Kerala Bhraman- The Trail Of The Elephants

If you missed the mesmerizing jungle walk up till now, walk to Kerala Bhraman- Into The Realm. 
Do keep watch! The maze of the evergreen trees could be treacherous.


Our aimless walk down the track was getting tiring because the road was long and we hadn’t come across any wildlife in the past thirty minutes.

We had witnessed a steaming quarrel between two Kattakodhis. Wild cocks, as Ravi had whispered to me from behind dense bushes. The birds chased each other as their crowns jerked viciously and their tails followed in a straight streak behind them. When they caught up, they jumped and fluttered there wings in the air. They aimed their claws right at each other and scraped the mud which clouded their surroundings with twigs and dirt.  

Further into the grassland, Ravi had pointed at a couple of mongoose across a narrow stream who stared at us for long. My guide suddenly shook me and shifted my attention towards a Great Indian Hornbill hovering over the trees behind the mongoose couple. The strange whizzing sound returned and the bird let out a crass yelp before disappearing beneath the trees.

I remember telling that the call of the Giant squirrel was scary. I take my words back!

“Ask the driver if we will see elephants on our way.” I heard my mother’s voice in my head.

I asked Ravi if we might see elephants on our tracks and he had the same look which he had when I had asked him about sighting tigers.

“Difficult. Stay very deep in forest. But let’s see.”

After that, we barely talked.

The rain had returned, this time a bit fiercely than before and I had my umbrella at guard at all times. Although the umbrella was necessary to keep my camera from getting drenched, I was having a hard time trying to click photographs with a single hand while my feet didn't stop. I tried not to get left far behind Ravi because he knew the tracks way better and this was not the city.

As the rain fell like knives onto my umbrella, it got difficult to handle all tasks under the cover.

“Give me.” Said Ravi as he took my umbrella and stood until I had captured some pictures of a tree whose trunk had been conquered by orchids- Epiphytes or air plant that grab onto a host tree but mean no harm unlike parasites. They were a striking dark pink in color.

Ravi contemplated the flowers as I captured them and told me about them as he handed me my umbrella.

The grass slurped as we walked, sending water splashing every now and then. I raised my feet one by one to check on leeches. None.

It was merely fifteen minutes when I noticed that we were getting deeper into the jungle once again. I looked over my shoulder to see the distant smoky outline of the Nilgiri. The mist had captured almost every inch of the range.

The bleak Nilgiri

On our walk through the jungle we were occasionally greeted by some other men. Mostly locals and tribal men. They all knew Ravi and he knew them. The sighting of more people apart from the two of us was faintly comforting.

My ankles ached and I felt sweat beads forming on my forehead. The puffy jacket was heating me up. But I had no choice otherwise. Plus, the thought of sighting elephants had kept me excited and going for so long.

The Periyar Lake served the main drinking joint while there co-existed several small ponds and streams in the forest. These streams were infested by crabs; I had seen one dangling from Ravi's feet.
We reached a pond lined by hardwood trees. The water was murky and the narrow path around it was mucky. 

In the months up to June before the southwest monsoon drenches the forest, the streams and the ponds go dry and small cracks build up in the floor. Since we were visiting a month after monsoon had begun, we had missed the chance of seeing the other face of the forest.  

Temperature in Thekkady soars from 15 degrees in December and January to 31 degrees in April and May. So, it stays cool in the forest year-round which is truly a respite from the boiling atmosphere of Gujarat. 

Me and my guide took the narrow mucky path which led us through the forest cover for a few minutes until we were out again in the open. But this time, we were surrounded by tall grasses and wet forest floor. Neither the Lake nor the Nilgiri were visible and we were just bound by a thick line of dark green at every end. Without much ado, Ravi strolled through the field of light green grass while I followed him.
As I put my first step the floor underneath shifted and squished. It was going to be a tough time for my shoes but I had to keep moving. Although walking was burdensome, I tried best to keep my feet high up above the grass while walking. 

One time the ground squished too much and I knew it definitely wasn't the forest floor I had stepped upon. I sheepishly peeked down at my feet which was now half immersed in a giant heap of dung. 

"It's fresh and its Elephant's." Ravi had come back to the rescue.
"Shake it off! We might be close to the elephants." 
And so we were back on the trail of the elephants which was certainly off our agenda as I noticed that the forest tracks which we had been following all that time had disappeared long ago.

We approached the tall trees which seemed merely a green wall from far away. I saw my guide go instinctively around the trees, touching the wet trunks every now and then and trying to sense any traces of the tusked beast. We walked for quite some time in between the trees with no luck. The rain was sorrowful and the silence was ominous.

After some time, Ravi looked at me and shook his head. I knew what it was. As we walked past the trees back to the area where the tracks reappeared, I imagined a family of elephants in hiding watching our every move and thankful that they weren't spotted. 

