Of course, not that Aerosmith’s song.. But the song did cross my mind when I realised that I WAS and still AM living on the edge, and my life could just end at the blink of an eye.
I had an eventful experience this Wednesday. My work requires collection of samples from different parts of Mizoram. This time, my trip was planned to Champhai. Brother 1, brother 4 and brother 5 were supportive enough to come with me (I have five brothers for those who might be wondering).
Here’s a link of the main places we have to pass through to get to Champhai. (Link)
THE TRIP
Crossed Keifang, and heard that there was a Landslide prone area ahead. We moved on.
Reached Tuivawl at 12 pm, there was a long line of vehicles ahead (Picture 1). Mostly buses and Pickup trucks. Some of them were stranded since 10 am that morning. A landslide had occured the previous day, and a Transport Truck got stuck in the mud. Two JCB's were working to clear the land, and to move the truck out.
At 1:30 pm, part of the land was cleared for vehicles to pass(Picture 2). Truck was still there. Vehicles infront started to move, crossing the landslide area one by one. Just when our turn came, the two JCB's took their many timeth trial to move the Truck out. Finally, it was moved.
Brother 1 drove our way to the danger zone. Guess what? Our Car Got Stuck! Right at the Landslide point! (Picture 3). It wouldn't move front, or back. Brother 4 and 5 got out to push it. I thought I’ll give a hand, but they told me to stay in, so that my feet won't get dirty. I felt loved :-)
But then, people from the other side started shouting that the land was going to slip again, and to move out quick. We all panicked. Somehow we managed to move back, and just then, the land slipped, right in front of us. Seriously scary!!!
Brothers asked me to get out, and to stand as far as possible (Picture 4). Again, I felt loved :-). Two men from behind ran towards us, and gave my brothers a hand, and they pushed the car far back away from the danger zone.
The JCB started to clear the land again (Picture 5), for about an hour until it ran out of diesel!
Bigger vehicles behind us took risk and started to move ahead, and they got stuck one by one. Some lucky ones passed through. That's the first vehicle which got stuck after us (Picture 6).
That’s the third or fourth vehicle which got stuck. As these pictures were taken, there were some debris and stones falling every five minutes! But these guys risked their lives to help others, strangers that they don’t even know.
I wanted to go back home, because it was still raining, and the place was still very dangerous. Even if we could go across (with the help of these guys), we were to come back after 2 days, which was still risky. But I did not want to tell my brothers, because this trip was for me. Boy! Was I glad when brother 5 asked me if I wanted to go back home! I quickly nodded.
My (muddy) shoes (Picture 8). Hehe..
I didn’t want the trip to go waste. So after a tea break at Keifang, we asked around and found a place where I could collect few samples.
Yep.. that’s me collecting my samples (Picture 9).
Dinner at Seling. Smoked Pork again.. yummmm.. hehe
Brother 5 drove the car after dinner. At around 8:30 pm, we crossed Tuirial, and guess what? A huge boulder came tumbling down right infront of us! Followed by stones. We panicked a lot! Brother 1 asked brother 5 to back up the car, and for a moment, he forgot how to back it up!
Luckily, a JCB which was on its way home came along. It cleared the road for us again (Picture 10).You know what I was thinking? “God saved us, and has sent us guardian angels in the form of men and JCB! God has answered Mom’s prayers”
Since I brought my camera, I wanted to take every picture to remember this incident. And I so wanted to take the picture of this huge stone. While we drove past it, I tried to take a shot, just as the flash came, all three brothers shouted “Is this the time???” Haha.. I laughed to myself for being so silly.. But later we all laughed talking about me and my camera. Lolzz..
Home sweet home at 9:45 pm
I am glad for this trip
I am glad to realise the love my brothers have for me
I got to see the beautiful night view of Aizawl from Zemabawk (always one of my favourite views)
I got to eat a delicious breakfast and dinner (I’ve always thought that food at Mizo Hotels is tastier then home made ones..hehe)
I am glad to see our mizo guys in action again
I am glad that I could collect my samples
I am glad to be alive
God has saved our lives TWICE!
27 comments:
Thanks to the Lord, a God merciful and gracious! A nightmarish journey but a delightful read. I'm kinda jealous of you for having such a loving brothers.
