Ni Dieu Ni Maitre

This hotel is still under construction, with only the third floor operational. The restaurant, on the other hand, has been in business for a while and is quite popular. I had 2 prepaid nights and the first thing on the list was to get rupees. A trip to the local State Bank of India showewd that indeed, the ATM’s would not take either of my cards. The bank manager confirmed it, ‘No foreign cards here.’

These waitresses are not Assamese, but come from another NE State. These states are all populated by various tribes, now mostly assimilated into the Indian lifestyle. The Assamese, to me, look similar to Indians, but I spoke several times to guys from these states while in Goa and they do experience prejudice for their looks.

Interior of the restaurant.

So, really, 3 things on the agenda here near the airport and 30km from Guwahati, the largest city in these 6 states. 1. Get rupees. This was accomplished by the hotel manager, who found someone to accept a $100 bill at the market rate, and on another day got the young man with the hand held card reader to take $200 out of my account and bring cash the next morning. Solved! 2. The Indian sim card in my phone is not working and needs to be replaced. This one was not solved.

Here’s a friendly and helpful Assamese lad from the hotel taking me on one of 3 attempts out to get a new sim card… impossible in this area as it turned out. Why is this important? I cannot book a hotel in Guwahati without the use of a phone, and for whatever reason, neither can my current hotel.

And 3. Get my visa extended beyond 30 days. Also not possible outside the official offices in the capital. The idea of going blindly up to the big city was quite daunting. I met an Englishman, Chris, in the restaurant on evening who recommended that I avoid Guwahati. “A shithole.” he said. Chris had been in the NE States for 60 days and was leaving. The first thing he said to me, after he came in and I waved t him to come sit down was, “You’re the first white face I’ve seen in 60 days.” I should have taken his picture, a massive man, 71 years old, who had made his living as a nightclub bouncer… a bit rough around the edges, but a great source of information.

The hotel’s owner had been a revolutionary in his youth. These states have had their share of political turmoil over the years, but only one, Manipur, is off limits now as the two main tribes are having a row. Well, anyway, it’s off to Guwahati on a bus tomorrow with no hotel booked… fun.