I was fortunate enough to hear about the Great Himalayan Bird Count 2009 from a friend of mine. Since I had heard almost a month in advance, we set about planning and re-planning the entire trip. Thanks to the internet, I got all the information regarding our train journey.
Our train journey was going to start from Pune, halt at Delhi and then, to Dehradun. So, this means, we switched trains in Delhi. We quickly got our train booking done, partly online and partly through a friend’s uncle who works in Indian Railways. (Bless him!) With our tickets booked, we got down to some planning of our own, as to what all we would be doing and what all we could do in addition to the count.
I have rarely trekked with big groups. I have always preferred trekking in the company of a selected few friends. But this Bird Count had people from all over India coming in. So, this was definitely going to be a new experience. We reached Dehradun on 7th November, early morning. On our way, we had halted at Delhi, where a college friend was kind enough to host us at his place for the day. He, even, took us around Delhi, showed us the Delhi University where we spotted some nice butterflies and, also, to Janpath and the Natural History Museum. We caught the Dehradun AC Express from Nizammuddin at 11:30 (or so). The night journey was peaceful in the train and so we overslept, only to be woken up by fellow trekkers who had joined us from Mumbai. Quickly, we packed up our bags and took off. We reached the meeting after overspending 500/- due to our own stupid mistake. Thankfully, that was the only occasion where we wasted money on this trip. Touchwood. Money was an important factor in this trip as this was my first self financed trip.
At the briefing, the groups were decided. There were around 10 to 12 groups covering the Garhwal Himalaya. The trek route of the group I had opted for was Barkot-Jankichatti-Yamunotri. The briefing had taken half the day and, finally, we set out at lunch time for Barkot Forest Rest House. Barkot is a small town in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand. On the way there, we stopped at Mussourie around 3 pm, for some lovely aloo parathas and to take in the breathtaking view. The place we stopped at was called Mahak Bhojanalay and, was pretty reasonable. Next stop was a couple of hours later, when another group’s car broke down. After spending some time there, we moved on only to get down an hour later at Dhamta for tea and some snacks. This place was called Chauhan Restaurant and Lodge and was pretty decent plus it had a good toilet. (A very important point to be noted) And then finally, we made it to our destination for the day, Barkot, at 7.45 pm. We made it just in time because it seems that the police put road blocks after sundown to stop vehicles from travelling at night, since it is so dangerous with the deep valley on one side.
Barkot Forest Rest House was, simply put, homely. We freshened up and left for dinner. Most of our meals on this trip comprised of Aloo Paratha. The place where we ate was Avantika Bhojnalaya and Mr Uttam Rawat’s parathas reminded me of home. I can still feel their taste and my mouth still waters. If you ever find yourself in Barkot, that’s the place you should eat at. Then, we went back to the rest house to be greeted by a jackal who it turned out had his whole gang in the area. The next morning, he or one of his fellows was spotted again. Anyway, we turned in for the night and got some much needed rest. Before finally turning to bed, we decided to make some changes in the plan and head directly for Jankichatti and finish the trek to Yamunotri on the same day, in case, the weather played truant. And luckily for us, the decision favoured us.
Next day, early morning (5 am to be precise) we decided to do some birding. But it turned out to be a bad choice since we saw no birds. And then at 6, we find the Asian Barred Owlet perched right outside the rest house and being troubled by a Blue Whistling Thrush. With that we began our bird checklist which by the end of the trip consisted of 35 species. In the vicinity of the Rest House, we spotted Grey Headed Woodpecker, Brown Fronted Woodpecker, a group of Red Billed Blue Magpie, Black Lored Tit, and Great Tit. After a wholesome breakfast of mouth-watering parathas we set off for Jankichatti around 8 am. On the way we spotted the Red Billed Blue Magpie again, Himalyan Treepie, White capped Water Redstart, White Rumped Vulture hovering too far away, and Himalayan Bulbul. We stopped for tea on the way and there on the river bank we found a Crested Kingfisher on a rock. My list of lifers was increasing with each bird spotting. There we also found a lizard with its baby on a rock completely camouflaged. Beautiful sight! Soon after our tea break we chanced upon a flock of lorikeets.
And then, we drove on to Jankichatti, the base village of Yamunotri. And there we found a bird of prey that I have never seen- Lammergier. It was a sight to behold. The ease with which it glided over us left us gaping. It was gliding with a couple of Himalayan Griffons. Turns out, he hangs around in their company in order to pick on the left over’s after the Griffons are done. We quickly stashed our bags at the FRH over there, in order to start our trek. It was almost one in the afternoon when we started our ascent against the strong advice of the forest guard who said that this was not the right time and that we were too late. As it turned out, he was right but our team leader persisted. As things turned out, we trekked Yamunotri without food or water! Now, that I would say was an achievement in itself. The climb was difficult but wonderful. Up and up we went, through the winding stairway. How I wish we could have taken the forest route as I had really wanted to see the Himalayan Monal, their state bird. But it was not to be. So, up we climbed and spotted some Himalayan Langoors, Fantail Flycatcher, Himalayan Woodpecker and a few others. At around 4.30, we finally reached the temple on top and settled for some well earned rest. Thankfully, on our trip down we had the Forest guard to accompany us. We were too tired to go back and, hence, decided to stay back a bit. My friends decided to take a dip in the hot springs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. But I did enjoy dipping my feet in there. It was so refreshing to feel such hot water in such freezing cold weather. Hats off to Mother Nature and geothermal energy!
By the time we started descending, it was dusk and our forest guard was way more than just apprehensive. With the light rapidly fading, we tried to walk as fast as our legs could take us. The apprehension was growing on all of us. And soon it was pitch dark. My Samsung Marine had a good light and that was the only light we had for a long way when I realised we had another torch. But it wasn’t much good. Nonetheless, we now had two torches among four of us. That was a fair number. So, down we went making as much sound as possible to keep the predator at bay. And the predator that I am referring to is the Common Leopard who did pay us a visit, ultimately. My friend had this feeling that we were being followed and I trust his instinct. We were almost at the foothill when I spotted a pair of eyes and he spotted a silhouette slinking away into the woods. The forest guard didn’t utter a word. He knew what it was, he had dreaded it and, now, all he could think of was getting away from this place as fast as we could. So, that is what we did. We were back safely in our FRH at around 7. I can still picture those eyes vividly.
After a hot dinner we discussed our trip so far and then hit the bed. It was a freezing night. I had hoped to start off early morning but that was not to be. We went to pay a visit to the Devi who usually resides at Yamunotri but in winter is brought down to Kharsi village, which was next door. We went around the entire village because our guide wasn’t sure where the Devi was as it is installed on rotational basis in various locations. Thanks to that, we got a good view of the village life there which seemed pretty nice. After the devout had paid their respects, we began our return journey. We had decided that we would do our 10 km trek from Barkot to Yamunotri on our way back but that was not to be. The weather changed and by the time we left, it had started drizzling and, later, we heard that it snowed there. We missed the snow due to our change in plan but if we had stuck to the earlier plan we would have missed our trek to Yamunotri as well. So, things turned out alright I guess. We were back in Barkot by 2 o’clock. And we whiled away our time as it was drizzling outside and we couldn’t do much. Our team leader was very apprehensive about any of us falling sick due to this change in weather, so we stayed put. Dinner as usual was at Mr. Rawat’s. And then we sat up till late night, compiling our checklist.
Next day, we were scheduled to meet the Forest officer, Mr G. Sonar. We discussed our trip with him and he shared some valuable information with us. It was nice talking to him. Breakfast at Rawat’s, and then we were off to Dehradun. We decided to stop intermittently to see if we could add to our checklist but in the end we gave up on the idea since we were seriously running late. We spotted Plumbeous water Redstart, Spotted Forktail Long Tailed Minivet, and Blue Throated Barbet. We had to be back in Dehradun for the final meeting. There we got a pleasant surprise, as it turned out that Tom Alter had graced the occasion with his brother. Turns out they are both nature enthusiasts. Each team’s leader presented his or her team’s experience on their respective treks. With that, concluded the Great Himalayan Bird Count 2009.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A river in the desert-A long drive to Mahdah, Oman
16th October 2009
A river in the desert-A long drive to Mahdah, Oman
My latest trip back home. ( I have finally convinced myself to call that place ‘My Second Home’ because, in many ways, it is.) So, it’s Diwali and I would do anything to escape the noise that inadvertently Diwali brings along with it. One phone call to my Dad and my ticket’s booked and before I know it I am on my way. This was one of my best trips till date (touchwood) provided I overlook the air sickness that I experience on every flight.
Thankfully on this week long trip, I had one weekend on which my whole family would be home. And I hoped it would be spent exploring UAE instead of visiting relatives and smiling at them all day. Hence, you can imagine my surprise when Dad announced that we would be going to this place called Mahdah which was just across the border in Oman. Since I now have a residence visa I can go into Oman without any hassles. So, Friday, early morning (10 am, which is extremely early for my family) we set out in my brother’s car with our equipment of making a barbeque in the middle of the desert as well as with a tent (although I don’t know why we got that along) and some buns for a quick burger in case the barbeque took too long.
It was a long, long, long drive although I didn’t remember to note down the distance.(Lesson learnt- so won’t forget it next time.) We stopped on our way at a masjid for Friday prayers and, at the same time, dad managed to inspect it since he had done its waterproofing work sometime ago. After the males in the family had thanked God for a million things, we were back on track. At the border checkpoint, the officer asked for a National ID card or a passport but didn’t bother to check it. All he checked was whether the car’s insurance was valid in Oman. Good thing we didn’t get dad’s car since he was getting his car insurance renewed. With that done, we went on looking for Mahadah, a place dad had only heard about, where there was supposed to be a river running.
After a long and winding drive we came across a few Pakistanis walking along with big plastic water containers, looking for water to fill. I don’t think they really understood the place that we were looking for. One of them simply made an action, where he raised his hand to his mouth, indicating food, and then pointed in a particular direction which we took to mean that “If you are looking to have food, head that way.” Well, it was past lunchtime so we took his directions and went along. Somewhere along the way, we found cars parked here and there, scattered away. We found a spot where a group of Pakistanis were having a barbecue. We parked near their spot and set out to look for a place where we could set up our barbecue. While the others were getting out of the car, I walked ahead to find out what else the place had to offer.