2003 khan Cochin atanga ka haw Champhai thlen nan 17 days ka hmang maw le. 4 days train journey, 2 days bandh at Guwahati, 3rd day bandh at Meghalaya. 5th day stuck up at Rengtekawn leimin for 3 days. Reached Aizawl on the 10th day only to realize that there was a land slide near Seling. I waited for 7 days at Aizawl. I enjoyed 5 days leave at Champhai and had to go back. Since then, I never plans my leave during monsoon!
I apologize for being for caught up with my pre and post b'day plans, but I am still ecstatic that we could spend the evening together.
I need to hear this story from you from word of mouth and with actions, I think it always make an impression on me with our limited Mizo vocabularies (:-))
Prayers work and God is good.
Talk to u soon.
@VaiVa: Yup.. Praise the Lord! :-) And its not bad to have brothers after all..
17 days! OMG!!! A va rei deuh ve.. Keipawh ruah sur chhung chu ka zin chhuak mai2 tawh lovang. A zawngchhang chi miah loh.hehe
@Priscilla: I am happy that i could make it on your birthday, that too after a long time, it was really worth it. God works in His own sweet ways..
I will tell you with all possible actions, and with detailed pictures and videos that I have captured. Promise me you won't freak out. hehe
u wearing ur pink kawrlum pinky
Mizoram during rainy season always have landslides. I've spent a night, want it or not at Kawmpui. sleeping inside the CAR, only God knows when the next slide is going to cover our Car!
Dulte-ah naupang i chhiar em?
quite a scary experience... thanks to God and your loving brothers
@OpaHmar: it was a pinky lucky day.hehe. Dulte kan thleng lo a, Tuivawl (where we got stranded) is between Keifang and Dulte.
@mnowluck: Yea, am not planning any trip till monsoon's over. That must have been a scary experience. These landslides gives me the creeps, and imagination can go really far.. if you know what i mean..hehe
@nancy: I'm glad to be alive. Thanks for visting :-) Hope you'll drop by again.
Ka lo ip vel char char mawle ka chhiar laiin! :-) A delh dawn che u emaw ni ka tia.
Reminds me of the long journey we had back in 2005 with our whole family, to go up wayy east, about 200kms from aizawl. By the time we reach, our clothes were too heavy and too strong for us, all the muds that sticks to our clothes were dried up. Hahthlak lutuk, chirhdiaka motor tang nawr chhuah vel chu. We got stuck about 7 times that day... haha.
Mizo nih hi nuam khawp mai, kan inpui tawn dial dial zel a. Keinipawh chu football team an rawn tlan remchang a, nuam tak a ni. A hma chuan, me, my younger bro, dad and my cuz bro were the only men. :-)
You really write well, you should finish a book!! And thanks be to God, if it wasn't Him, we may not be reading this post! :-)
Thank You :-) But I don't consider myself a good writer, yet. Need to improve a lot. Thanks to blogging though, I learn as I write..
Ka u te pawh an pheikhawk an phelh tawp. An khup chen in a berh vek! Keifang ah an in sil sap2 mai alawm. A vawi 7 na velah chuan motor nawr chu I zei tawh fu lo maw? hehe. Mahse hetiang tawn ve zeuh zeuh te hi a tha, sawi tur ti tamah..
Yes, Thank God. That's why I promised myself that I will blog about this as soon as I can
Glad you made it.Thing about such stuff is its good fodder for your blog, and conversation starter.My worst experience was trying to get to Silchar airport during the silchar floods, we took a gypsy down to Bagha, then a boat ride, then a bus ride then a rickshaw ride to the Kumbigram Airport, with lots of wading and walking in between the various transports. Needless to say we missed the plane and had to sleep on the Airport floor in our wet clothes.The only saving grace was the guy we were dropping off was a foreigner, so the next day, they gave him a ticket, and our journey back was a little less uneventful, though still flooded.
Hey sis... really glad you were okhay. That was really scary! No wonder you were unreachable. Tried calling you so many times.
lolz @ Brother 1 coming along for the trip. I think he had other plans too... *grin*
And then I read about the part that it was brother 5 who drove after dinner and not brother 1, so my hunch was correct. lolzzzz. Was brother 1 "sleeping" at the back of the Santro? heeheeheehee.... :)
Love brother 1!!!
