How green is my valley

Continuing the posts on the trip to the North East, here's one more. 

I travelled with a friend in October 2013, after the rains had ended and the weather had turned milder and more accommodating. The roads too had opened up which were now motorable after the seasonal land and mudslides were cleared. 

We got to see clear blue skies and warm days, though the nights were chilly and we did need to wear woollies, even inside. During the day, the sun shone brightly, without a dark cloud in sight. Operative word being 'dark'; the clouds we could not escape for we were in the land of clouds, after all :).  

Everywhere around us, amongst the emerald green of forests and ferns, there were plenty of colours. All seemed to be thriving in the warmth after the cold, wet spell. Almost as if spring had arrived in October :)

Sometimes, photographs can express it better than words.

Emerald green paddy fields surrounded by greener forests 

The land of clouds where green is an alluring backdrop for brightly coloured flowers

A fern bank lining the roadside. If one ignored the 'modern' road, it could have been straight out of middle-earth (from Lord Of The Rings that is)

Wild flowers on the road side

Cheery yellow flowers lining village streets

A variety of colours in front of a traditional wooden home

More bright colours in the villages we visited

After the hustle and bustle of cities and the concrete jungles we've surrounded ourselves with, the colours were definitely a sight for sore eyes and the unpolluted atmosphere a balm for our bodies and minds.