Twenty hours since our arrival and still not having had explored the valley, our patience ran out. We walked down the valley with the dwindling rain. To have touched the droplets of rain dripping from the stunning Dzükou Lily (Lilium chitrangadae) against the background of cloudy hills captivated my soul. I kissed it to express my contentment.

Sitting on the edge of the trail, I could connect to the music of the stream splashing onto the rocks, the rain droplets falling on my poncho, the bamboo shrubs, and the melodious birds dancing to its tune. The best part of the day was the moment when I stood atop a cave, widened my arms, and cheered "Woo-hooo! Munmun moi tumak bhal pau," and it echoed all around. It felt like I was talking to the hills as it answered me back. Expressing my love for Hunmanu to mother nature sealed our eternal bond. As we climbed back to the camp along the pink, brown, and yellow flowers, we witnessed another splendid sunset.

Gradually, the temperature falls down to 10°C at night, and the water becomes colder too. I have always preferred the washing part of cooking. Washing everything and then warming my hands in the firewood was a pure delight to me. Metevizo, the campsite in-charge, cracking jokes, a random family sharing their experiences of Biryani, life and career with the Austrian couple made the evening more special.

The Dzükou Blues & Moonlight Magic

Everytime I made up my mind to get up, the sound of the rain splashing on the tent grew louder, pushing me back into my quilt. The gloomy clouds and the rain eventually disappeared. Sitting at the viewpoint appreciating the beautiful valley, Metevizo enlightened us about the dynamics of the valley in different seasons: the frozen stream downhill, the peaks and the camp covered with snow in winter, the same stream submerging the valley in monsoon, followed by the colourful hills full of blossomed flowers. 

For the first time in the 3 days of our stay, the weather favoured us. As we explored the valley and reached the stream, the sun had sneaked into the clouds and showered us with its blessing, Lucky us! We plunged into the stream. Freshness, numbness, warmth, fun, laughter, happiness - the bath had it all. We could hardly dip for a minute as the water was numbing cold.      

The sunlit clouds soared across the clear blue sky against the backdrop of the majestic green hills of the valley. Sitting atop the cave, we gazed at this euphoric scenery for 3 hours. Colorful flowers, blue skies, birds chirping, and the hills were moments I cherished the most. Awestruck, we felt lucky to witness the essence of the valley. 

The sky dimmed as the evening neared. As we stood up to leave, a mysterious cry resonated from the high bordering hills. It sounded like a person calling for help or the howling of an animal. The fact that Metevizo informed us about the bears that visit the caves in the erstwhile hills did have an effect on us. The sound grew louder as we marched towards it. We ended up in the best place of the valley, full of flowers blooming in yellow and white. The hill had such a charm that a 360° view presents you with a unique scenery and perspective of the valley. On one side were a range of hills covered by exquisite white flowers, then a majestic mountain - the highest among the rest with its peak engulfed by the clouds, moving on to a hill that resembled a giant creature (one can imagine its shape from the hilly terrain). As Joseph puts it- the ambiance and energy was as such that it wanted us to explore that particular hill and that eerie sound lured us to it. Happy and contented, we returned back to the camp.

As the night advanced, the moon radiated the valley with its luminous glow. I stood by the viewpoint and witnessed the empyreal essence of Dzükou. The graceful clouds flowed like water into the valley through the spaces between two high hills. It felt like the clouds fused with the river stream pouring in with tune of the flow of water. The clouds turned the valley into snowy hills, gently covering it like a mother cuddling her child with a good night kiss. Then, the clouds would suddenly rise up fondling us along with it. This overwhelming love of the clouds repeated as long as the night continued. As I settled on the bench of wooden logs, glancing at the sky, I encompassed into the universe of stars, and the clouds flowing alongside guided me to its home.

The music played by a couple at the viewpoint stand, the sound of the stream, birds, frogs, the wind, the clouds, and the ambiance it manifested - it was pure inner peace. The beauty, sereneness, and such soothing moments of happiness made me smile again and again. If we render ourselves and become one with the essence of the valley, it grants us the best version of itself. With those endearing moments of blue skies and the moonlight magic of Dzükou, I have been reborn, and therefore, healed.

Au Revoir  Dzükou 

The jubilant soul satisfying previous day continued its charm as the sun shone right from the morning. Waking up early and realizing the fact that our food stock had run out, we decided to bid adieu to the valley. We dismantled our tents and sat on our camping chairs on a raised ground undisturbed facing the view of the hills. 

Au revoir Dzükou! our souls exclaimed as we watched the valley one last time. Marching out of the camp, we rested at the cliff of Jakhama hill. Clouds romancing with the high hills covered by the slanting trees and the chirrup of the birds soothed our minds. 

As we started descending, we reminisced our funny moments, the places we slipped, and the trees which Joseph imagined to be dragons. The rush of the stream water, the different species of birds singing together, and the footsteps provided a perfect base to the melody. One could compose a song to this melody. 

It was Sunday; public transport halts for the day. We walked about 4 km until a gentleman stopped his van and dropped us at Kohima. Heading out of the town, our eyes laid on a hill with houses beautifully arranged, something that resembled the colourful settlement of Tibetans with its monasteries. We were tired but our hearts were full of content.

Travel introduces us to the world of love and friendships. From decision making to minimizing expenses, embracing the experiences in its purest form, and filling our soul with a blistering pool of positive energy, Dzükou gave us all this and more. Four souls, avid explorers - Joseph, Navajith, Abhijeet, and cosmic tales of a paradise called ‘Dzükou Valley’, I have lived a little more with moments of love and rain; the Dzükou blues and the moonlight magic.

Missed part I? Read it here: Dzükou Valley: Four souls one paradise

Suggested read:

A day in my life in Kohima

Rediscovering myself in Nagaland

Trekking in Sikkim

Do you want to go on an adventurous trek? Check out these packages:

Dzukou Valley trek- Nagaland tour package

Dzukou valley and Japfu peak trek