Majuli, the land between the rivers.
When I was travelling around the northeastern part of India, I kept hearing about Majuli. People said that it was a beautiful island in the middle of the Brahmaputra river. Being someone who is averse to travelling to these "touristy" spots, I was immediately apprehensive about Majuli. I took it as a personal mission to avoid going to Majuli at all costs. If I recall correctly, the first time I heard about Majuli was in Guwahati. I was staying at the Gibbon Backpackers' hostel. This was during the peak monsoon season of 2019. The Brahmaputra was about to overflow. A heavy monsoon meant that the river was a huge swollen mass of brown, muddy water filled with frequent and alarming number of tree branches. Just one look at the river got me wondering how any island could survive in the midst of such an angry river. I remember walking back to the hostel in rain. I wondered if Guwahati could survive this, let alone Majuli. Later that day I learned that Majuli was flooded heavi