a message arrived about a contact in Lunglei who will see us there and look after us - Dr Lalchungnunga's younger brother who is chief of the state bank. We really do seem to have somehow acquired many friends in high places!