Guwahati

We drove to the border this morning and did the expected formalities.  As when we left for Bhutan and coming back again, the change was immediately apparent. Almost like a switch had been flipped.  The volume of traffic was greater, far more unruly and aggressive.  Bhutan looks tidier & cleaner. It is the sort of instant flip that you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it for yourself. Then it was an hour or so drive to Guwahati.
On the way we were driving on a double lane expressway and couldn’t believe it when we saw traffic coming head on in the second lane of our side of the road. Even a tractor!  Parthu (our Indian guide) made me laugh, someone tried to do a U turn where he shouldn’t and Parthu commented that these are uncivilised people.
Then we saw an elephant. Our driver pulled over and undid the window and offered it an apple. This shot was very hastily taken from the middle of the back seat.  
Guwahati is the capital of Assam and surprisingly busy for a Sunday morning. It just got more frenetic as the day went on but it turns out that a festival is starting here (either tomorrow or the next day) and the place is packed and going nuts already. The streets are jam packed and everyone is honking their horns as hard as they can.
We had lunch in the hotel and people let loose after the monotony of Bhutanese food; this is an amalgam of what individuals ordered; fish & chips, the biggest hamburger I have ever seen, ice cream, spaghetti, delicious paneer curry, Vietnamese like spring rolls, club sandwich with fries.
After lunch a few of us wandered out to have a look about.  We ended up at a railway level crossing and it was fascinating watching life go by; including several trains and the people who live and work here.
Later on we went for a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra river. It was lovely, peaceful and relaxing and we all enjoyed it. Unfortunately the sun disappeared behind a cloud/smog bank and we didn’t see it set. But we are getting used to being thwarted by the elements.
We have to get up very early tomorrow and catch a flight to Mumbai.

Shot from the back seat of a moving vehicle