Here to share one of my eco-friendly shopping experiences at
Elephant Falls & Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya!
Elephant Falls
Nohkalikai Falls
Short Shot Story
Nohkalikai Falls was the place where I truly realized why Meghalaya was named so. The persistent clouds ☁ and mist made it impossible for me to see the Nohkalikai Falls, let alone capturing it.
After exploring the area for a good 45 minutes, there was little hope of being able to see anything in the valley.
That was when a little eco-friendly shopping happened.
These ↓ were a couple of pieces that I picked up from the street stalls near the waterfalls mentioned above.
*Ones with blue headings are from Nohkalikai Falls, and ones with brown headings are from Elephant Falls
Bamboo mug
✓ Easy to carry when travelling
✓ Good replacement for non-biodegradable single-use cups
✓ It has an unpolished internal surface
✓ Can be used for drinking water
✓ Can be washed with a bottle brush
✓ Can be kept in the sun to be dried and sanitized
⚠ Due to its slightly porous surface, using dishwashing soap to clean it won't be a good option.
Note: The mug gives a soothing petrichor-like fragrance immediately after the water is drained. Who doesn't like the aroma of wet earth?
Bamboo fan
✓ Appropriate for Meghalaya's humid climate
✓ Handy during travel
The pop of colours can make a gloomy day vibrant!
Keychains inspired by conical bamboo bins
✓ Traditional & characteristic style of Meghalaya's bins
✓ Light & unbreakable
✓ Interesting and reasonable souvenirs of utility that you can buy in bulk for friends and family, without worrying about space
Bamboo whistle
If you have a habit of walking away from the group and getting lost, this might be helpful. 😛
Bamboo holders with covers
Make good gifts for grandmothers (saying this at the risk of sounding prejudiced).
Bamboo bin
You wouldn't want to use it as a dustbin!
Bamboo hair bun pin
Little delicate to actually be worn but beautifully crafted, thus, difficult not to get one.
A pair of wooden earrings
✓ Of utility
✓ Very light on the ears
✓ Look amazing when light passes through them and casts a patterned shadow
Buddha idol carved in stone
For some peace ☮ and tranquillity!
Continuing the Short Shot Story...soon after shopping was over near Nohkalikai Falls, it started to rain heavily. The car was far away, and I had to run a distance of almost 340 m with all the things I had bought in my hands.
As I was running, I heard a few travellers point out that the sky had cleared up and the Nohkalikai Falls was finally visible. I ran. I just ran toward the viewpoint, and without caring about anything, I took my phone out for taking the shot.
However, capturing the view as an image was not enough, so I stood for another 2 minutes just looking at the majestic Nohkalikai Falls, the tallest plunge waterfall in India, with a height of 1115 feet.
