Gifts - The First Novel in The Annals of the Western Shore Trilogy

It was in August last year that I read this book for the first time. Ursula K Le Guin is an author I had wanted to read ever since I did a course in Science Fiction and Fantasy in my Post Grad class more than a year ago. Books by not so popular authors are hard to find in India. (Not so popular in India I mean!) The book that was mentioned in class was The Left Hand of Darkness (chiefly for the gender issues that it deals with) and of course her Earthsea Trilogy which later became 5 books.

Browsing in Landmark , one of the only two bookstores in Pune where I have found Le Guin books, I happened to find Gifts in the Children’s books section. I hadn’t really looked up Le Guin earlier, so I didn’t know anything about her books except a couple of titles by her. But then I have always believed that when you are meant to read a book ,you will find it when the time is right. Plus I avoid looking up about authors and their works before reading the book itself to avoid any prejudice that I might develop. So I picked up Gifts and began reading it immediately. Fantasy was a genre I hadn’t delved into deeply for some reason. Harry Potter was the farthest I had got in school and now when I look back at those days I wonder why it took me so long to plunge in to the world of fantasy. Now, after six months of living in that world, it seems like I always belonged there.

Gifts was my first book when I got back to fantasy and since then I haven’t stopped. Introducing the readers to the Western Shore, we are told the story of the people of the Uplands who inherit gifts in their lineage. The gifts vary in different domains and are passed on from father-son and mother-daughter. Through, Orrec Caspro, the young narrator, son of the brantor of Caspromant, Le Guin weaves a story that draws you into the lives of the people of the Uplands and their gifts. The domains are mostly in conflict and the gifts are used to protect one’s domain. Set in a natural landscape ravaged by poverty, the domains struggle to survive through stealing livestock, farming, etc. Orrec, the main character, surfaces in the next two parts of the trilogy in smaller roles.

The subtlety of her writing is what I enjoy the most. If you don’t pay close attention you often tend to miss things. After having read her Earthsea series (later on), I would say I like the change in the framework. With Earthsea, I often felt the action was lacking. It was more her way of writing that I liked in Earthsea but here it’s not just the writing, there’s much more.

With this review, I hope to begin blogging regularly on the books I read…

Nature Fights Back

15th January, 2010
Pune

A long time ago I had written about pigeons who had nested in my balcony. The doom of the chicks although not witnessed by me could as well be imagined. So, I had given up hope.

But, to my surprise, the pigeons didn't give up hope. Now, I do not really have that keen a sense to be able to distinguish one pigeon from the other and, unfortunately, I could not tag them. So they are all Blue Rock Pigeons to me. So, immediately after the chicks disappeared, the mating began. Well, I must say they didn't take any time to grieve. Or may be they did. May be this was their way of grieving. To bring back a life that was taken away. To fight for what was rightfully theirs. Or may be I am just reading too much into an aroused group of pigeons.

Nature took its course. Usually after pigeons mate, they lay eggs. So, within a month or may be more (I didn't really keep track of time) I had two more eggs in my balcony with the pigeons perched protectively over them. Unfortunately, for my Mom they chose her Money Plant for their family home. And today it lies almost at death's door. My mother may love her plants but she would never take away someone else's life purposely. The Money Plant would have to struggle for its own survival. (And the struggle continues.)

I didn't really have any hopes on this family considering the previous tragedy. Nonetheless, I kept a close watch. As nature was fulfilling its duty perfectly, the eggs hatched and we had two babies either being fed or sleeping. As time wore one, the food seemed to be doing its job pretty well. They greww plumper by the day. At the back of my head, I kept thinking it was only a matter of time before the evil Crow would put in an appearance. I am not sure if I hold any grudges against the crow, because even he has to eat somehow in order to survive. I am not sure where my sympathies lie. But then when it comes to nature, I guess you can't really take sides. So neither will I.

So, my little baby chicks who didn't really seem little anymore, soon started flapping their wings. Time does fly by too quickly and before I knew it, the chicks were learning to fly too. At first, there were baby steps. They hopped from one pot to another.

This time the parents had chosen a better spot to nest. It was in a corner. So, while the chicks were growing up, they weren't really visible. And when they started hopping about, they took shelter in between the pots at any sign of danger. I wonder if instincts really are the best teachers.

And then, one day, I found them perched on the legde above my balcony, looking down at me as if with pride at their own achievement. We humans, often, attribute human qualities to the other species. May be these chicks have no idea what pride means. Or may be they do. I wonder if I will ever know. But we better not forget their achievement in the midst of a so called philosophical question. So, there they were, looking out at the world from their rightful place.

I hoped and prayed that they would fly away soon, I had grown too attached to them to witness another tragedy. Thankfully, this time nature let them be. So, one fine day, I found one of them had flown away. How do I know if he had actually flown away? Because at night he came back! To sleep in the pot that he grew up in. The next day, both were gone for a while. And came back later. This went on for a few days until one day, when, I guess, they finally decided it was time to set out on their own.

Nature seems cruel at times. Natural disasters (in light of the Haiti earthquake) definitely validate that point. But it is the human spirit, no, not just the human spirit, but the spirit of every living being that brings about a balance. There may be cruelty in Nature but it is the very same Nature which has given us the strength to face that cruelty and still survive.

(By the way, pigeons defintely have something called 'word of mouth/beak publicity' because I am officially naming my balcony 'Pigeon Breeding Ground' considering the fact that there is another pair of pigeons out there at this very moment looking after their freshly layed eggs. )

The Great Himalayan Bird Count 2009 (7th to 10th Nov’09)

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.

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.

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

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.

Flowers in the Mist

9th September,2009, Pune

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.