Cherrapunji, India

In India, travelers will have an opportunity to visit a small town of Cherrapunji, which is considered the rainiest settlement in the world. It's raining here literally every day. On average, it's about 12 000 mm of rainfall per year. About 10 000 people constantly live in the town. Daily walks down the street with an umbrella or raincoat become a commonplace for them. The town has a large cement factory, and there are several industrial centers for the extraction of coal and limestone in the surrounding area.

Due to the fact that the soil is constantly washed away by heavy rains, locals don't have opportunities to engage in the agriculture. Trade and working at large industrial plants are main means of livelihood for people. The peculiar landscape of the area forms unusual climatic environment. The town of Cherrapunji is located among the maze of mountains. The mountainous landscape forms continuing funnels of clouds. Only in the period from November to February, rain falls here a little less than in other times of the year.

Five months a year, there are showers every day, but locals have long learned to adapt to these challenging environment. For example, in remote areas where roads after the rain turn into a river, people build live bridges. Such constructions are created using roots of trees. Live bridges have long been one of the main symbols of Cherrapunji. Every day, in spite of the abundance of rain and puddles underfoot, locals go to work, go fishing, and even for a walk. A huge amount of water that is poured on them from the sky in no way affects the daily life of the town. Next - La Rinconada