Inside India’s LIVING Bridges 😮 MEGHALAYA [🇮🇳35]

[music] Good morning, guys. Welcome back to the channel. This week has been a complete disaster. So, in the last video, you saw us frolicking around the beautiful village of Maong. And at that point, everything was going pretty well. We had had a nice dinner. We were going to have a nice rest and then hit the road the next day to explore more of this state. But that's not what happened. What happened was we got the flu. And I don't mean like a little snively cold where you can just take a paracetamol and then continue on your day. No, this was a full-on fever. It was terrible. We were just both in bed for days and days. Either freezing cold and shivering or profusely sweating. So, it's now 7 days later and we finally have enough energy to get out of bed just about. But also, we looked outside the window today and it was beautiful blue skies and sunshine. So, we said, should we do it? Let's try and see more of Megaa. First time outside in seven days. I feel like newborn. [laughter] I missed you. [sighs and gasps] [laughter] It's been too long. Hey, it's been too long without the bikes. >> After all this rain over the last week, they're still dirty. >> Oh, yes. Like that sound. >> At least the bikes are ready to go. The place where we're staying at the moment is famous for Asia's cleanest village, but it's also famous for Megala's living bridges. And this is where we're going to head now to see one of these amazing bridges. So, I really can't wait. It's just a short ride. This is the reason that we jumped both on one bike. How does it feel to ride the bike? Uh, it's all right. It's okay. I think it's a good test for us to just do this like 1 kilometer ride over to the root bridge just to see how we are and then we can visit that and uh hopefully seeing one of the wonders of Megallaya will get us all energized and ready to go. So we're just going to go over to the living root bridge this morning and then come back to M Long, have some breakfast, pack up the bikes and then hopefully hit the roads. So, we just came down this jungle track thinking we were coming to the root bridge. Um, but we just came to a car park. I think we could have parked a little bit closer in the end. Anyway, we're at the car park now, so that's all that matters. Let's find the entrance and let's go see an ancient living bridge. Wow. Welcome to one of Meala's living root bridges. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Look how amazing it is. It looks unbelievable. It looks like something out from a fairy tale. Look, you have even like sort of a railing on the side on each side. These are all roots. It looks unbelievable. Really unbelievable. What an amazing view of the bridge from here. And as unbelievable as it sounds, this entire bridge has been made from the roots of a single Indian rubber tree, [music] which is that tree just to the right of the center. But even more impressive is the way that this bridge [music] has been constructed. Because this is not a natural occurrence. This has been made by people to serve this purpose. So the way it works is they would have planted the rubber tree on one of the banks of the river and then naturally that rubber tree sends out aerial roots. And those aerial roots will go around trying to [music] find various bits of soil to then dig into, secure the tree and get the nutrients, [music] get the water, everything that the tree needs to survive. But this is where the people trick the tree because what they then do is they put the roots inside bamboo tubes and they direct the roots over to the other side of the river. So the tree thinks that [music] he's trying to find the closest bit of soil that he can anchor to when in reality the roots are being sent all the way to the other side of the river where they then allow them to go into the ground. [music] And they keep doing this process over years and years and years until you get a structure like this behind me. But this is not a fast process. Apparently, it takes at least 25 to 30 years for a tree to actually become usable as a bridge. And they believe that this root bridge behind me, the Rai living root bridge is around 100 years old and will probably live for another 2 to 300 years. This practice is only found here in Megallaya. Nowhere else in the entire world will you find bridges like this. Just imagine how many people have walked already over this bridge here and is still standing strong. >> We did it. >> We got out of bed. >> Yeah. >> Oh, sweetheart. But this was worth the effort to come to. >> Definitely. This has to be one of the most magical places I've ever been. >> You want black tea? >> Black tea. >> Oh, okay. One black tea, one milk coffee. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. [laughter] >> That looks like energy for you. >> Bread and eggs. give me energy. >> This is our homeay host and he's been taking care of us for the last seven days, bringing us bananas, bringing us noodles. Thank you so much. We only survived thanks to you. >> Save your >> Thank you so much. Thank you so much. It was a really nice place to stay. Okay, you're upright. You're good. >> I'm upright. >> Okay. Okay. [clears throat] Bye-bye. We will miss you. [laughter] >> The host said that the room is going to miss us. >> We just kept [music] coming to him every day and just asking, "Can we stay one more day? Can we stay one more day?" And he was so nice cuz he shuffled things [music] around and was just like, "Yeah, okay. Just stay in the room. Don't move. Don't do anything. I'll bring you some food. I'll bring you some snacks, water." So, that was amazing. This was the worst sickness I had in a really, really long time. I don't remember we were ever that sick. Coughing the whole night. Then we had like a fever. It was hot. It was cold. It was hot. It was cold. You got sick more than I did at the beginning. And I [music] thought, "Ah, okay. Maybe my immune system can handle this. Maybe I'm going to be all right." And then like 2 days later, I started to become just as bad as you were. And then both of [music] us were just in bed and neither of us could do anything. But hopefully we're going to be all right to just sit on these lovely bikes and let them do the work for us today. We've done our job. We've gone to the Living Root Bridge. We've shown you guys one of the unique and beautiful attractions of Megallaya >> and how nice it was. Hey, oh my lord, what an amazing place to visit. Mother Nature, you are just wonderful. >> Yeah, it's not every day you see something like that. this beautiful symbiosis between man and nature. That bridge took over a hundred years to get to where it is today. One impressive construction. And there are actually like a few other really nice bridges around this area here, but you have to hike. And the hike seemed so tough. It said like four to 5 hours through the jungle. And we were like, "No, thank you. >> I would not have returned from the jungle." But yeah, the one we visited, the Riy living root bridge is uh one of the most accessible of all the root bridges in Megala. Most of them are tucked away in remote jungle because, you know, they weren't built to be easily found. They were just built to cross streams and rivers when they needed to. For hundreds of years, they've been doing this all throughout the jungles, and there are probably dozens of them out there in the jungle that have been just completely forgotten about. But anyway guys, now that we have hit the road, let me show you where we're heading today. So we are here in Maong and today we will be riding to a town called Cherrapunji. Cherupunji is another famous destination here in Megala. They actually have their own root bridges nearby, but that's the one that has a 5-hour hike to get to it. So, we're going to [music] skip those root bridges and go and see another wonder of that area, and that is Norcalai Falls, which apparently is the tallest plunge waterfall in the whole of India. So, that's got to be well worth a visit, hasn't it? >> So, it's about a 2 and 1/2 hour ride to Cherapuni and it's already 11:30. So, better hit the road. Let's go. >> [music] [music] >> You can see around this area they're growing a [music] lot of these reedy bushes. And I think these are the plants that they use to make brooms like the ends of these reads. I think they bunch all those together and make those into those brooms that you see everyone using. They are growing this plant everywhere. Look at all these hills. Ah, look. This truck has all the broom heads. So you can see here that they have harvested all the ends of those reads. Look, there you go. So, they are literally growing brooms here. So, we've climbed up out of the forest now. Look at this for a crazy valley view. No way. Look at this boulder as well. It's a big boulder. See if I can get down here. Okay. [laughter] Oh, wow. Look at that. Wow. That is crazy. All of the green carpeting on the hills here. This is all the same plant that they used to grow brooms, which is what they were growing on this side as well. But you can see here they've already cut it. And then look, it's growing back up again. And then down in the valley, we can see lots of bamboo growing and this beautiful river running through. Can see some mini waterfalls down there. Spectacular. >> Hello. Full, please. >> Full. >> Full. Yes. >> How do you feel? [laughter] >> I think the painkillers from this morning are starting to wear off. I have a bit of a sore throat, but uh how are we doing in time anyway? >> One and a half hours left. >> We can do it. >> There's nothing worse than traveling whilst being sick. >> And