Now, this place was kind of an oasis. It was right next to the road, had a clump of green trees to sit under, a hill beside it (actually a range of little of hills), water in certain places with fish swimming in it. Plus there was a pipe jutting out of the hill with a constant supply of water. On turning back, I found my brother holding barbecued chicken graciously offered by the Pakistani group. Well, we were starving and who could refuse such an offer. So, we devoured it and when my brother went back to return the stick on which we got the chicken, he came back with more! And when he returned that, he came back with Sweet Lime. It turned out that the Pakistanis had packed up a lot of extra food which I don’t think they wanted to take back. And that is how our marinated fish and the barbecue equipment traveled all the way to Oman and came back without seeing the light of day.
Now, that our tummies were almost full, it was time to move on. But my eyes wandered to the hill and I thought why not climb it and see what lies on top. May be that’s where the river is, maybe that’s where the water is coming from. The path didn’t seem difficult to climb. So all of us agreed to do it. But then we hit the first road block! Someone had thrown fish bones on the path and it was swarming with wasps. The detour was dangerous, to say the least. So, the others backed out. But I was blinded by a desire to prove myself (which in retrospect wasn’t a very good idea.) The hill consisted of extremely loose rocks and one slip and I would be looking at a fracture. Well, those ideas didn’t come to me when I started climbing up and somehow I made it with my heart beating faster than ever. And on top I found, “Flat Land!!!” There was no sign of any water. By this time, I had realized how screwed I was and what an impossible task lay ahead of me of climbing down. And then my heart beat even faster! I couldn’t see my family and I didn’t know what to do. Somehow I managed to keep calm and find my way down. It was scary to say the least but I couldn’t show fear especially in front of my family who already doesn’t understand my love of trekking. So, with my heart in my mouth I went down with no problem at all. I guess my dad guessed I was a bit scared but I am thankful he didn’t make a show of it.
Even after getting down, I was shaking with nervousness which hopefully not many noticed. The Pakistani group was shocked to say the least on seeing that I had disappeared. At least Dad said they were, and when they expressed that shock to my Dad he just shrugged(with pride). Well, I had proved my point! Although I have to admit that was the most least thought of stunt that I have pulled in my life. And I survived (touchwood). I know it seems like I am making a big deal out of climbing a tiny little hill but that hill had such loose rocks which I could easily pull out and, the other thing, I forgot to mention was that it was around 40 degree Celsius out there and the rocks were burning! And so did my palms when I held on to those rocks. So that’s all about my little adventure.
Moving on, we clambered into the car and decided to go further ahead and see if there was anything else to explore and, sure enough, there was. We found the underground river which surfaced only for a short distance. And there were people already bathing in it and most of them were Keralites. (For those who don’t know, UAE has a lot of Keralites) Well, the water was down in a hole sort of a thing and the place was already crowded, so, we didn’t go down. I did find a poor, dead water snake probably killed by a scared human being. (Well, I am sure the snake would have been just as scared as the human when they encountered each other.) The same species of wasps I had encountered earlier were feasting on him. Got a video and then got back in the car. On mutual agreement, we turned back. My sis-in-law made us some burgers since our tummies were beginning to growl again. And, then, we headed back. On the way back, I did spot a Lapwing but I couldn’t manage to get a good look. And that was it. And I forgot to mention the bit of motion sickness I experienced. (I hope to find a cure some day.) Motion sickness is something I have grappled with almost all my life. I love to travel and this seems to be the only hindrance. One day, I hope to be rid of it.
As for the drive to Mahdah, it was great. I am not exactly sure as to whether we ended up in the right place because when I googled Mahdah, I got pictures of a lot of water and boats sailing in it. I didn’t really do much research on it as I thought I am just going to tell you about the place that I visited, no matter what it was called(plus I was too bored to find out more.) It was definitely a trip to remember.
A river in the desert-A long drive to Mahdah, Oman
My latest trip back home. ( I have finally convinced myself to call that place ‘My Second Home’ because, in many ways, it is.) So, it’s Diwali and I would do anything to escape the noise that inadvertently Diwali brings along with it. One phone call to my Dad and my ticket’s booked and before I know it I am on my way. This was one of my best trips till date (touchwood) provided I overlook the air sickness that I experience on every flight.
Thankfully on this week long trip, I had one weekend on which my whole family would be home. And I hoped it would be spent exploring UAE instead of visiting relatives and smiling at them all day. Hence, you can imagine my surprise when Dad announced that we would be going to this place called Mahdah which was just across the border in Oman. Since I now have a residence visa I can go into Oman without any hassles. So, Friday, early morning (10 am, which is extremely early for my family) we set out in my brother’s car with our equipment of making a barbeque in the middle of the desert as well as with a tent (although I don’t know why we got that along) and some buns for a quick burger in case the barbeque took too long.
It was a long, long, long drive although I didn’t remember to note down the distance.(Lesson learnt- so won’t forget it next time.) We stopped on our way at a masjid for Friday prayers and, at the same time, dad managed to inspect it since he had done its waterproofing work sometime ago. After the males in the family had thanked God for a million things, we were back on track. At the border checkpoint, the officer asked for a National ID card or a passport but didn’t bother to check it. All he checked was whether the car’s insurance was valid in Oman. Good thing we didn’t get dad’s car since he was getting his car insurance renewed. With that done, we went on looking for Mahadah, a place dad had only heard about, where there was supposed to be a river running.
After a long and winding drive we came across a few Pakistanis walking along with big plastic water containers, looking for water to fill. I don’t think they really understood the place that we were looking for. One of them simply made an action, where he raised his hand to his mouth, indicating food, and then pointed in a particular direction which we took to mean that “If you are looking to have food, head that way.” Well, it was past lunchtime so we took his directions and went along. Somewhere along the way, we found cars parked here and there, scattered away. We found a spot where a group of Pakistanis were having a barbecue. We parked near their spot and set out to look for a place where we could set up our barbecue. While the others were getting out of the car, I walked ahead to find out what else the place had to offer.
Now, this place was kind of an oasis. It was right next to the road, had a clump of green trees to sit under, a hill beside it (actually a range of little of hills), water in certain places with fish swimming in it. Plus there was a pipe jutting out of the hill with a constant supply of water. On turning back, I found my brother holding barbecued chicken graciously offered by the Pakistani group. Well, we were starving and who could refuse such an offer. So, we devoured it and when my brother went back to return the stick on which we got the chicken, he came back with more! And when he returned that, he came back with Sweet Lime. It turned out that the Pakistanis had packed up a lot of extra food which I don’t think they wanted to take back. And that is how our marinated fish and the barbecue equipment traveled all the way to Oman and came back without seeing the light of day.
Now, that our tummies were almost full, it was time to move on. But my eyes wandered to the hill and I thought why not climb it and see what lies on top. May be that’s where the river is, maybe that’s where the water is coming from. The path didn’t seem difficult to climb. So all of us agreed to do it. But then we hit the first road block! Someone had thrown fish bones on the path and it was swarming with wasps. The detour was dangerous, to say the least. So, the others backed out. But I was blinded by a desire to prove myself (which in retrospect wasn’t a very good idea.) The hill consisted of extremely loose rocks and one slip and I would be looking at a fracture. Well, those ideas didn’t come to me when I started climbing up and somehow I made it with my heart beating faster than ever. And on top I found, “Flat Land!!!” There was no sign of any water. By this time, I had realized how screwed I was and what an impossible task lay ahead of me of climbing down. And then my heart beat even faster! I couldn’t see my family and I didn’t know what to do. Somehow I managed to keep calm and find my way down. It was scary to say the least but I couldn’t show fear especially in front of my family who already doesn’t understand my love of trekking. So, with my heart in my mouth I went down with no problem at all. I guess my dad guessed I was a bit scared but I am thankful he didn’t make a show of it.
Even after getting down, I was shaking with nervousness which hopefully not many noticed. The Pakistani group was shocked to say the least on seeing that I had disappeared. At least Dad said they were, and when they expressed that shock to my Dad he just shrugged(with pride). Well, I had proved my point! Although I have to admit that was the most least thought of stunt that I have pulled in my life. And I survived (touchwood). I know it seems like I am making a big deal out of climbing a tiny little hill but that hill had such loose rocks which I could easily pull out and, the other thing, I forgot to mention was that it was around 40 degree Celsius out there and the rocks were burning! And so did my palms when I held on to those rocks. So that’s all about my little adventure.
Moving on, we clambered into the car and decided to go further ahead and see if there was anything else to explore and, sure enough, there was. We found the underground river which surfaced only for a short distance. And there were people already bathing in it and most of them were Keralites. (For those who don’t know, UAE has a lot of Keralites) Well, the water was down in a hole sort of a thing and the place was already crowded, so, we didn’t go down. I did find a poor, dead water snake probably killed by a scared human being. (Well, I am sure the snake would have been just as scared as the human when they encountered each other.) The same species of wasps I had encountered earlier were feasting on him. Got a video and then got back in the car. On mutual agreement, we turned back. My sis-in-law made us some burgers since our tummies were beginning to growl again. And, then, we headed back. On the way back, I did spot a Lapwing but I couldn’t manage to get a good look. And that was it. And I forgot to mention the bit of motion sickness I experienced. (I hope to find a cure some day.) Motion sickness is something I have grappled with almost all my life. I love to travel and this seems to be the only hindrance. One day, I hope to be rid of it.
As for the drive to Mahdah, it was great. I am not exactly sure as to whether we ended up in the right place because when I googled Mahdah, I got pictures of a lot of water and boats sailing in it. I didn’t really do much research on it as I thought I am just going to tell you about the place that I visited, no matter what it was called(plus I was too bored to find out more.) It was definitely a trip to remember.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Harishchandragad-Trekking into the Clouds
6th October, 2009
Harishchandragad-Trekking into the Clouds
It was more than five years ago that I had first heard of Harishchandragad. It was during an Optional English lecture that Dr. Phadke had talked about the awe-inspiring beauty of the huge cliff at Harishchandragad. (I didn’t know then that the cliff was called Konkan Kada!)This was before I started trekking. But since that day I had always wanted to go there. Somehow the trek never fell through. Being the fatalist that I am, it just reinforced my belief that when something is supposed to happen it will.