Ravi placed the bare skull of the bison which he had had with him all along, on a short rock by the track for an exhibit for eternity.

We followed back to the small pond and were surprised to see that the mucky path around it which had been so untouched few minutes ago were now filled with the deep footprints of an elephant. Damn! We had missed the beast by few minutes. What were the odds! 

"Thekkady is filled with shy creatures." I mused as we came across familiar trees and paths. The Periyar Tiger Reserve felt more like The Periyar Shy Tiger Reserve! 

I was broken off from my meditation by my guide who asked me to turn around and look over the trees at a distant hill. There, I saw a couple of Bisons grazing under a tree. The sunlight shone on the top of the hill.

Shy it is! 

"Kattapota." said Ravi pointing at the Bisons.

I recalled the Malayali names for the animals we had seen so far as spoken by Ravi. I asked him to repeat what they called a wild boar.
"Pannayi." He promptly replied.

As I constantly made a mental note of the names and their pronunciation I caught a glimpse of the men, I had come across before crossing the lake, cooking by the lake. I realized that our trip was coming to an end.

"Where do the tribal people live?" I asked Ravi, hoping to hear about some thatched huts guarded by the guardian- like trees amidst spying tigers, majestic elephants and other woodland creatures.

Tribal women at work 

"They live in the city." 

That was the ultimate anticlimax. I thought at first that I hadn't heard it right so I asked him once again to which he replied. 

"They have been living in the city for a long time now and come to the forest only on the weekends for fishing and cooking fish curry for lunch."

The idea seemed so unnatural to me, to have tribes shifting towards urbanization was like an end of a concept of which we had heard for so long.

Yet as I walked back towards the bank of the lake, boarded the fragile raft and landed on my feet back where I had started from, I filled my thoughts with the things I had seen in the trip. I wanted to take the memories back with me to my hotel room and back to Gujarat.  

Yet, in that sadness I found peace; a world far from us after all; a realm like nowhere. No language, no discipline, no rules and yet so peaceful. This was Paradise. Even for a layman who would be tired after a long hard day at work, Thekkady, with its signature lake and equally tempting vegetation would be a spot on treat. On that boat, sitting in my seat, my eyes behind lenses I felt envy in my heart.- Kerala Bhraman: The Sleeping Man

Me, Ravi and the raft

Back at the hut where I had met Ravi, I removed my pair of special socks to find a tiny leech stuck on it. Ravi asked me to make one final signature on a form before leaving after which I thanked him for the wonderful trip. I recalled how scared I was to do the walk earlier but then, the feeling of victory was paramount. I looked at the forest one last time hoping to see a boar to make an appearance like the previous time. But none came.

I returned to the hotel and had breakfast. This was our last day in Thekkady and we were going to leave the next day for Munnar which would mean a shift in the geological features once again.
A sudden shuffling of feet in the dining room caught my attention. The families paced towards the glass window with their phones to take pictures of a Great Indian Hornbill that had perched on a branch of a tree just outside. It had a pale gray crown, black wings and tail along with a yellowish beak.

Great Indian Hornbill

After having posed for a million photos, the bird leaped into the air and vanished. Having lost interest in the creatures behind the glass wall.

Kerala Bhraman- The Moment

If you missed the boat ride, you can still hop on to the next ride at Kerala Bhraman- The Sleeping Man

The next day, our rendezvous was earlier than the previous day. We set off for the information center where we had to be present at 7 am sharp. My parents had booked an early boat ride, in hope to sight more creatures. I on the other hand had been looking forward to my, would be first ever experience of a jungle safari on foot.

Needless to say, I had butterflies in my stomach and was highly anxious about the walk. I wished earnestly that the guide who was supposed to guide me and a bunch of other people into the forest would be heavily trained and vigil at all time. Yet, a part of me was at peace since I wasn’t going to be alone.

Nature Walk sign board

When I reached the information center, a guard pointed me towards the starting point of the jungle walk. Soon, I came across a flight of rocky steps that mingled with the wild grass of the forest and dropped down to a shut solitary hut.

The brown hut amidst the pelting rain cast an ominous spell and I felt a jolt in my tummy. I got a bad feeling about this. I heard myself speak.

If this is the starting point of the jungle walk, as I was told, shouldn’t there be a bunch of souls hanging around someplace nearby, waiting for the guide or perhaps chatting about the tremendous trek that was about to happen?

Am I going into the forest alone? The question unnerved me as drops of rain wet my head and seeped into my scalp. A jack fruit to the head is painful and surprising, but the raindrops, way more scary!