so close to the end of our trip as well. the final state on our trip and we get taken out for an entire week. >> Very very unlucky. >> Yeah. And plus I had just had food poisoning as well only like few days before. >> Even more unlucky. >> It's not been a very solid end for me this this trip. It's been a bit of suffering to be honest. Oh no. These guys just stopped Lavy and said that the road that we're trying to go down is closed. >> This road is closed. >> Okay. >> Because of the construction. You go to Shirunji. >> Yeah. >> You have to go from this peninsula. >> Uh-huh. >> There is a road to Shiraji. >> Oh, another road. >> Border road. Border road. >> There's no other road to go this way. No. >> Ah, okay. And when does this road open? >> 3:00. >> 3:00. Uh, okay. We have to wait for 2 hours, 2 and 1 half hours just for the road to open and then we still have to ride an hour and a half. So we'd be there in like 4 hours. >> Whereas if we take this road, >> it would be 3 hours >> another road. >> 3 hours. Yeah. Okay. It's up to you. We can either wait or we can take the other road. >> So the options are is like turning around and then take a different road. But that means we have to ride another 3 hours to get to Sherapuni, right? >> Yeah. would mean that we would get there sooner. >> Uhhuh. >> But with more riding. Whereas if we wait for this road to open, we'll get there later but with less riding. It's only about half an hour difference, isn't it? >> Exactly. >> So it's whether chill around for 2 hours and then still arrive only half an hour later. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I think that's the best. >> Let's go back and see if we can find a place uh to just chill, have a coffee. >> Okay. >> Have a bite to eat or something and then just come back here. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Here's so many trucks as well. >> Yeah, I guess these guys are all waiting for the road to open as well. Yeah, I think it's probably the best decision that we just stop, just rest. Don't tire ourselves out with a 3hour motorbike ride today. >> Yay. >> Oh, lovely. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Happy chocolate chip cookies. So, we found a place just down the road to have a nice warm coffee and a little biscuit. I think I'm healing because I can feel that I'm hungry and this is always a good sign. >> But sweetheart, does that really count for cookies but it's pretty crazy guys. Let me show you this. So we are here and Cherup Punji is only there. It's literally just 17 km away but in between is like all of this impossible jungle with all of these rivers. The only way to get from there to there is either this way to a place called Lightning Cot and then up to Cherup Punji or this really small road that winds all the way through the jungle goes right up to the Bangladesh border all the way around and then into Cherupji this way. But that's the road that would take 3 hours. So no, we will wait for this easy way and enjoy a bit of coffee. Thank you so much. Thank you. >> It's a really big plate of noodles, my love. >> That was 2 hours well spent in this nice little restaurant. >> Yeah. Thank you, Bang Shinam. Kazzy cuisine. Ah, yeah. Kazzy is the tribe. Kazzy tribe. I don't think our egg chow counted as kazzy cuisine, did it? Thank you. Bye-bye. So, now we've got to make our way to the front of what is probably a very big queue now. I wonder >> what time is it. Ooh, apparently the road should open in 20 minutes. >> Yeah. Yeah, I know. We have to hurry up now. It was quite inexpensive as well. We paid 320 rupees which is about £3 for like two coffees, two teas and two plates of noodles. >> Well, I'm not sure that I feel much better to be honest. Like I think it's good that we got some additional energy in. I think we definitely need to get to a hotel and get some rest as soon as we can. >> We just took another paraceta mole as well just to get rid of the pain. >> Sweetie, if you want, you could just tell me to ride a little bit further behind. Okay, we are back at the road works. Let's see if they let us pass this time. >> Look, this car has decided to try to skip everything. Oh no. Yeah, look. Everyone's trying to skip the queue. >> Yeah. Oh no. >> Oh, come on, guys. This is ridiculous. >> That is ridiculous. No, I don't know really what to do here from here on. >> You're going to have to squeeze down the side there. >> Yeah, but I can't go very far. Yeah, you can just keep squeezing down. Unless you want to go to the opposite side of the road. >> I don't know if the opposite side is better. >> How far can you go? >> Well, not super far. >> Do you want me to check the other side? >> Um, yeah, maybe check the other side. >> Well, you'll have to come back then and we'll find a way to the other side of the road. I can't believe the cars have gone like four a breast on this road. >> We should have known that. Hey, >> that's just ridiculous though. Come on, guys. >> Yeah. >> If you go behind the red car, then you've got a way to come through to here. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Just don't hit into him. >> Yeah. >> Some trucks are moving. >> Okay. Wait for me. Um, >> sweetie, if you take my bike, I'll take your bike. Okay. You come ride my bike, I'll come ride yours. >> Okay. Are you not stuck there? >> No, I'm okay. >> Yeah. Uh, move a little bit further forward. Thank you. All right, I'm through. That was pretty difficult. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. This side's a bit easier for us to skip. >> We are uh stuck again though. >> Do you want to follow me? Just follow me a little bit. Very nearly at the front here now. There's only a few more cars to go. Let me see what can we do. Can we do anything? If you just kind of go like up and then back like this. Let's see if I can go around this way. Yeah. >> Can you get round? Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And then through here. Uh, okay. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, perfect. Yeah, that's perfect. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, guys. Yeah, thank you. >> Oh, we've made it. >> That was a fight, man. Thank you. Thank you. >> Perfect. Anyway, we did really well getting to the front. >> That was like within [snorts] inches. >> You helped me out there. I couldn't have done it without you, man. >> Well, I was thinking to leave you behind, but then I thought, no, I think you've got the coffee in your bag. Okay. Anyway, that means as soon as they say you can go, we're free and we can get to Cherapuni. >> Yeah. 1 hour 22 minutes left, man. I want to see if the people here are really on time. So, we have two minutes left. [cough] Uh oh. One minute left. Go. No. Wait. 3:00 now. >> Yeah. And everybody's beeping already. >> Yeah. >> The guys are just on the phone. >> Yeah. >> I think they're getting the approval before sending the masses. Listen, there's just everybody's just going crazy back there. >> Do we start beeping as well? >> I'm so glad we're at the front. >> Man, if we had to try to battle through that whilst it's moving along, no chance. And there's probably the same chaos on the other side as well, waiting to come this way. >> What? >> 10 minutes. 10 minutes. Okay. 10 minutes. So, not on time. [laughter] We are going, guys. We are going. Lavy's in first place, but no, Lavy's been overtaken by a Honda Civic. >> Oh, wow. Okay, so this is what's been going on. >> Yeah. >> They've been dealing with a landslide or something. Hey. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Just go around. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> That's it. Okay. Once this truck passes, let's go. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, perfect. >> Perfect. >> Yeah, cuz these cars are just going to be real slow getting through this mud. And Lavy's now in first place. >> Let's see for how long. >> They are doing a lot of works here. Look at this. Looks like they're cutting the whole mountain apart. >> Insane. >> Oh, watch out. Watch out. Watch out. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> It's okay. Yep. All good. I still don't know where the other side is. There's no way that two lines could cross here anyway. There's way too much like mud and diggers. I really hope they don't send both sides of traffic at the same time. >> Yeah, man. Wow. What a construction. Can't believe it. This road is insane. But man, it's so misty. >> Yeah, I bet there's normally some really good views from up here cuz we are like right on the top of a mountain pass at the moment. But as you can see guys, we can see absolutely nothing. Bloody hell. There's a truck coming. So, wait for it to go past. Then you can go around if you can. Oh my god. Is that truck going to come across that entire queue of traffic? Let me just see. Wow, that's crazy. They've opened up the road, but it's absolutely not clear at all. >> No. >> How is that massive queue going to get through all this? >> I have no idea with a lot of patience. I'm so glad that we're on a bike, man. >> Yeah, that would have taken hours if you were stuck in that. Oh my god, guys. We've caught up with the queue coming from the other side and there is just an endless stream of cars coming this way. And honestly, I have no idea how these two cues are going to pass each other. There's literally no way. It was hard enough for us to squeeze through and now you've got, you know, probably 100 cars and trucks coming this way and 100 cars and trucks coming the other way. The road is tiny. All I can say is good luck everyone. Good luck. Oh no. And there's an ambulance as well. He did not pull to the