And so more than five years later on the 3rd of October, 2009 at 6 am, four other friends and I set out from Shivajinagar on a Pune-Nashik bus. We got down at Ale Phata at 8:15, in order to change buses. The bus ride cost us 60/- each.(for which I have yet to pay!) Since none of us had had breakfast, we ate at a small restaurant out there. Then at 8:45, we managed to catch a bus going to Kalyan, which would drop us at Khubi Phata. We made it there by 10:15. From Kubhi phata, we get a beautiful view of Pimpalgaon Dam. As the sun was shining bright overhead, the water was glistening in all its glory. Luckily, we got a jeep going to Khireshwar which was about a kilometer ahead. Khireshwar is the base village of Harishchandragad. The jeep ride took us barely 10 minutes. The driver pointed out to a lot of vehicles parked in the distance at the other side of the dam. It seems, Abhishek and Aishwarya were somewhere in the vicinity shooting for Raavan. Thankfully, no one was interested in that. So, we moved on to our little village where we had tea at a small hotel called Yaswant I guess. There I found a few chicks and even managed to get hold of one. Cute, cuddly little creatures they are. After the refreshment, we started off at 10:45.
The climb uphill was exhausting. It was after a long gap that I had gone for a trek and it definitely took its toll. Harishchandragad is the second highest peak in Maharashtra, nestled in Malshej ghat. It’s at a height of about 4500 ft. I was pretty disappointed with my stamina. :( On the way up, we spotted a number of butterflies. ( A detailed checklist will be provided at the end) Apart from that we spotted a few birds. (Checklist later) Saw a few mountain loaches in the water and lots of crabs. We found a partial snake skin, also, which a friend of mine quickly snatched up for keepsake. And how can I forget the huge skink who scared me stiff. The reason it scared me so much was that one of my friend’s kept saying that we were going to spot a snake (and he is usually right in such cases). So when I spotted the skink peeping out of a crevice in a rock, my first instinct said it was a snake! (which it thankfully was not since it was right in front of me!) We just seemed to keep going up and up without stopping. Mountains can be so deceiving. Every time we crossed a hill, it seemed that we were near the top only to realize that it was not so. Spotting a kestrel hovering in the strong wind was a nice sight. We had lunch somewhere on the way.
Finally, by the Grace of whoever it might be, we reached the top at 3:45 pm, after five long, unending hours! Actually even after reaching the top, it took us five minutes to realize that we had made it because there was mist all around and we could barely see anything. But the mist cleared to reveal a temple which has been carved out of a single rock. It was beautiful but I was too exhausted to look at it. There we met a group of three photographers who had come the day before and had put up a tent right in front of the temple. They gave us a lot of good information about everything out there and advised us to quickly find a cave for the night since they would get filled up soon. So that’s what we did. We went cave hunting. Thankfully, we found an empty one. The cave had two parts. The inner part was where we would stay and at the entrance was a small corridor type of place which was, unfortunately, occupied by a local villager had set up his cooking stall on the outside of the cave to cater to the trekkers. Honestly, it wasn’t that unfortunate because it was thanks to him that we got hot cups of tea in the cold weather up there. But the smoke of his kerosene stove blew right into the cave, making my eyes water all through the night and not to mention the completely blocked nose. (I might be allergic to smoke is what I realized later on!) We spread our mats and sleeping bags to mark our territory as we were sure there would be more trekkers looking for shelter and we didn’t want an invasion. And then settled for a nice cup of tea. My legs were sore. Every time I got up, I groaned inwardly with the pain. (Felt even more disappointed with myself)
One of the photographers we had met earlier, came to check on us. They had asked us not to go to the Konkan Kada for the evening since there was so much mist. Two of my friends had wanted to see the sunset but we had chucked the plan on their advice. He said the mist had cleared a bit so we could give it a try. He also wanted to show us a wild flower that he had spotted. We readily accepted his offer to accompany us. His two companions joined us. We were barely even half way there when the rain gods let loose their fury (or love, depending on your viewpoint). We were not prepared for the rain at all. It had been clear all day and even the three photographers didn’t expect such hard rain. We kept on for a while but soon realized it was fruitless. It was pouring hard. We were soaked. Thankfully, I had a couple of plastic carry bags for my cameras and mobile. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done! We turned back. I was shivering like hell due to the cold. The senior most photographer apologized on the way back for taking us there in the first place when he himself had advised us not to go. I think he felt really bad that he got us all soaked. And so he treated us to khichdi that he cooked on his stove(which was delicious although I couldn’t savor it due to my bad throat which had got worse due to the smoke.) We slept off with the alarm for 6. We finally managed to pull ourselves out of bed at 7 or something.
The photographers had invited us for breakfast the following morning. We had got food along and didn’t really know whether to accept the invitation or not. The rain gods solved our dilemma though. The rains had lashed out all night and the water seeped into their tent. They were in a pretty bad state in the morning, so, the breakfast invitation stood cancelled. It was drizzling a bit so we decided to take our chance on konkan kada and set out dressed in our rainwear. We had planned to have sandwiches up there. But on the way there, the rains got harder. By the time, we reached there, it was pouring and the mist had covered the valley so there was no view. It was the cliff that I had wanted to really see but I wasn’t very disappointed. The trek till now had been worth it. No regrets. Although I really don’t know why we still had our cheese sandwiches up there on the cliff under a tree with the rain pouring down on us. It was a watery sandwich. We could have easily gone back to the cave and had proper breakfast(which we had ultimately) but we kept to our plan of eating the sandwiches on the cliff! After that we trudged back to our cave dating back to the 11th century. It was quite a feeling to be in such an old cave. And there I had one of the best tomato soups I have ever had, made by a friend. (It was thanks to his cooking that we survived!) To add to that, he made great maggi, which we nicknamed ‘meri cavewali maggi’(like the ad.)
After packing up our things, we started off on our descent. I was apprehensive about it. My shoes had given up on me. The grip was almost gone. There were a lot of rocky patches to cross which had become slippery due to the rains. Plus there were many water falls to wade through. Each step was a struggle to keep my balance. Thankfully, I made it with one fall where I landed on my butt which still hurts! There was a very steep rocky patch which we hadn’t been looking forward to. And believe it or not but there was traffic jam at that very point. Before us, a group from Tech Mahindra had gone down. And some of their group members were stiff with fear. Usually, fellow trekkers help each other out. But their group was too huge to give them a helping hand. They had enough of help. So we managed to move ahead of them. And crossed that rocky patch with no mishaps. After that the trek down was fairly easy but very exhausting. My legs were shaking with exhaustion (more disappointment with myself.) No one else complained which drilled the guilt even further. We made it to the base at 4 pm. The trek was almost done but we weren’t home yet and Pune was more than four hours away.
There was a bus at 5:45, from the village going to Otur which was a little before Ale Phata. We planned to catch it. We were soaking wet. We went to the same place that we had been to in the morning. Changed clothes out there (for which we were charged!) Had Poha which I didn’t really like and then sat waiting for the bus which was exactly on time. The bus ride was bumpy! It took an inner route and finally reached Otur at 7. There we caught a goods carriers and rode in the back up to Ale Phata. It didn’t take long to get there and I was starting to get motion sickness. At Ale phata, we got a Nashik-Pune bus which was packed. So, we had to stand. My aching legs and motion sickness were beginning to bother me. I hoped to make it without vomiting. Bus journeys usually make me sick. Thankfully, I got a seat. Two of my friends got a friendly traveler to chat with, who recounted stories of his trekking days. The bus journey was otherwise uneventful. I made it to Shivajinagar without vomiting. That was an achievement in itself! We made it there by 10 pm and I was home by 10:30 eagerly looking forward to a really hot bath and then to snuggle into bed under a warm blanket. The trek was a success! Touchwood!
Checklist ( It is tentative-Will update it on further confirmation of IDs)
Butterlfies:
Common Rose
Common Indian Crow
Common Gull
Crimson Rose
Yellow Pansy
Blue Pansy
Lemon Pansy Chocolate Pansy
Painted Lady
Plum Judy
Blue Mormon
Common/Angled Pierrot (Need to confirm though)
Tailed Jay
Lime Butterfly
Great Eggfly male
Plain Tiger
Glassy Blue/Common Wanderer (Not sure)
Grass Yellow(Not sure which one)
A Hesperidae species which I need to ID
Blue bottle
Common Leopard Plus two moths which I need to ID
Birds:
Rufus Turtle Dove
Shikra
Red Vented Bulbul
Blue Jay
White Throated Kingfisher
Cattle Egrets-Near the dam
Common Myna
Sparrows
Marsh harrier-Near the dam
Grey heron(Not sure)-Near the dam
ducks(No clue of species)-Near the dam
Kestrel
Brahminy Myna
Malabar Whistling Thrush
Larks (Need to ID the species)
Pied-bushchat (both male and female)
Crow pheasant
Ashy prinia
Yellow eyed babbler
Small Green Bee eater Heard a Cuckoo call
Harishchandragad-Trekking into the Clouds
It was more than five years ago that I had first heard of Harishchandragad. It was during an Optional English lecture that Dr. Phadke had talked about the awe-inspiring beauty of the huge cliff at Harishchandragad. (I didn’t know then that the cliff was called Konkan Kada!)This was before I started trekking. But since that day I had always wanted to go there. Somehow the trek never fell through. Being the fatalist that I am, it just reinforced my belief that when something is supposed to happen it will.
And so more than five years later on the 3rd of October, 2009 at 6 am, four other friends and I set out from Shivajinagar on a Pune-Nashik bus. We got down at Ale Phata at 8:15, in order to change buses. The bus ride cost us 60/- each.(for which I have yet to pay!) Since none of us had had breakfast, we ate at a small restaurant out there. Then at 8:45, we managed to catch a bus going to Kalyan, which would drop us at Khubi Phata. We made it there by 10:15. From Kubhi phata, we get a beautiful view of Pimpalgaon Dam. As the sun was shining bright overhead, the water was glistening in all its glory. Luckily, we got a jeep going to Khireshwar which was about a kilometer ahead. Khireshwar is the base village of Harishchandragad. The jeep ride took us barely 10 minutes. The driver pointed out to a lot of vehicles parked in the distance at the other side of the dam. It seems, Abhishek and Aishwarya were somewhere in the vicinity shooting for Raavan. Thankfully, no one was interested in that. So, we moved on to our little village where we had tea at a small hotel called Yaswant I guess. There I found a few chicks and even managed to get hold of one. Cute, cuddly little creatures they are. After the refreshment, we started off at 10:45.