At that moment, when I was seeing stars around me, I caught a spontaneous glimpse of a wild boar. It was bouncing by the bank of the lake, a dirty black in color. The bristles on its back fluttered as it sprang and its head which strangely seemed larger than the rest of its body was motionless. His tiny legs took him into a nearby grove and it disappeared in the dark. 
The boar seemed like the last thing that could threaten me. I heard my inner self boosting me to go for it. 
The stars and clouds vanished as I found my confidence override the last specks of fear. I walked down the steps and sat in the façade of the hut, waiting for it to come to life.  

The sudden rustle in the bushes behind alerted me. What I faced now was a man walking towards the hut loaded with a backpack, his eyes fixed on me.

Who could this man be? Stay tuned!

Kerala Bhraman- The Evergreen Forest of Thekkady

If you have missed out on the nail biting trip on the coiling road in the hill, rush to "The Farewell From The Jacketed Trees" and get yourself updated!

On entering Thekkady, the word of the tiger reserve was everywhere, making the town almost revolve around it. An array of hotels bearing lavish names- Cardamom County, Spice Garden and what not had a splendid look and emitted a spicy aroma to the after rain mist. The bumpy narrow road riddled with puddles led us to the check post outside the Periyar Tiger Reserve- a wicket gate stuck in half way was our gateway to the rain forest of Thekkady. A majestic tiger figurine looked upon the tourists through its cold painted eyes reminding them the very chilling truth that we may not see them but they see us. 

As we rode further, I kept dashing glances from window to window hoping to catch a drowsy elephant or a bubbly wild boar. But no, not the tiger. I wasn't up for that shock just yet! 

Damn it! I stress my neck and eyes and they don’t even sneak a peek! 

We saw tourists, mostly local families walked on the road returning from a trek. They looked exhausted yet exuberant. 

The car reached a huge parking lot, sultry with the crowd of tourists and their respective cars.  On our right we got a glimpse of a gigantic turtle figurine looking at the sky and need I speak about the customary selfie birds?

There we were halted at another check post where a forest guard asked us for the reservation receipt at our resort ahead. We were let through in no time and we drove past some posh resorts before landing at our destination. 

Hotel room foyer

Our car parked at the door of Aranya Nivas and its exhaust let out a sigh of relief. The ladies at the reception greeted us and briefed us about the activities that take place each day in Periyar while we completed the formalities. the receptionist briefed us about the elephant safari- a journey into the jungle on elephant back, the bamboo rafting- stout bamboo stems tied together and set afloat on the Periya Lake, Jungle Walk- a walk through the forest under the supervision of a guide, and finally the Boat ride- along the banks of the lake. We booked three seats for the boat ride for 9 next morning while a bell boy carried our luggage to our room upstairs.

The room- a deserving suite, entered into a foyer with two sofas and a glass top table. On the other end of the foyer was another door that opened to a huge terrace which formed an easy passage for the black langoors on the trees beyond. Opposite to the seats was the entrance to the bedroom- a huge bed and a divan. The television did not receive much attraction. Our luggage was put on a table outside the bathroom. The bell boy warned us not to open the window in the bedroom at morning time as 'monkey is coming.'

Black Langoor

Just few hours ago, we were being seen off by Mr. Bhaskar, the manager of Marine Palace Hotel and his great dog into our car, still lost in the charms of the sea beach of Varkala. While now, we were at the foot of the green yet mysterious dense forests of Thekkady at around 3000 ft above sea level.

Mr. Bhaskar and his dog

After freshening up and snacking on tea along with French fries, we planned to visit the boat landing area- the spot from where we would start our booked boat ride the next morning.

We slipped out of another gate to a stairway with gardens on both sides. A huge banyan tree guarded the the last step before a crossing and the information center which was going to be our starting point for the boat ride.

Stairway to the information center

The information center, true to its name, displayed all sorts of information regarding Periyar, the activities and the wide array of flora and fauna. 

"Robi! call maa. She has got to see this!" 
My father called me from the ginormous wooden verandah on the other end of the information center.
                                         But was I listening? I... I...

Periyar Lake

Aha! I was silent. My eyes froze at the lush green beauty before me. A Field with clusters of the evergreen trees and the lake, wide and still lay in the center- stumps of trees stood atop the surface of the water. Far off at the horizon of distinct color, the hills; lying cold and bathed in the mist. It had begun to softly rain. The forest seemed to lie in a deep siesta, breathing in and out. The creatures were returning into their abode beneath the trees from their work of the day’s attraction and entertainment and with the rain, the entire forest rose to a gentle applause. Oh! What works you have done Oh! God. 


The evergreen forests, only read of in textbooks in classrooms closed within four walls were seeping out of the pages, alive before me, extending out of the grasp of the menacing boundaries. Evergreen.

"Maa! You need to see this!" I called out with half attention.