@dr_feelgood: You know what, ever since i have started blogging, i guess i have become more observant :-). It is indeed a good fodder.
gypsy ride, boat ride, bus ride.. and then.. rickshaw ride. LOL! I feel sad for your foreigner friend. He must have made up his mind never to come back..haha
@illusionaire: Tried calling you so many times? hah! lame excuse :-)
Brother 1 is actually very supportive, and yea, i love him too. He's the only one whom i can have a good conversation with.. among 5 of them. And..no he did not sleep, nor..... hehe. He's innocent! :-)
Pic #8 khi ka lawm tawp! Haha! Motor i va nawr nasa awm ve. lol
Lucid description of events....nice to read.. Kudos to brother 1,4&5. Must have felt great to be back home..Fur lai chuan motor te chuan zin chi pawh ani lo, kan ram hi a BONRA tlat :)
@Tetetetea: ka nawr an phal lova.. phal se chuan kan tang rei miah lovang. hehe
@Lalmalsawma: Thank you, yes.. home was sweeter than ever. :-)
Kan venga ka u kha i nih leh nih loh ka hre si lova, i rawn in ziah dan hian ka'n ko lawl2 mai ang che.. ka u kha i nih tak leh.. U Malsawm.. hehe
You know what? I luuuurve mimi hrahsel, I would say i f**king luuurve her, but you know, a lotta people will go like, y'know, "WTF???WhoTF is this guy etc. etc.", and I'll end up being the guy who doesn't watch his mouth(or fingers) and all, but I'll say it anyway, I #$@@#%@ luuurve Mimi! Does all this seem kinda odd to you??? Well, don't mind me, i'm just sayin'! Oh, did I mention?? I luuurve Mimi, I just wish she wasn't over 30! heh heh heh! Btw, keep up the good work, I love your werk, I mean work, whatever, no, wait, not whatever! Hope I'm not being weird, like I said, don't mind me! Aaaaaaaaactually, I have just one request, would you pa-leeeeaaaaase give my comment a little smooch when you see it, careful though, remember to clear the charge if you are using a crt monitor, don't want your cherry chopsticks gettin' shocked!
What or who are you working for?? Why are you risking your pa-recious life collecting some samples huh?? Hmmm, unless she's gettin' a lot of cash for it, a sa-weet girl, sorry, woman like you wouldn't risk her life for it! Are you collecting samples for a super effective biological weapon that would ensure that your enemies do not die before they experience a week of pure agony and pain before they finally start to experience another week of angony which is 89.96%(rounded up to 90,whatever) more painful than the first, and then a month of pain, so painful that they'd wonder how such pain ever existed, then they are left with only a head which does not die, while advanced engineered lifeforms and nanobots at the brain stem simulate pain till they die of old age?? or not! I don't think you're evil, you're an angel, a senior angel!!
excuse my brain and my fingers, and my nerves, sometimes they get a little "typeative" you see! not my fault! remember, the smooch, they want confirmation!
That was scary, a truly providential escape. The pics are good. You're so lucky to have so many caring brothers. And yes, i love your attitude to life, people and incidents.
@mesjay: thank you so much! a compliment coming from a "ho tu nu" :-) thats what they all call you right? hehe..
I am overhwhelmed with joy for all your inspiring feedbacks
hmanah kan zin a chirhdiak ah bus tang kan nawr ve tum kha chu, ka lo inhnuh tir vel, ekhq!!!mud surfing
@Anonymous: MUD SURFING!! lolzzz
You know what? I enjoyed this post :))
@Naupang^Fel: That's great. haha.. So when's the wedding? :-D
Ngaihnawm hle mai, Sonapur, Silchar bul ah ka riak ve zan tawh, lei min avang in. Lei min hi chu a buaithlak ve khawp mai.
@Tluanga: ni e, buaithlak ani. Tih vak ngaihna hi awm si lo. Fur laia zin loh hi a tha ber mai in ka hria. I ti lawmawm hle mai, ka blog I lo tlawh a :-)
Post a Comment