Nature Nirvana

Anaerangal Camp @Munnar December 2010

2011-01-30T13:29:00.014+05:30

Munnar, the picturesque hill-station with sprawling lush green tea plantations was the destination of our choice for the Christmas weekend. Unfortunately, everybody else in Bangalore that I bumped into seemed to think so. I could imagine an exodus of Bangaloreans- distraught with life in the noise/dust polluted city and gasping for a breath of fresh air- to Munnar!
Fortunately, the Anaerangal Camp where we had booked ourselves- snugly nestled in the mountains, obscured by wilderness and intentionally under-publicized by the astute management- was obviously not on the radar of most internet-savvy vacationers. No wonder, despite having faced the arduous task of making it to our destination sans any boards all along the way, we chose not to complain!

Oriental White Eye

The Anaerangal Camp is a narrow strip of land located on a mountain side overlooking the well-known Anaerangal Lake. The camp has 6 cottage tents, each with two comfortable beds and an attached bathroom.
The Camp has its own kitchen which offers wholesome and delectable Kerala food. The lemon-grass thatched open dining area has an inbuilt fire place for camp fires where you can leisurely relish your barbeque platter with family and friends, devour a meal or just choose to relax with a book to keep you warm in the biting cold.

The Anaerangal Camp

The Anaerangal Camp as seen from Phantom's Peak

Sunrise seen from our tent

The magnificient View from our tent

You can go for treks, stroll through the boundless tea gardens or visit the cardamom plantations that are abundant in Munnar. We went on a trek to ‘Phantom’s Head’ peak to get a spectacular view below. We could also observe the common Kestrel, a falcon which hovers in the sky for long before it suddenly swoops straight down at a lightening speed to its seize its unsuspecting prey. You can catch a glimpse of the Kestrel only when the sun is bright and warm; if it is cloudy or raining, you cannot spot it.

Common Kestrel

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Golden Fronted Leaf Bird

Lush Green Tea Plantations

Camouflage

We spotted some splendid green frogs which are found in the cardamom plantations that are a-plenty in Munnar. One bold froggy even made its way into our open tent and was caught exploring my camera!
Camera-friendly Frog

The treasure I stumbled upon!

On our trek, we spotted this innocuous looking mound. On close examination, Arun informed me that it was Civet cat dropping. As I turned to walk away, he added that I could become rich overnight if I could scoop the poop and put it away in a safe to be sold later. I would learn later that this repulsive suggestion was no joke! Civet cats pick out and eat the choicest, ripe and fleshy coffee berries. The coffee beans are defecated without any change in their shape (as you can see in the picture). However, passage through the digestive tract of the animal, leads to partial fermentation of the beans which yields a much more aromatic brew on processing of these beans. It is even commercially made available as Kopi luwak or civet coffee, the world's most expensive coffee! Connoisseurs swear by the delicious, rich and chocolatey flavour of this coffee, known to linger long after the last swig.

Well..err…I prefer my Bangalore filter coffee any day…..

Wayanad- Pristine Charm Beckons

2008-01-03T17:28:00.000+05:30

This green paradise sculpted with lush tea and coffee estates is nestled among the mountains of western ghats and is located about 280 kms from Bangalore.

Reaching Vythiri

We drove down from Bangalore through Mysore, Nanjangud, Gundlupet, Bandipur in Karnataka, through the Muthunga wild life sanctuary in Kerala, Sulthan bathery and Kalpetta to reach Vythiri in Wayanad district.

Annapara, a homestay in Vythiri was our final destination and our cozy abode for the next three days. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable and the hospitality was great! Praveen and Shibu were very courteous and took care of all our needs. We felt satiated with simple, yet delicious kerala cuisine. Some of the fare that tickled our tastebuds is the tomato curry in coconut gravy, the light and fluffy idiappam served with coconut milk and vegetable curry, Puttu(steamed rice cakes) with kadla (black chana) curry, the celestial ada prathaman and the egg omelette with tender green pepper thrown in to add a zing to it!