The climb uphill was exhausting. It was after a long gap that I had gone for a trek and it definitely took its toll. Harishchandragad is the second highest peak in Maharashtra, nestled in Malshej ghat. It’s at a height of about 4500 ft. I was pretty disappointed with my stamina. :( On the way up, we spotted a number of butterflies. ( A detailed checklist will be provided at the end) Apart from that we spotted a few birds. (Checklist later) Saw a few mountain loaches in the water and lots of crabs. We found a partial snake skin, also, which a friend of mine quickly snatched up for keepsake. And how can I forget the huge skink who scared me stiff. The reason it scared me so much was that one of my friend’s kept saying that we were going to spot a snake (and he is usually right in such cases). So when I spotted the skink peeping out of a crevice in a rock, my first instinct said it was a snake! (which it thankfully was not since it was right in front of me!) We just seemed to keep going up and up without stopping. Mountains can be so deceiving. Every time we crossed a hill, it seemed that we were near the top only to realize that it was not so. Spotting a kestrel hovering in the strong wind was a nice sight. We had lunch somewhere on the way.
Finally, by the Grace of whoever it might be, we reached the top at 3:45 pm, after five long, unending hours! Actually even after reaching the top, it took us five minutes to realize that we had made it because there was mist all around and we could barely see anything. But the mist cleared to reveal a temple which has been carved out of a single rock. It was beautiful but I was too exhausted to look at it. There we met a group of three photographers who had come the day before and had put up a tent right in front of the temple. They gave us a lot of good information about everything out there and advised us to quickly find a cave for the night since they would get filled up soon. So that’s what we did. We went cave hunting. Thankfully, we found an empty one. The cave had two parts. The inner part was where we would stay and at the entrance was a small corridor type of place which was, unfortunately, occupied by a local villager had set up his cooking stall on the outside of the cave to cater to the trekkers. Honestly, it wasn’t that unfortunate because it was thanks to him that we got hot cups of tea in the cold weather up there. But the smoke of his kerosene stove blew right into the cave, making my eyes water all through the night and not to mention the completely blocked nose. (I might be allergic to smoke is what I realized later on!) We spread our mats and sleeping bags to mark our territory as we were sure there would be more trekkers looking for shelter and we didn’t want an invasion. And then settled for a nice cup of tea. My legs were sore. Every time I got up, I groaned inwardly with the pain. (Felt even more disappointed with myself)
One of the photographers we had met earlier, came to check on us. They had asked us not to go to the Konkan Kada for the evening since there was so much mist. Two of my friends had wanted to see the sunset but we had chucked the plan on their advice. He said the mist had cleared a bit so we could give it a try. He also wanted to show us a wild flower that he had spotted. We readily accepted his offer to accompany us. His two companions joined us. We were barely even half way there when the rain gods let loose their fury (or love, depending on your viewpoint). We were not prepared for the rain at all. It had been clear all day and even the three photographers didn’t expect such hard rain. We kept on for a while but soon realized it was fruitless. It was pouring hard. We were soaked. Thankfully, I had a couple of plastic carry bags for my cameras and mobile. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done! We turned back. I was shivering like hell due to the cold. The senior most photographer apologized on the way back for taking us there in the first place when he himself had advised us not to go. I think he felt really bad that he got us all soaked. And so he treated us to khichdi that he cooked on his stove(which was delicious although I couldn’t savor it due to my bad throat which had got worse due to the smoke.) We slept off with the alarm for 6. We finally managed to pull ourselves out of bed at 7 or something.
The photographers had invited us for breakfast the following morning. We had got food along and didn’t really know whether to accept the invitation or not. The rain gods solved our dilemma though. The rains had lashed out all night and the water seeped into their tent. They were in a pretty bad state in the morning, so, the breakfast invitation stood cancelled. It was drizzling a bit so we decided to take our chance on konkan kada and set out dressed in our rainwear. We had planned to have sandwiches up there. But on the way there, the rains got harder. By the time, we reached there, it was pouring and the mist had covered the valley so there was no view. It was the cliff that I had wanted to really see but I wasn’t very disappointed. The trek till now had been worth it. No regrets. Although I really don’t know why we still had our cheese sandwiches up there on the cliff under a tree with the rain pouring down on us. It was a watery sandwich. We could have easily gone back to the cave and had proper breakfast(which we had ultimately) but we kept to our plan of eating the sandwiches on the cliff! After that we trudged back to our cave dating back to the 11th century. It was quite a feeling to be in such an old cave. And there I had one of the best tomato soups I have ever had, made by a friend. (It was thanks to his cooking that we survived!) To add to that, he made great maggi, which we nicknamed ‘meri cavewali maggi’(like the ad.)
After packing up our things, we started off on our descent. I was apprehensive about it. My shoes had given up on me. The grip was almost gone. There were a lot of rocky patches to cross which had become slippery due to the rains. Plus there were many water falls to wade through. Each step was a struggle to keep my balance. Thankfully, I made it with one fall where I landed on my butt which still hurts! There was a very steep rocky patch which we hadn’t been looking forward to. And believe it or not but there was traffic jam at that very point. Before us, a group from Tech Mahindra had gone down. And some of their group members were stiff with fear. Usually, fellow trekkers help each other out. But their group was too huge to give them a helping hand. They had enough of help. So we managed to move ahead of them. And crossed that rocky patch with no mishaps. After that the trek down was fairly easy but very exhausting. My legs were shaking with exhaustion (more disappointment with myself.) No one else complained which drilled the guilt even further. We made it to the base at 4 pm. The trek was almost done but we weren’t home yet and Pune was more than four hours away.
There was a bus at 5:45, from the village going to Otur which was a little before Ale Phata. We planned to catch it. We were soaking wet. We went to the same place that we had been to in the morning. Changed clothes out there (for which we were charged!) Had Poha which I didn’t really like and then sat waiting for the bus which was exactly on time. The bus ride was bumpy! It took an inner route and finally reached Otur at 7. There we caught a goods carriers and rode in the back up to Ale Phata. It didn’t take long to get there and I was starting to get motion sickness. At Ale phata, we got a Nashik-Pune bus which was packed. So, we had to stand. My aching legs and motion sickness were beginning to bother me. I hoped to make it without vomiting. Bus journeys usually make me sick. Thankfully, I got a seat. Two of my friends got a friendly traveler to chat with, who recounted stories of his trekking days. The bus journey was otherwise uneventful. I made it to Shivajinagar without vomiting. That was an achievement in itself! We made it there by 10 pm and I was home by 10:30 eagerly looking forward to a really hot bath and then to snuggle into bed under a warm blanket. The trek was a success! Touchwood!
Checklist ( It is tentative-Will update it on further confirmation of IDs)
Butterlfies:
Common Rose
Common Indian Crow
Common Gull
Crimson Rose
Yellow Pansy
Blue Pansy
Lemon Pansy Chocolate Pansy
Painted Lady
Plum Judy
Blue Mormon
Common/Angled Pierrot (Need to confirm though)
Tailed Jay
Lime Butterfly
Great Eggfly male
Plain Tiger
Glassy Blue/Common Wanderer (Not sure)
Grass Yellow(Not sure which one)
A Hesperidae species which I need to ID
Blue bottle
Common Leopard Plus two moths which I need to ID
Birds:
Rufus Turtle Dove
Shikra
Red Vented Bulbul
Blue Jay
White Throated Kingfisher
Cattle Egrets-Near the dam
Common Myna
Sparrows
Marsh harrier-Near the dam
Grey heron(Not sure)-Near the dam
ducks(No clue of species)-Near the dam
Kestrel
Brahminy Myna
Malabar Whistling Thrush
Larks (Need to ID the species)
Pied-bushchat (both male and female)
Crow pheasant
Ashy prinia
Yellow eyed babbler
Small Green Bee eater Heard a Cuckoo call
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Purandar-I should have trekked there!
12th September, 2009
Purandar-I should have trekked there!
I had missed the last time my friends went trekking to Purandar. Wonder where I was??? Anyway, I convinced them to go back since they hadn’t gone all the way up. So, we got onto our bikes ( at around 8.30 I believe) and made our way to Solapur road. It is not difficult to find your way as long as you take the correct right turn at Saswad Phata. It could get a bit confusing since there is a bus stop at the turn which is very crowded. I don’t remember exactly where but somewhere along the way you pass the infamous Urali Devachi. I had only heard of the place before but now I can understand why the poor people out there were protesting. The mountains of garbage out there are unbelievable.
The route mainly follows the main road except that you have to take a left turn from the main road in order to get into Purandar village which then leads you on to the foothills of Purandar fort. Since, the rest of the group had already trekked to the fort, this time we decided to go on our bikes. The road didn’t look too good but we didn’t think it would be too bad either. However, we were proved wrong. That road may be motorable for cars but for bikes with not-so-good shock-absorbers it can leave you with a backache. It definitely left me with one since I already have a weak back. The road winds a long way through the mountain but the view keeps you engaged.
I think it was the first time that I saw the Indian Tree pie around here. I have seen it on my two trips to Kerala but never around Pune. Although I am told it is not an uncommon sight out here. We also saw the Malabar Whistling Thrush whose ID a friend confirmed. We might have seen a Short toed Eagle but didn’t get a definite ID. It was definitely an eagle but not sure as to exactly which one. It was spotted at the water reservoir near the top (which, by the way, looked very tempting for a swim.) The road to the very top was barricaded for some reason and no one was in a mood to trek further up, so, we turned around and trudged back on the graveled road on our iron horses.
Earlier, we had had a measly breakfast at Samarth Wadapav in Saswad mainly owing to the fact that all the money we had added upto Rs.50/- After breakfast, we thankfully found an ATM. On our way back, we stopped at the same place but had a more filling lunch. We were back home by around three which made the trip all the more worthwhile because we still had the rest of the day to ourselves.
Purandar-I should have trekked there!
I had missed the last time my friends went trekking to Purandar. Wonder where I was??? Anyway, I convinced them to go back since they hadn’t gone all the way up. So, we got onto our bikes ( at around 8.30 I believe) and made our way to Solapur road. It is not difficult to find your way as long as you take the correct right turn at Saswad Phata. It could get a bit confusing since there is a bus stop at the turn which is very crowded. I don’t remember exactly where but somewhere along the way you pass the infamous Urali Devachi. I had only heard of the place before but now I can understand why the poor people out there were protesting. The mountains of garbage out there are unbelievable.
The route mainly follows the main road except that you have to take a left turn from the main road in order to get into Purandar village which then leads you on to the foothills of Purandar fort. Since, the rest of the group had already trekked to the fort, this time we decided to go on our bikes. The road didn’t look too good but we didn’t think it would be too bad either. However, we were proved wrong. That road may be motorable for cars but for bikes with not-so-good shock-absorbers it can leave you with a backache. It definitely left me with one since I already have a weak back. The road winds a long way through the mountain but the view keeps you engaged.