For dinner, we had Roast Chicken, Chicken Ularthiyathu  and lemon rice. The fresh fragrance of the rice, the chewy roast chicken with a garlic flavor and the taste of curry leaves in the Ularthiyathu were a whole new experience on our trip to the south. But nothing that night could contain our excitement for the boat ride next day. My feet were eager to set foot on the forest floor. Especially after the brief teaser in the evening.


What will happen on the boat next day? Will we reach the landing on time? You will know it soon in the next chapter!

Kerala Bhraman- The Farewell From The Jacketed Trees

Did you miss the adda at Shibu uncle's house? Hurry of to the Travel section of my blog and get updated!


Hasta la Vista Varkala! Thekkady, here we come. We hit the road nine in the morning for the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The entry to the reserve closes at five in the evening everyday hence, our priority was to reach our destination before time. 
The journey was going to be five hour long and we were going to climb an elevation of 3000 feet ASL. Hence, a ride on a serpentine road up the Nilgiri awaited us. Our driver, Bijoy had told us before we had started that the road was going to be rough. Much to our dismay, Bijoy didn’t quite understand what we asked and we didn’t understand what he gave in reply. But the man was humble, always smiled in return and seemed to promise a good ride; fair enough. So, after a few moments at the cliff we left off for our journey. 

It was Eid on that day and we had crossed many open slaughter stalls by the road the previous day, customers crowding around a man chopping pieces of meat deftly. A queue stood waiting on the steps of a mosque, a festive glory surrounded them. 

Varkala Cliff

I sat beside the driver and was hence bestowed a daring job of staying awake at all times and keep Bijoy awake in turn. I wasn’t aware that I could get drowsy in the middle of our drive, however "cradle like" journey it would be. My eyelids wouldn’t stay put and I would often find my mother tugging at my shirt or my father calling me from the back seat trying to wake me up.

At half past one we reached a small town named Ranni where we stopped for lunch. The river Pamba flows through this town and we crossed it by a bridge. 

The celebrations were in the air in the restaurant when we ordered the only thing that could be served immediately. Chicken roast, rice and raita. Image of chicken roast is supposedly a dry chicken preparation. Well, hold tight onto your seats to behold the Roast chicken of Kerala- fried chicken pieces swimming in a thick gravy which tasted much like Chicken Chettinad.  The chicken was succulent and I took a spoonful of the gravy after I was done with the chicken; hot and tangy. The cold raita which had cucumber, onions and pieces of green chilly in it suited best with the side dish.

The drizzle had changed to a shower. Strong winds blew the drops down the road we were going to drive upon, densely covered by trees on both sides. The wiper was having a tedious time at the window, oscillating to and fro constantly as the rain drops impinged like small solid balls on the car window. Tiny worms of water squirmed out of the wiper’s reach to the top of the glass as the car sped ahead.

Valanjamkanam Water fall

We passed clusters of tall trees with slits on their trunks and a plastic bag wrapped around it. Agarwood. No infection like the one these trees get is a boon! The disease leaves the tree filled with an aromatic resin that is widely used for incense and perfumes. The resins were collected in a container attached below the slit itself. The plastic helped protect the incision from the rain. 

It appeared as if the trees had raincoats on- yellow, blue and red.  Besides, climbers with big leaves hung from the trees, giving them the appearance of men and women clad in shawls bidding us farewell as we moved on. 

Agarwood

The serpentine hilly road began with not much notice, and with increase in the jacketed trees on both sides. The driver let the car speed on the twisting road and with every few kilometers we rose higher in the hill and the road got narrower. The stepped hills made their appearance as we rode and bent round the corner, gradually dissolving in the mist. The clouds which we had seen from the plains below were drifting to the road beyond us forming an opaque white screen disabling our vision and forcing the driver to slow down and become watchful. 


The clouds had surrounded the road and the hills. The never ending evergreen patches that could be seen down below were cut off by the ominous white. The roads were narrow and hair pin bends were frequent. Our car blared its horn at every vicious bend that came, slowing down because cars suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind the curtain of the cloud. One false move and the car could go off the hill into the abyss. The wild trees of the forest on the other side continued crouching over the travelers. Our friends who had been on this road before us had shared their sightings of elephants on the way. A rare sight in itself, elephants stroll down to the road from the forest.
'Ask the driver if we will see elephants' my mother whispered to me for the hundredth time.

I don’t think that Bijoy really understood when I asked him if we would get the opportunity to see the big eared creatures because he just smiled and shook his head. Yet, we had our eyeballs tethered to the windows for a lucky glimpse.

Alas! we weren’t as lucky as our friends.

The car sped on the coiling hill road to Thekkady where something awaited for us. What's it going to be? Stay tuned for the next chapter to know.