Trekking through Vythiri

Trekking through winding trails chiseled through the lush green tea and coffee estates was itself a divine experience. It is a land of spices; Almost every crop such as coffee, black-pepper, ginger, turmeric, cocoa, arecanut, tea, rubber, vanilla etc are grown here. Black pepper produced from this hill station is famous in the world of spices because of its unique quality and aroma. The dangling bunches of tender green pepper tempted us to pick and munch a few, sending our taste buds into a tizzy!

In the dense forest, Praveen showed us the sambrani tree- the fragrant sap of its bark is made into resinous crystals burnt to produce a fragrant, soothing smoke.

We also saw a rare union of two trees of different species, the inner tree snug in a cozy embrace of the outer tree!

On our trek, we rested at a pretty waterfall of the kabini river and soaked our feet in the sparkling cold water.

The sunset was an awesome sight to watch and cherish. We returned to Annapara to warm ourselves around the bonfire and relax in the thatched hut, watching the splendid moon in the silent night.

Wildlife

We rushed out to the raucous calls of hornbills known to love the zing of spicy pepper. We saw a few Malabar pied hornbills noisily fly away from the pepper plantations. Arun spotted a green vine snake, camouflaged in the coffee plantations. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
For a few moments it basked in the camera attention, posing for charming shots. But soon its obvious irritation was palpable, when it threatened the camera with a HISS!

Ranganathittu- An Abode of Winged Marvels

2007-08-28T22:25:00.000+05:30

Nature’s canvas sprinkled with a medley of enchanting colours, right from God’s own palette; It is by no means a flight of my fancy, but a reality! Ranganathittu, a tiny sanctuary on the banks of the Cauvery river is an avian paradise and a bird-watcher’s delight!

Several small islets in the river, surrounded by dense shrubs, bushes and trees make it an ideal place for several local and migratory birds for nesting and breeding.

Visiting Ranganathittu

The early bird gets his worm in Ranganathittu! The earlier you reach, the better it is! Being a nature lover’s haven does not dissuade the other variety of ‘bird-watchers’, the typical ‘picnic’ families (with noisy children, lunch boxes, music systems et al) or the endemic urban couple in pursuit of some privacy to stumble upon this place! Hence, it is advisable for serious bird-watchers to visit the sanctuary early for some rewarding experience. A boat ride in the river along-side the islets and bushes, gives you an incredibly close view of the birds, their nests, eggs and chicks! Most of the local boat-men double up as guides too, but allow them to regale you with their tales at your own risk!

Feathered Delight

Birds of the same feather do not flock at Ranganathittu! In fact a multitude of avian species ranging from local inhabitants to visitors from as far as Siberia and Australia uncannily alight here year after year! Some of the exotic species of birds that we could see on our visit in February 2007, were painted storks, spoonbills, open bill storks, darters, white Ibis, little cormorants, , partridge, river tern, stone plougher, egret, heron and snake birds. It was the peak of the breeding season and the birds displayed their astonishingly colourful plummage much to our delight!

It was an amazing experience to watch painted storks sunbathing, precariously perched on tree-tops with their wings spread. Scientifically, such spread-wing postures are thought to be adopted for wing drying, thermoregulation, realigning of feathers or for easy removal of pests. But to my urbane mind, they seemed to emulate a svelte model gently lifting up her lacy skirt to reveal her slender legs!
Was it a social display for courtship?

A river tern and her two cute chicks were seen on the rocks soaking in the warmth of the early sunrays. As soon as our boat passed close by, roused by her unerring motherly instincts, mother Tern gave us a stern warning to stay away!

It was an eerie sight to observe several bats (Indian Flying Fox) hanging from trees at the sanctuary. We encountered several crocodiles( Indian marsh crocodile), some of them lazily sunbathing on the rocks, with sinister jaws wide open. However, our boatman assured us that the river was too full of nutritious fish, for the crocs to even throw a second glance at skinny homosapiens!

Cheetal Walk : A wild life lover’s paradise!

2007-08-26T17:29:00.000+05:30

If you are a true wildlife buff and want to cozy up in the lap of nature then this is the place to be in! Wake up to the shrill cry of the peacock, bask in the melodious jungle jingles, and get startled as wild-life saunter by, oblivious to your presence!