I think it was the first time that I saw the Indian Tree pie around here. I have seen it on my two trips to Kerala but never around Pune. Although I am told it is not an uncommon sight out here. We also saw the Malabar Whistling Thrush whose ID a friend confirmed. We might have seen a Short toed Eagle but didn’t get a definite ID. It was definitely an eagle but not sure as to exactly which one. It was spotted at the water reservoir near the top (which, by the way, looked very tempting for a swim.) The road to the very top was barricaded for some reason and no one was in a mood to trek further up, so, we turned around and trudged back on the graveled road on our iron horses.
Earlier, we had had a measly breakfast at Samarth Wadapav in Saswad mainly owing to the fact that all the money we had added upto Rs.50/- After breakfast, we thankfully found an ATM. On our way back, we stopped at the same place but had a more filling lunch. We were back home by around three which made the trip all the more worthwhile because we still had the rest of the day to ourselves.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Flowers in the Mist
9th September,2009, Pune
Flowers in the Mist
Flowers in the Mist
The rains are a clarion call for avid trekkers and nature lovers to head for the mountains. And when you are living in Pune with the Sahyadri ranges in close proximity, who can resist that itch which drives you to the arms of nature. This monsoon has not taken me outdoors much. A lot of plans never really materialized and I was beginning to lose hope when someone mentioned the Kaas plateau and its flowers. Two years back, the Kaarvi had flowered and as often as I miss a lot of things, I missed that too. But I had always wanted to visit Kaas and thankfully, this time, things fell into place.
So, we set out on motorbikes early at 8 am on a Sunday. The route we followed was from Satara road leading to Katraj and then on NH4. The route is easy enough to follow with the milestones making sure that you don’t lose your way. Plus, the road is one way. So, there isn’t much of a traffic problem. Satara is located about 115 kilometers from Pune and it took us, approximately, three hours to reach the main city with one tea break included and one break to answer nature’s call. The stretch through Khambatki Ghat has some scenic views of lakes and small ponds. Definitely worth a few clicks.
On reaching Satara, we were directed towards Rajwada and then to the main bus stop of the city. Past the bus stop, starts the ascent to Kaas plateau. We didn’t really know the route after we left the highway, but on asking around it, was pretty easy to be set on the right track. From the highway, Kaas is approximately 25 kilometers away. Covering this stretch took us almost another hour since we stopped so often to take in the breathtaking view and for some more pictures.
25 kilometers away is the milestone proclaiming that you have reached Kaas but what you have actually reached is the lake which was bathed in mist and looked really enticing. The monsoon shower added to its beauty. So, we retraced our steps a few kilometers back where lies the actual plateau. Having seen pictures of Kaas earlier, I had expected a widespread bed of flowers. Although I didn’t get a huge bed of flowers, there were definitely long stretches which kept me enthralled. The whole plateau was covered in mist and it was difficult to see much further ahead. The moisture was beginning to soak into our clothes in spite of the rain wear.
Time was running short, we wanted to be back in Pune by six. It was already two. So, we made a quick phone call to a friend in Pune who is originally from Satara to ask about the best place to have lunch out there. Thankfully, the place he suggested wasn’t too far away. His directions were simple, while going back when we reach the milestone that says 7 kilometers to Satara, we will find Prakruti. And we really did find Prakruti as the place is more of a nature resort. The place was actually an Ayurvedic center which also had a small restaurant. We ordered Veg Thalis for all which to our surprise was lovely. The meals are decently priced in spite of the place being located so far away. Whenever I go back to Kaas, I will definitely eat out there for sure!
At about three, we finally began our journey back home. Finding our way back to the highway wasn’t very difficult. And then, there were always the milestones to guide us. The ride back was much shorter. We made it in two and a half hours with one tea break again and another to answer nature’s call.
I never realized Satara and Kaas were so near. All I had to do was look up on the internet and I got a plan readymade. I have always wanted to just pick up my bag, get on the bike and visit a new place without putting in days of planning. Finally, I managed to do it and hope to keep doing it.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Definitely Dent’s your Imagination (Reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
24th August, 2009; 3:30pm; Pune
Definitely Dent’s your Imagination (Reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
I still remember the first time I heard about this book by Douglas Adams. It was almost two years ago during a Literary Criticism lecture. Although I don’t remember in what context but I guess it probably had something to do with defamiliarization. I tried several times to get my hands on that books but it just never happened. I have always believed that if you are meant to read a book, that book will somehow find its way to you. ( An excuse I often use to avoid reading a book actually ;)
Anyway, by sheer chance a friend of mine happened to have The Ultimate Edition of the whole series and I borrowed it. And, thus, I hitched a ride onto this Guide. And the journey I must say was definitely one of a kind. The book begins with the destruction of the earth thereby breaking the only tangible thing in the life of the main character, Arthur Dent. From then on, he embarks on a journey that he would otherwise have thought completely nonsensical. The author surely puts forth some original ideas like the mice being the one’s experimenting on humans and not the other way round, or how the dolphins end up saving the earth.
The edition I read had the entire series, so I ended up reading it in one go. The author seemed to have sustained the tempo throughout the series. I usually tend to get fed up by the repetitiveness that comes about in a series but this one surely left me satisfied with not much to complain about.
Definitely Dent’s your Imagination (Reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
I still remember the first time I heard about this book by Douglas Adams. It was almost two years ago during a Literary Criticism lecture. Although I don’t remember in what context but I guess it probably had something to do with defamiliarization. I tried several times to get my hands on that books but it just never happened. I have always believed that if you are meant to read a book, that book will somehow find its way to you. ( An excuse I often use to avoid reading a book actually ;)
Anyway, by sheer chance a friend of mine happened to have The Ultimate Edition of the whole series and I borrowed it. And, thus, I hitched a ride onto this Guide. And the journey I must say was definitely one of a kind. The book begins with the destruction of the earth thereby breaking the only tangible thing in the life of the main character, Arthur Dent. From then on, he embarks on a journey that he would otherwise have thought completely nonsensical. The author surely puts forth some original ideas like the mice being the one’s experimenting on humans and not the other way round, or how the dolphins end up saving the earth.
The edition I read had the entire series, so I ended up reading it in one go. The author seemed to have sustained the tempo throughout the series. I usually tend to get fed up by the repetitiveness that comes about in a series but this one surely left me satisfied with not much to complain about.
Friday, July 31, 2009
A Month in the Hills of Kottayam, Kerala
31st July, 2009 – 1.38 pm, Pune
A Month in the Hills of Kottayam, Kerala
On the 12th of June, two of my friends from the English Dept, University of Pune and I boarded the CST- Kanyakumari Express (more commonly known as Jayanti Janata to the Mallus) which would take us to Kottayam. The reason we were on our way to Kottayam was that we had applied for the VII Theory/Praxis course which is conducted by the Board of Contemporary Theory, Baroda. When we had applied, we were really enthusiastic about going for the course but as the day of departure got closer, our enthusiasm waned. On the day that we were supposed to leave I kept thinking of excuses about why I should opt out of this. But I didn’t let Annie or Pradnya know about it since I was the one who had been most interested in going for the course in the first place. I couldn’t just back out of this at the last moment. So, I didn’t. We got onto the train. When the train had just left the station I told them about how I was having second thoughts about going. Both at once broke out as to how even they had those same thoughts and we realized that if we had shared these thoughts with each other, we wouldn’t be on this train. So, I guess I was meant to be on that train.
The train starts from CST, Mumbai, then we enter a portion of Karnataka and then Tamil Nadu and finally Kerala. It takes 36 hours and it doesn’t go via Konkan railway which is supposedly the more scenic route. My advice is that if you are travelling to Kerala, book well in advance on a train that goes on the Konkan railway. The trains are cleaner and the scenery is better. But to catch a Konkan railway train you would have to go to Panvel. So that was one of the reasons we were going on this slow and filthy train. The train journey was not very memorable except that I picked up a fight with around 8 men who were bent on usurping our seats for a game of cards. Well, I won the argument and got my seat but had to put up with their nuisance in the adjacent seats for the rest of the journey. Those idiots were pilgrims going to Sabrimala! I couldn’t believe that men of God could be like that.
We reached Kottayam early morning around six. Caught a rickshaw and stuffed our luggage in there. The rickshaw trip was a novel experience. The place we were headed to was on top of a hill. Considering our luggage and the strength of the rickshaw I didn’t think the rickshaw would have been able to pull through. More than once I got the feeling that we would go tumbling backwards. But we made it. The accommodation was in a convent- Apostolic Oblates Spirituality Centre, Manganam. The sisters seemed very nice and our rooms seemed pretty nice too. But soon after we had settled into our rooms we noticed black beetles crawling everywhere. I still have nightmares about them. They are called vand in Malayalam. Pretty harmless creatures but they gross you out when they gather in colonies in all corners of the room.
This retreat was surrounded by rubber plantations and huge tall trees. The retreat itself was very beautiful. The sisters had their own garden in a way filled with all the flowers that I had ever seen in my life. But a lot of those plants were exotic and ornamental. But they had their own vegetable patch too and some fruit trees like chickoo, banana, lichee, guava and some indigenous fruits. Among the birds, Indian Tree Pies were a common sight, plus the Large Green Barbet, White Throated Kingfisher, Caucal, Common Crows, Common Indian Myna. I spotted the Black naped Oriole and Silver beak Munias once or twice. Among the butterflies, Common Rose was extremely common. The others include Glassy Blue Tiger, Chocolate Pansy, Grey Pansy, Lemon Pansy, Grass Yellows, Common Indian Crow, Danaid Eggfly, Great Eggfly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get many pictures of these beautiful creatures.
As for the tourist attractions in Kottayam city, there aren’t many. There were a couple of churches we visited namely Cheriapally and Veriapally, which mean small church and big church, respectively in Malayalam. In Cheriapally, the priest gave us a guided tour inside the pulpit which wasn’t all that big but had paintings on the wall dating to the 13th century. At Veriapally was the Persian cross which is a major attraction it seems. Around the cross is an inscription which has not yet been deciphered. The church lies on the banks of the Meenachar river which is mentioned in Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things. Incidentally, this town is her native place and her mother runs a school a couple of kilometers from the place where we were staying. Apart from these churches there is a Shiva Temple which we could not visit. But I have heard it is beautiful.