side at all for us. >> Okay, this now is just dangerous, man. I can't see anything ahead. Nothing. Oh, there's a car. >> Well, the scooter next to you thinks it's perfectly fine. He's like our lead rider now. You know, when we looked at the road on the map this morning, I didn't think it was going to be this crazy. >> No, me neither. All right, guys. We've reached the town of Llingot, which is where our turnoff is [music] to Cherapuni. The road works are over. And we finished first and second. Woo! Oh no, I think that scooter, that little scooter finished first. Actually, we got beat by a little guy on a scooter. But the most important thing is [music] that we beat all the cars. Motorbikes for the win, guys. Motorbikes for the win. So, this is Light Lingot. And I think Megaa has some of the most interesting place names of any state we've been to. You know, with places like Cherapuni and Maong. I mean, they just sound interesting. Lavy said they sound cute. So, now we've made that turn. We have 45 minutes left to ride to reach Cherapuni. 26 km. And uh this road is a lot nicer. Oh, look at that, guys. It's washing day down by the river. Oh wow. Look at this guys. Wa! Look at this. Oh my lord. That looks magical. >> That's crazy. Yeah. Look at this gorge. Just going like right, left, right, left, right, left. And it looks really wild as well. >> Really wild. I think they're [music] doing like some bungee jumping or something crazy up there. I wouldn't like to do that. [laughter] No, I saw a sign for bungee jumping. >> No, I'm out. That looks really nice here, though. Like, compared to all of the area we just came through, I think this is the most beautiful area we've seen so far. >> Stunning. Absolutely [music] stunning. >> So, I just saw a sign that said that that is called Dimp Valley. That's a pretty impressive valley. >> Really, really beautiful. >> Wow. Yeah, look at that. Woo! What a ride into Cherapuni. Whoa, look at this for a resort. Sakai Resort with these chalets that looks a little bit out of our price range. But we have found one place in Cherapuni which also seems to have really good views. >> Yeah, that would be amazing if we can just rock up at the hotel, get a nice comfortable room with some pretty good views. So, let's see. Okay, 29 minutes to go. [music] Look at all the signs lined up here. >> Oh, wow. There's a lot of competition for home stays here. So, we are just coming into Cherapuni now. And according to the signs, Cherupji is also known as Sora cuz I see everywhere written Sora as well. >> The first place we are going to check out is just coming up in 1 minute. Let's pray that they have a room for us. >> Yeah, a room with valley views. Which one? This one. Labana. >> Labana hotel and restaurant. All right. >> I just see somebody is home. >> Yeah. Reception is up the stairs there. >> Oh no. >> Okay, I'll go. >> Don't worry. I'll look after the bikes. >> Hello. >> Yes. >> Do you have room available? >> How many of you? >> Just uh two people. One room, one night. >> Do you need passports? >> Yeah. >> So, yes, they have a room. available for us. Actually, the last room, everything else is booked out. >> Oh, wow. >> Unfortunately, no nice views though >> because all the rooms on this side, like I said, everything else is booked out. >> We get like the cliff side. >> Yeah. >> Facing against the wall. >> Yeah, exactly. But we can still take the steps up to the top and then have a look because I think we will get a nice view of this gorge here. So, >> okay. So, let's unpack all the stuff. Yeah. >> And then we can go to the rooftop >> and go and see the view. >> We just checked into our very blue room. Look [music] at this. Look how blue it is. So, this room is very, very blue. And then the bathroom. Check out the bathroom. [music] It's very, very pink. Oh my lord. I never saw a pink bathroom like that. [music] Check out our balcony and our view from the balcony. And we have two beds. There's [music] one bed and then there's the other bed. I think Ollie tries to [laughter] get this big bed. Sweetheart, there's room for both of us. I'm just really glad that we got the last room at this hotel because [music] I tell you what, I did not have the energy to be riding around town looking for a place. Pretty good. I don't mind that we don't have the view because at least we have a bed. But actually, [music] we need to use one last bit of energy because we need to go to the roof and go and see [music] the view. >> So, it turns out we don't have a rooftop, but got a good view from here as well. Check that out. Amazing. >> All right, back to bed. >> Bye. So, that's it from us today. We hope you enjoyed the video. If so, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel, share the video with your friends and family, comment below, and we will see you next time.