Travelling to Northeast is never easy. I reached the centre of thinly populated Phek district in Nagaland, after a flight, a train, a bus and a Tata Sumo stuffed with nine people. Situated at a few distance of Manipur and Myanmarese hills, is the Chizami village, at a height of 4,700 ft. The region constitutes 16 recognised Naga tribes by the government, and about 150 unrecognised ones. The diversity is vast in this state. Khezha, the tribe I stayed with, couldn’t understand the language just 5 villages away. Still, one thing that unites the people of Nagaland is their pride. Shame is the other emotional factor of this place; elders try to teach the one who are caught in petty crimes. All the villages have a wooden lock-up in the center. The wood has an itchy quality, so that when one tries to get out of it, the more dreadful it becomes for them. Locals say that it the most efficient way to control crime rate in the village. There are other such effective punishments to deal with the offenders. The pride of the Naga people, make them a wonderful host. They offer almost everything to the guests, from frog legs, steamed bees and fried bats to barrels of rice beer and wine. I spent 3 winter months last year at one of the village. Had a good time experiencing the village life, strolling down the paved streets which often lead to navigate around chickens and lose the ducklings which followed me everywhere. After 3 weeks stay, I gave into appeal of heading towards some comfort, and jumped into a share-Sumo which was heading towards the state capital, Kohima. This hilly town is a bit more modern, that is still soaked in the old-age goodness. The war cemetery, located in the heart of Kohima pays homage to all the English and Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the Japanese invasion in World War II. You can have of the rest of the town from the spot located on the slopes of Garrison Hill. It becomes dark by 4.30 pm during the winter. Shutters go down with the sun, by 5 pm, and start preparing for dinner. During Festivals like the Hornbill, the night life comes into existence. The place is decorated with florescent fairy lights, and the main bazaar road turns into an insurgence of colours. Back in the village, I met Medowelo, who according to the locals was the best hunter. Hunting still plays a special in the lives of the Nagas. At a point of my visit to this place, I started to understand the inhabitant’s strong relationship with nature and how purely they respect it. I started to long for more, after three months of stay in this alien land. Reaching The nearest railway station and airport is at Dimapur, Nagaland. From there, take a share cab to Phek district. Chizami takes 5 hrs from Dimapur and 3 hrs from Kohima. Buses ply to Phek leave Dimapur every evening if you want to get onto it. Accommodation Many villages in the state have a community guest house; Chizami town inaugurated theirs in November. While in Phek and Pfutsero town, Government and tourist bungalows are made available. Travel Tips Food in Chizami and its surrounding places is simple and traditional. The highway is dotted with pork and rice hotels. A good pair of shoes (gum boots during monsoon) and a strong travel bag is recommended. The place has a vast range of birds and butterflies; do carry a book that can help you identify these beautiful things.