One of our Sundays was spent on a house boat in the backwaters of Allepy. Allepy is located about three hours away from Kottayam and we had hired a bus which cost Rs.5000/- To rent an entire house boat for the day costs you Rs.12000/- which includes lunch consisting of sumptuous carimeen (Pearl spot in English). The boat starts from Allepy and takes you to the Vembanad lake from where you get a view of Kumarakom Wildlife sanctuary. The day on the house boat was an amazing experience. The Vembanad lake is huge. Khadakwasla seems like a little baby before it. Sightings on this day include Cormorants, Darter birds, Cattle Egrets, Pond Herons, Purple Heron, and a huge kingfisher which I have not been able to ID. As for the butterflies, the only one I remember spotting is the Southern Birdwing. Along the backwaters we visited another church from the 16th century. Although the present church had been built recently, it was originally a hut established in the 16th century.
The next Sunday we travelled to Cochin in a hired car. It cost us Rs.500/- each for the car. We started out at 5 in the morning and reached Cochin by 7.30, I think. We were there to appear for an exam, so we didn’t end up doing much out there. In the evening, on our way back I spotted a woodpecker. We crossed over the Periyar river which is huge. All the rivers in Kerala leave you gaping at them in disbelief especially after seeing the tiny streams which pass off for rivers in Pune. The highway from Cochin to Kottayam is actually very narrow and winds through the hills. In the early morning, we had missed the scenery but on the way back we could enjoy the scenic beauty.
The Sunday after that we set out for Kumarakom. We caught a bus to Nagampadam bus station which is about half n hour away and from there we got a bus to Kumarakom which charged us Rs.8/- each. The bus transport in Kerala is very efficient and cheap mostly due to the private buses plying on all routes. Even the rickshaw fares are same all over. No one tries to cheat you unlike in Pune. Kumarakom is 14 kms away from Kottayam and it took us more than an hour to get there probably because the bus took a longer route. At Kumarakom, we could either hire a boat which would take us on the Vembanad lake. It would cost us Rs.350/- for a couple of hours. We wanted to walk in the forest so we simply bought entry tickets to the sanctuary which cost Rs.5/- each. The walk through the forest was lovely. Although it was very mucky due to the rains, it was nonetheless enjoyable. You can’t really go much into the forest so our walk was really short. I think we just went about three kilometers inside. Kumarakom had a lot of water birds. We saw roosts of Cormorants and Cattle Egrets. This place supposedly had a huge number of Darters and Spoonbills. Although I didn’t spot any Spoonbills, there were plenty of Darters around. I spotted another big Kingfisher. While we were in the sanctuary it started pouring heavily. But the view of the lake became even more beautiful thanks to the rains. The forest guard told us that we could get a government jetty across the lake to a place called Muhama. Although there was no need for us to go to this place, we really wanted to get on the boat. In order to get back to Kottayam, we would have to go to Allepy from Muhama, then Changanacherry and then Kottayam. Since we had time on our hands we decided to do that and the boat trip just cost Rs.5/- each compared to the 400/- for the houseboat. When we landed at Muhama, the others didn’t really want to continue with this plan. They were soaked and didn’t really like it I guess. So we decided to catch the boat back to Kumarakom and catch a bus back. Anyway, the boat ride was great and cheap. I spotted huge flocks of Cormorants on the lake and a solitary Southern Birdwing.
My last visit to Kerala was in December 2007 and I had felt that the place was as green as green could be but Kerala in the monsoons was another experience altogether. The greenery was everywhere. And it was simply heavenly.
A Month in the Hills of Kottayam, Kerala
On the 12th of June, two of my friends from the English Dept, University of Pune and I boarded the CST- Kanyakumari Express (more commonly known as Jayanti Janata to the Mallus) which would take us to Kottayam. The reason we were on our way to Kottayam was that we had applied for the VII Theory/Praxis course which is conducted by the Board of Contemporary Theory, Baroda. When we had applied, we were really enthusiastic about going for the course but as the day of departure got closer, our enthusiasm waned. On the day that we were supposed to leave I kept thinking of excuses about why I should opt out of this. But I didn’t let Annie or Pradnya know about it since I was the one who had been most interested in going for the course in the first place. I couldn’t just back out of this at the last moment. So, I didn’t. We got onto the train. When the train had just left the station I told them about how I was having second thoughts about going. Both at once broke out as to how even they had those same thoughts and we realized that if we had shared these thoughts with each other, we wouldn’t be on this train. So, I guess I was meant to be on that train.
The train starts from CST, Mumbai, then we enter a portion of Karnataka and then Tamil Nadu and finally Kerala. It takes 36 hours and it doesn’t go via Konkan railway which is supposedly the more scenic route. My advice is that if you are travelling to Kerala, book well in advance on a train that goes on the Konkan railway. The trains are cleaner and the scenery is better. But to catch a Konkan railway train you would have to go to Panvel. So that was one of the reasons we were going on this slow and filthy train. The train journey was not very memorable except that I picked up a fight with around 8 men who were bent on usurping our seats for a game of cards. Well, I won the argument and got my seat but had to put up with their nuisance in the adjacent seats for the rest of the journey. Those idiots were pilgrims going to Sabrimala! I couldn’t believe that men of God could be like that.
We reached Kottayam early morning around six. Caught a rickshaw and stuffed our luggage in there. The rickshaw trip was a novel experience. The place we were headed to was on top of a hill. Considering our luggage and the strength of the rickshaw I didn’t think the rickshaw would have been able to pull through. More than once I got the feeling that we would go tumbling backwards. But we made it. The accommodation was in a convent- Apostolic Oblates Spirituality Centre, Manganam. The sisters seemed very nice and our rooms seemed pretty nice too. But soon after we had settled into our rooms we noticed black beetles crawling everywhere. I still have nightmares about them. They are called vand in Malayalam. Pretty harmless creatures but they gross you out when they gather in colonies in all corners of the room.
This retreat was surrounded by rubber plantations and huge tall trees. The retreat itself was very beautiful. The sisters had their own garden in a way filled with all the flowers that I had ever seen in my life. But a lot of those plants were exotic and ornamental. But they had their own vegetable patch too and some fruit trees like chickoo, banana, lichee, guava and some indigenous fruits. Among the birds, Indian Tree Pies were a common sight, plus the Large Green Barbet, White Throated Kingfisher, Caucal, Common Crows, Common Indian Myna. I spotted the Black naped Oriole and Silver beak Munias once or twice. Among the butterflies, Common Rose was extremely common. The others include Glassy Blue Tiger, Chocolate Pansy, Grey Pansy, Lemon Pansy, Grass Yellows, Common Indian Crow, Danaid Eggfly, Great Eggfly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get many pictures of these beautiful creatures.
As for the tourist attractions in Kottayam city, there aren’t many. There were a couple of churches we visited namely Cheriapally and Veriapally, which mean small church and big church, respectively in Malayalam. In Cheriapally, the priest gave us a guided tour inside the pulpit which wasn’t all that big but had paintings on the wall dating to the 13th century. At Veriapally was the Persian cross which is a major attraction it seems. Around the cross is an inscription which has not yet been deciphered. The church lies on the banks of the Meenachar river which is mentioned in Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things. Incidentally, this town is her native place and her mother runs a school a couple of kilometers from the place where we were staying. Apart from these churches there is a Shiva Temple which we could not visit. But I have heard it is beautiful.
One of our Sundays was spent on a house boat in the backwaters of Allepy. Allepy is located about three hours away from Kottayam and we had hired a bus which cost Rs.5000/- To rent an entire house boat for the day costs you Rs.12000/- which includes lunch consisting of sumptuous carimeen (Pearl spot in English). The boat starts from Allepy and takes you to the Vembanad lake from where you get a view of Kumarakom Wildlife sanctuary. The day on the house boat was an amazing experience. The Vembanad lake is huge. Khadakwasla seems like a little baby before it. Sightings on this day include Cormorants, Darter birds, Cattle Egrets, Pond Herons, Purple Heron, and a huge kingfisher which I have not been able to ID. As for the butterflies, the only one I remember spotting is the Southern Birdwing. Along the backwaters we visited another church from the 16th century. Although the present church had been built recently, it was originally a hut established in the 16th century.
The next Sunday we travelled to Cochin in a hired car. It cost us Rs.500/- each for the car. We started out at 5 in the morning and reached Cochin by 7.30, I think. We were there to appear for an exam, so we didn’t end up doing much out there. In the evening, on our way back I spotted a woodpecker. We crossed over the Periyar river which is huge. All the rivers in Kerala leave you gaping at them in disbelief especially after seeing the tiny streams which pass off for rivers in Pune. The highway from Cochin to Kottayam is actually very narrow and winds through the hills. In the early morning, we had missed the scenery but on the way back we could enjoy the scenic beauty.
The Sunday after that we set out for Kumarakom. We caught a bus to Nagampadam bus station which is about half n hour away and from there we got a bus to Kumarakom which charged us Rs.8/- each. The bus transport in Kerala is very efficient and cheap mostly due to the private buses plying on all routes. Even the rickshaw fares are same all over. No one tries to cheat you unlike in Pune. Kumarakom is 14 kms away from Kottayam and it took us more than an hour to get there probably because the bus took a longer route. At Kumarakom, we could either hire a boat which would take us on the Vembanad lake. It would cost us Rs.350/- for a couple of hours. We wanted to walk in the forest so we simply bought entry tickets to the sanctuary which cost Rs.5/- each. The walk through the forest was lovely. Although it was very mucky due to the rains, it was nonetheless enjoyable. You can’t really go much into the forest so our walk was really short. I think we just went about three kilometers inside. Kumarakom had a lot of water birds. We saw roosts of Cormorants and Cattle Egrets. This place supposedly had a huge number of Darters and Spoonbills. Although I didn’t spot any Spoonbills, there were plenty of Darters around. I spotted another big Kingfisher. While we were in the sanctuary it started pouring heavily. But the view of the lake became even more beautiful thanks to the rains. The forest guard told us that we could get a government jetty across the lake to a place called Muhama. Although there was no need for us to go to this place, we really wanted to get on the boat. In order to get back to Kottayam, we would have to go to Allepy from Muhama, then Changanacherry and then Kottayam. Since we had time on our hands we decided to do that and the boat trip just cost Rs.5/- each compared to the 400/- for the houseboat. When we landed at Muhama, the others didn’t really want to continue with this plan. They were soaked and didn’t really like it I guess. So we decided to catch the boat back to Kumarakom and catch a bus back. Anyway, the boat ride was great and cheap. I spotted huge flocks of Cormorants on the lake and a solitary Southern Birdwing.