“Cheetal Walk” also known as “Jungle Trails” is home to Mark Davidar, a self-confessed wild-life lover, who would rather prefer his jungle chums to boisterous urban homosapiens! He is the son of well-known conservationist E.R.C Davidar who built this jungle dwelling at the foot of the Nilgiris more than three decades ago. Situated 7 kms east of Masinagudi, in the Mudumalai forest, this modest, no-frills private residence is only meant for serious wild-lifers and bird watchers.

Visiting Cheetal Walk

Even if you manage to book yourself at “Cheetal Walk” by telephonically persuading Mark, it is not until he is convinced of your dedication to nature and wild-life, and approves of you and your ‘mannerisms’ that you are allowed to stay. Any ‘wild-life unfriendly’ demeanour at “Cheetal walk” spells doom for you! If you expect 5 star luxury, cannot resist the urge to play music, keep fiddling with your mobile, love to talk and wear loud colours, use a lot of plastics or want to keep driving in and out of “Cheetal walk” it is in your best interest to avoid this place lest you incur the wrath of the ‘lone wild-life crusader.’

In my excitement to capture a majestic tusker on camera I forgot to switch off the flash and found myself at the receiving end of Mark’s terse reprimand. Nevertheless, it cured me of my urban egotism.

Wild-life viewing

A good pair of binoculars and love for wildlife is all you need to relish and cherish this abode. As you relax in the arm-chair in the verandah, you have a cinemascope screen in front of you. A clearing in the forest forms a ‘corridor’ where wild-life which wander or cross over, can be visualized without being obscured by trees or bushes. The Segur stream gurgles past just a few feet away from the verandah, where animals visit to quench their thirst.

Your patience hardly ever goes unrewarded in this splendid wild life haven.

Wild-life Sighting

During our 3 day visit in August 2007, Cheetal walk offered us a visual treat! We sighted herds of elephants, crossing the ‘corridor’ or on a visit to the stream. A bold tusker, lured by the irresistible flavour of ripe jackfruit that Mark had placed on a few trees in his courtyard, ventured almost till the doorstep forcing us to scurry inside to safety.

A pack of 6-7 wild dogs (Dhole) trotted downhill probably looking for a kill. They seemed restless yet reluctant to move ahead. It was after a while that we realized they were waiting for the rest of their pack-mates to join them for a chase. Finally when the pack count was 14, they moved on.

We observed many Sloth bears foraging for food unmindful of the surroundings,Gaur which patiently stood in a same spot for hours, innumerable herds of Cheetal frolicking at the salt-lick, sambar deer and of course the Gray langur which were omnipresent by sight and sound in the vicinity of Cheetal walk. The magnificient leopard which had evaded us in every jungle that we have dared to venture so far, too offered us a royal glimpse, to vanish soon enough.

Several wild-boar ventured close by. One piggy however ‘hobbled’ too frequently near Cheetal Walk and looked quite ‘at home’ despite many attempts by Mark’s dog to shoo him away. It was later that Mark narrated to us the harrowing experience piggy had gone through. It was an unfortunate victim of a crude bomb disguised as a ‘meat-ball’ by farmers who are wary of boars which destroy crops. Piggy was not so lucky to be killed instantly as expected. A part of his jaw and face were shattered turning him blind in one eye. It was a miracle piggy had survived the ghastly act, partly because of Mark nursing him back to health.

Several peacocks sashayed down the ‘corridor’ in all their elegance and splendour.. Jungle fowls and hens, spotted dove, red-vented bulbuls, cuckoo shrike, spotted grouse were some birds that we spotted.

We also kept hearing the call of the Malabar giant squirrel, but it was elusive as ever.

We spent a few hours on the Machan built on a tall mango tree towering on the Segur river. Mark recommends the Machan for serious birds-watchers.

One sunny morning, Mark’s pet dog emerged victoriously from some jungle shrubs with a prized catch that he displayed pompously. On close scrutiny it turned out to be the head of a hare, the remains of probably a leopard or civet cat kill made the previous night.

The deep silence of the night was punctuated by elephant grunts, indicating that these frequent visitors were moving close by. But a sneak peek through the glass windows did not reveal the pachyderms in the pitch dark night. Being aware of the proximity of these elephants, it took us a while to coax ourselves to sleep!

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