My last visit to Kerala was in December 2007 and I had felt that the place was as green as green could be but Kerala in the monsoons was another experience altogether. The greenery was everywhere. And it was simply heavenly.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Underwater Magic or Mayhem in Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
17th May, 2009- 9.45 am, Dubai, UAE
Yesterday, my brother and bhabhi took me to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo located in Dubai Mall, the world’s largest mall. This Kingdom sure has a thing for building the largest, biggest, tallest (and sometimes the stupidest things) in the world. Even the aquarium is the world’s largest indoor marine mammal pavilion. And on the way to Dubai Mall I also saw the world’s tallest tower in the making, Burj Dubai.
At first sight, the walkthrough tunnel leaves you staring wide eyed at the sharks that greet you right at the entrance. The tunnel houses five different species of sharks including the huge Sand Tiger Sharks and the comparatively smaller Reef Sharks among others. Never ever did I think that I would be seeing sharks on my visit to Dubai but I must agree that Dubai never fails to surprise me. On my last visit I was mesmerized by the Birds of Prey show which showcased raptors mostly from the European countries. And this time I witnessed marine life that I think was mostly picked up from Australian waters.
Coming back to the sharks, their sheer number at first shocked me and then I began to wonder how these aggressive creatures had been tamed and made to live in such large shoals. As far as I had heard predatory creatures prefer to be solitary. On getting back home, I checked up on the info about this aquarium and sure as hell I found a news excerpt detailing the shark fights that had occurred when the tunnel was being set up with over 40 shark deaths being reported due to shark fights. (Do we have another Jaws in the making? The only difference being its real and not reel.)
The disadvantages apart it is definitely an unforgettable learning experience. I don’t recall how much time I spent inside the tunnel. ( My brother and Bhabhi would remember better since they were the ones waiting outside for me.) I was dumbstruck at the sheer variety and size of the creatures that I saw before me. In addition to the sharks I have already mentioned (and criticized) there were rays (including stings rays and another species which the guide out there said was a combination of a ray from its back and a shark in the front), there were Giant Groupers which were HUGE. The local name of this fish is Hamoor. Its giantness is evident from the fact that it is more dangerous than a shark and is capable of swallowing an entire shark.
I have forgotten the name of the smallest fish in the tunnel. The guide said it’s the cleaner fish. I remember seeing that fish on Discovery or something. These fish act as cleaning stations. All the fish in the tank have to visit these fish if they wish to remain clean. These little fish enter inside the mouth of even the sharks and the sharks just let them do the cleaning up. (Mother nature’s miracles never cease to surprise me!) I remember seeing some moray eels in there as usual peeping out from some crevices in the rocks. There were shoals of a number of fish. The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater zoo has around 30,000 fish (if the guide is to be believed) but I haven’t found a list of any of the species present online. ( Wonder why?)
A word about the guide- The guide I interacted with was called Athman. Didn’t get a chance to really talk with him since he was surrounded with visitors asking him all sorts of (mostly stupid) questions like why don’t the sharks attack the divers or how thick is the glass and wont it break? But he sure did know some things. Most of my facts first came from him and were then verified online. The one thing I would always remember is him showing us how to differentiate between male and female sharks through their genital organs.
That is all about the tunnel. Now we can move to the Underwater zoo which was again a mesmerizing experience. First in line are the Piranhas. I remember seeing Piranhas at the Baroda Aquarium but I also recall how dingy the place was. This on the other hand is very well kept. From the piranhas onwards I saw marine creatures that I had always dreamt of seeing but never actually thought that I would see them so soon. ( But the dream of seeing them in the wild still remains close to my heart…one day…) Here’s a checklist-
Otters
Water rats
Arowanas
Turtles
Archerfish
Lungfish
Tiger fish
American Paddlefish
Motoro Ray
Poison Dart Frog
Stonefish
Soapfish
Lionfish
Clown Anemone fish
Sea Anemone
Sea Cucumber
Star fish
Spiny Lobster
Sea Urchin
Jelly fish
Bat fish
Domino
Blue Tang, Yellow Tang
Green Chromis
Clown Trigger
Giant Guitarfish
Bat Ray
Stingray
Thornback Ray
Leopard Ray
Eagle Ray
Blue Spotted Stingray
Harbour Seal
Spotted Seahorse
Thorny Seahorse
Flashlight Fish
Pine Cone Fish
Chambered Nautilus
Sea Dragons
Moray Eel
Garden Eel
Humboldt Penguin
One of the guides picked up the Spiny Lobster for me to touch. Seals and penguins were another surprise. There I was staring at about a dozen penguins in front of me. It was like stepping into a show that I was watching on Animal Planet. Life never should cease to surprise you and my visit to Dubai has definitely had its share of surprises already.
I began by talking about the drawbacks of housing so many sharks in the tunnel. I forgot to mention that this is the world’s single largest school of sharks. Not many people would get to see these creatures up close and personal but in the race to be the biggest in everything, it seems the authorities are forgetting that these creatures are of flesh and blood just like us. By bringing these creatures closer to people, who would otherwise remain ignorant of them, the authorities have definitely done a great service to mankind but they should combine this with certain educational activities not just for children but for adults as well.
Yesterday, my brother and bhabhi took me to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo located in Dubai Mall, the world’s largest mall. This Kingdom sure has a thing for building the largest, biggest, tallest (and sometimes the stupidest things) in the world. Even the aquarium is the world’s largest indoor marine mammal pavilion. And on the way to Dubai Mall I also saw the world’s tallest tower in the making, Burj Dubai.
At first sight, the walkthrough tunnel leaves you staring wide eyed at the sharks that greet you right at the entrance. The tunnel houses five different species of sharks including the huge Sand Tiger Sharks and the comparatively smaller Reef Sharks among others. Never ever did I think that I would be seeing sharks on my visit to Dubai but I must agree that Dubai never fails to surprise me. On my last visit I was mesmerized by the Birds of Prey show which showcased raptors mostly from the European countries. And this time I witnessed marine life that I think was mostly picked up from Australian waters.
Coming back to the sharks, their sheer number at first shocked me and then I began to wonder how these aggressive creatures had been tamed and made to live in such large shoals. As far as I had heard predatory creatures prefer to be solitary. On getting back home, I checked up on the info about this aquarium and sure as hell I found a news excerpt detailing the shark fights that had occurred when the tunnel was being set up with over 40 shark deaths being reported due to shark fights. (Do we have another Jaws in the making? The only difference being its real and not reel.)
The disadvantages apart it is definitely an unforgettable learning experience. I don’t recall how much time I spent inside the tunnel. ( My brother and Bhabhi would remember better since they were the ones waiting outside for me.) I was dumbstruck at the sheer variety and size of the creatures that I saw before me. In addition to the sharks I have already mentioned (and criticized) there were rays (including stings rays and another species which the guide out there said was a combination of a ray from its back and a shark in the front), there were Giant Groupers which were HUGE. The local name of this fish is Hamoor. Its giantness is evident from the fact that it is more dangerous than a shark and is capable of swallowing an entire shark.
I have forgotten the name of the smallest fish in the tunnel. The guide said it’s the cleaner fish. I remember seeing that fish on Discovery or something. These fish act as cleaning stations. All the fish in the tank have to visit these fish if they wish to remain clean. These little fish enter inside the mouth of even the sharks and the sharks just let them do the cleaning up. (Mother nature’s miracles never cease to surprise me!) I remember seeing some moray eels in there as usual peeping out from some crevices in the rocks. There were shoals of a number of fish. The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater zoo has around 30,000 fish (if the guide is to be believed) but I haven’t found a list of any of the species present online. ( Wonder why?)
A word about the guide- The guide I interacted with was called Athman. Didn’t get a chance to really talk with him since he was surrounded with visitors asking him all sorts of (mostly stupid) questions like why don’t the sharks attack the divers or how thick is the glass and wont it break? But he sure did know some things. Most of my facts first came from him and were then verified online. The one thing I would always remember is him showing us how to differentiate between male and female sharks through their genital organs.
That is all about the tunnel. Now we can move to the Underwater zoo which was again a mesmerizing experience. First in line are the Piranhas. I remember seeing Piranhas at the Baroda Aquarium but I also recall how dingy the place was. This on the other hand is very well kept. From the piranhas onwards I saw marine creatures that I had always dreamt of seeing but never actually thought that I would see them so soon. ( But the dream of seeing them in the wild still remains close to my heart…one day…) Here’s a checklist-
Otters
Water rats
Arowanas
Turtles
Archerfish
Lungfish
Tiger fish
American Paddlefish
Motoro Ray
Poison Dart Frog
Stonefish
Soapfish
Lionfish
Clown Anemone fish
Sea Anemone
Sea Cucumber
Star fish
Spiny Lobster
Sea Urchin
Jelly fish
Bat fish
Domino
Blue Tang, Yellow Tang
Green Chromis
Clown Trigger
Giant Guitarfish
Bat Ray
Stingray
Thornback Ray
Leopard Ray
Eagle Ray
Blue Spotted Stingray
Harbour Seal
Spotted Seahorse
Thorny Seahorse
Flashlight Fish
Pine Cone Fish
Chambered Nautilus
Sea Dragons
Moray Eel
Garden Eel
Humboldt Penguin
One of the guides picked up the Spiny Lobster for me to touch. Seals and penguins were another surprise. There I was staring at about a dozen penguins in front of me. It was like stepping into a show that I was watching on Animal Planet. Life never should cease to surprise you and my visit to Dubai has definitely had its share of surprises already.
I began by talking about the drawbacks of housing so many sharks in the tunnel. I forgot to mention that this is the world’s single largest school of sharks. Not many people would get to see these creatures up close and personal but in the race to be the biggest in everything, it seems the authorities are forgetting that these creatures are of flesh and blood just like us. By bringing these creatures closer to people, who would otherwise remain ignorant of them, the authorities have definitely done a great service to mankind but they should combine this with certain educational activities not just for children but for adults as well.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Duke's Nose
I know this Post comes almost a year late but I forgot to post it and din't want to waste it. Hope to be less forgetful next time.
Trek to Duke’s Nose on 27th July, 2008
Finally, the rains staged a come back. And with the arrival of the rains, the trekking season for the monsoon has also begun. My first trek of the season was to Duke’s Nose. I know that most of the regular trekkers would say that this is a relatively easier trek. And I would agree with that.
It has been three years since I began trekking but somehow I had never gotten the opportunity to trek to Duke’s nose. So, when I found out that Yuvashakti was organizing its annual trek to this place, I readily agreed.
We were asked to meet at 5 am at Shivajinagar station. We caught Sinhagad express at 6:15 am and got down at Khandala around 7:30 am. From there we walked along the tracks, passed a pipeline and trekked up a little till we reached a plateau. We were served a soggy breakfast since the rains had been pouring down on us.
I had expected that there would be a lot of people but when I saw 400 people, it truly exceeded my expectations. For me, treks are usually a quiet affair where I keep to myself and simply take in the beauty of nature. Silence was something that I definitely did not get on the trek. I made it a point to stay ahead in the massive crowd. It was not easy to do so but after a lot of jostling, I finally managed to squeeze myself ahead to be among the first 20 people. And I am so glad that I had the stamina to keep up with them because I was among the first few people to reach the top. We reached the top at around 10: 30 am. Although I merely got around a quarter of an hour of silence before the noisy crowd swarmed the top, those few minutes were beautiful.
A sad thing that I noticed on the trek was the utter disregard for nature that my fellow trekkers had. I had expected an organization like Yuvashakti to be very strict about littering on treks. Unfortunately, I was proved wrong. I saw people throwing off plastic wrappers without giving it a second thought. The top has a few sources of drinking water which were quickly soiled by the trekkers by washing their hands and feet in the water.
At around 11:15 am we began our trek back. We did not go by the same route. Instead we got down from the Lonavla side. This was a much easier route. And I was down in less that half an hour.
juhi
Trek to Duke’s Nose on 27th July, 2008
Finally, the rains staged a come back. And with the arrival of the rains, the trekking season for the monsoon has also begun. My first trek of the season was to Duke’s Nose. I know that most of the regular trekkers would say that this is a relatively easier trek. And I would agree with that.
It has been three years since I began trekking but somehow I had never gotten the opportunity to trek to Duke’s nose. So, when I found out that Yuvashakti was organizing its annual trek to this place, I readily agreed.
We were asked to meet at 5 am at Shivajinagar station. We caught Sinhagad express at 6:15 am and got down at Khandala around 7:30 am. From there we walked along the tracks, passed a pipeline and trekked up a little till we reached a plateau. We were served a soggy breakfast since the rains had been pouring down on us.
I had expected that there would be a lot of people but when I saw 400 people, it truly exceeded my expectations. For me, treks are usually a quiet affair where I keep to myself and simply take in the beauty of nature. Silence was something that I definitely did not get on the trek. I made it a point to stay ahead in the massive crowd. It was not easy to do so but after a lot of jostling, I finally managed to squeeze myself ahead to be among the first 20 people. And I am so glad that I had the stamina to keep up with them because I was among the first few people to reach the top. We reached the top at around 10: 30 am. Although I merely got around a quarter of an hour of silence before the noisy crowd swarmed the top, those few minutes were beautiful.
A sad thing that I noticed on the trek was the utter disregard for nature that my fellow trekkers had. I had expected an organization like Yuvashakti to be very strict about littering on treks. Unfortunately, I was proved wrong. I saw people throwing off plastic wrappers without giving it a second thought. The top has a few sources of drinking water which were quickly soiled by the trekkers by washing their hands and feet in the water.
At around 11:15 am we began our trek back. We did not go by the same route. Instead we got down from the Lonavla side. This was a much easier route. And I was down in less that half an hour.
juhi
Pigeon Snatching
1st May, 2009 - 2:37 am
Pigeon Snatching
In mid March, I travelled to Kolkata. I was gone for a week and my house was locked up almost the whole week except for the occasional fish feeding sessions. The balcony was untouched for a week. And I think it was for that reason that some pigeons assumed that it was deserted. So, when I come back I find that a pair of pigeons is constantly hanging out in my balcony. Not just hanging out, but playfully enjoying themselves out there. Sexual connotations intended. The constant rumbling noises all afternoon often interrupted my rare noon siesta. I wasn’t too worried because each time I checked to see if there was any sign of an upcoming nest. Since there wasn’t a hint of any, I let them use my balcony for their romantic liaisons.
Sometimes, when I heard no sound, I would just walk out into the balcony only to find one solitary pigeon among the pots who would dash out the moment I stepped in. I didn’t give a thought to what it(probably she) was doing in my pots. I kept a constant vigil for sticks and dry grass and the rest of the stuff needed for a nest. But what did I know, humans don’t build thatched huts anymore you know. At least not the ones in the cities. And so one fine morning, a few weeks later, I walk into my balcony to see one little egg sitting prim and proper in a vacant pot. It’s not just humans who change their way of life. Good for the pigeon that my Mom wasn’t around or that pot wouldn’t have been empty. (she would definitely have planted something there) Anyway, as fate would have it, the pot had only mud and that seemed enough for the pigeon to lay. But they were definitely a lazy pair, what would you call birds who don’t even build nests to lay!!!
So, the pot remained with the one egg and the pair would incubate it all day. Well I was looking forward to the hatching day. But there was another pleasant surprise in store because mama pigeon had one more egg to lay. (how could I forget my Dad telling me as a kid that pigeons lay in pairs!) So, the pair of pigeons was happy with a pair of eggs. Mama pigeon would sit on it all day, Papa pigeon would keep vigil on the terrace of the opposite building.
About three weeks back, that would be the second week of April I guess, I woke up to find two little chicks in the pot and Mama pigeon nursing them (I am assuming it was Mama). Well, well, well, who would have imagined. Eggs laid in a pot. No nest and in a month we have little chicks out of it. Good going I believe. They seemed to be growing fast. I don’t know how I resisted the urge to go near them, to touch them. But like all things in life, it was too good to be true. Yesterday when I came home in the afternoon, I felt something wrong when I stood there in my living room. I got a strong smell of one particular plant, ajwaine, from my balcony. It wouldn’t smell unless someone had messed with it. I ran to the balcony and sure as hell, the balcony had witnessed some roughing up. There was one chick in the pot and no sign of the pigeon parents.
What happened? What happened? I kept asking. I hadn’t gone near them. The parents wouldn’t just pick up and leave one chick behind. They aren’t human you know. Well it turns out they didn’t just leave. Mama pigeon came back and sat with her one chick. In the evening I heard a crow in the balcony. I went to check it out and there it was sitting on the railing. And the entire thing dawned on me. The other chick was dead, I guess. Gone. A victim of fate. Fate brought them to me and then snatched them back. Tit for tat. So each time the crow came I shooed it away. How long was I going to do that? Well at least till sunset that day. Gave mama pigeon my condolences and wished her a good night. Got up early the next day (had a paper to study for). The first thing I did was to check them out. But then there was no them. The pot was empty. All gone. Away. Hoped to see the chicks fly away one day. But they did go away alright. Just not the way I imagined it. This time it dint seem like there had been a tussle. But then you never know. I hope I never know.
juhi
Pigeon Snatching
In mid March, I travelled to Kolkata. I was gone for a week and my house was locked up almost the whole week except for the occasional fish feeding sessions. The balcony was untouched for a week. And I think it was for that reason that some pigeons assumed that it was deserted. So, when I come back I find that a pair of pigeons is constantly hanging out in my balcony. Not just hanging out, but playfully enjoying themselves out there. Sexual connotations intended. The constant rumbling noises all afternoon often interrupted my rare noon siesta. I wasn’t too worried because each time I checked to see if there was any sign of an upcoming nest. Since there wasn’t a hint of any, I let them use my balcony for their romantic liaisons.
Sometimes, when I heard no sound, I would just walk out into the balcony only to find one solitary pigeon among the pots who would dash out the moment I stepped in. I didn’t give a thought to what it(probably she) was doing in my pots. I kept a constant vigil for sticks and dry grass and the rest of the stuff needed for a nest. But what did I know, humans don’t build thatched huts anymore you know. At least not the ones in the cities. And so one fine morning, a few weeks later, I walk into my balcony to see one little egg sitting prim and proper in a vacant pot. It’s not just humans who change their way of life. Good for the pigeon that my Mom wasn’t around or that pot wouldn’t have been empty. (she would definitely have planted something there) Anyway, as fate would have it, the pot had only mud and that seemed enough for the pigeon to lay. But they were definitely a lazy pair, what would you call birds who don’t even build nests to lay!!!
So, the pot remained with the one egg and the pair would incubate it all day. Well I was looking forward to the hatching day. But there was another pleasant surprise in store because mama pigeon had one more egg to lay. (how could I forget my Dad telling me as a kid that pigeons lay in pairs!) So, the pair of pigeons was happy with a pair of eggs. Mama pigeon would sit on it all day, Papa pigeon would keep vigil on the terrace of the opposite building.
About three weeks back, that would be the second week of April I guess, I woke up to find two little chicks in the pot and Mama pigeon nursing them (I am assuming it was Mama). Well, well, well, who would have imagined. Eggs laid in a pot. No nest and in a month we have little chicks out of it. Good going I believe. They seemed to be growing fast. I don’t know how I resisted the urge to go near them, to touch them. But like all things in life, it was too good to be true. Yesterday when I came home in the afternoon, I felt something wrong when I stood there in my living room. I got a strong smell of one particular plant, ajwaine, from my balcony. It wouldn’t smell unless someone had messed with it. I ran to the balcony and sure as hell, the balcony had witnessed some roughing up. There was one chick in the pot and no sign of the pigeon parents.
What happened? What happened? I kept asking. I hadn’t gone near them. The parents wouldn’t just pick up and leave one chick behind. They aren’t human you know. Well it turns out they didn’t just leave. Mama pigeon came back and sat with her one chick. In the evening I heard a crow in the balcony. I went to check it out and there it was sitting on the railing. And the entire thing dawned on me. The other chick was dead, I guess. Gone. A victim of fate. Fate brought them to me and then snatched them back. Tit for tat. So each time the crow came I shooed it away. How long was I going to do that? Well at least till sunset that day. Gave mama pigeon my condolences and wished her a good night. Got up early the next day (had a paper to study for). The first thing I did was to check them out. But then there was no them. The pot was empty. All gone. Away. Hoped to see the chicks fly away one day. But they did go away alright. Just not the way I imagined it. This time it dint seem like there had been a tussle. But then you never know. I hope I never know.
juhi
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