DAY 5
There were just a couple of
popular locations left to visit in and around Munnar and hence we had decided
the previous day to finish off exploring Munnar by noon on day 5, and much went
according to the plan owing to our far-sightedness in booking an auto in
advance for today’s travel ( and getting up early, finally). We were in fact
done with our breakfast by 0830 hours and in our ride in another five minutes
as he was on time and so were we. This was our fourth visit to the same
restaurant for our breakfast and even the waiter had started recognizing us by
now. We had south-Indian in the morning today only to save as much time as
possible since its preparation time is quite less as compared to other cuisines
(apart from the tradition thing which is also true).
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| Yes! We are headed in the right direction |
We were to visit a mountain peak-
south India’s highest; located in the confines of a national park which operates
on a timely basis. The visiting hours of the park are from 0830 hours to 1500 hours
and entry is closed after that, but I must admit mornings are the best time to
visit and the earlier you reach the better as you won’t have to stand in a
queue (luckily we were the first to reach the ticketing counter and hence not
welcomed by a long queue, which was eventually formed ten minutes after we took
our tickets).
The park goes by the name of “Eravikulam” and is famous
for the “Anamudi peak” and a species- “Nilgiri Tahr” predominantly found in the vicinity of this region.
Forgot to mention one important thing, only park buses ply within the defined limits of the national park and one
has to take their ticket apart from an entry ticket and a camera/recorder
permit. Buses ply when they are approximately full and take the passengers to
an intermediate spot in the forest, after which you have the liberty (or compulsion…as
you may perceive!) to stroll along a well-built road for a couple of kilometers
enjoying the weather and the flora and fauna.
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| A tributary...In formation |
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| What lies on the other side |
Visiting in monsoon time we were
very lucky as we got the opportunity to walk amidst clouds owing to the
altitude. We didn’t realize that we were actually within the circumference of a
cloud until one of us went far ahead (and crossed it unknowingly) in order to
take a picture, and we got to know about it (It is only from a distance that
you can see a cloud formation and not while you are standing in one…cool isn’t
it). Enough of the cloud experience…coming back to the park, the landscape and
peak view was in no way unmatched to the kind of scenery one gets to see in a
typical Bollywood movie (by typical I mean, one without much of a story and
hence relies heavily on star profile and picturesque locations for making
money).
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| What lies on the other side...Now in view |
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| Ishan and the peak...Glistening |
Mesmerized by the view we kept
strolling upwards without any idea of where we were supposed to go (I guess it
was one of those moments when you just leave all your worries behind, forget
the fact that you live in a ruthless world and just enjoy the endowment of
LIFE). While on the walk we got to see an exotic species “Nilgiri Tahr” somewhat
similar to a goat but with a fabulous pair of eyes and horns, which too are
specific to this region but luckily not endangered. While we were observing one
of these, another one (don’t know where it came from) stood behind me peacefully
without making a sound. It was when one of my friends told me that I was in
someone’s way that I moved and got a close-up view of this beautiful creature. Frankly
I was quite amazed how a wild species could be so calm and serene and wait,
while we- so called more civilized species honk all the way impatiently when we
drive.
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| TAHR:- "Not Interested...A couple please!" |
Adding another dimension to their
skill, we then observed one of these Tahrs’ posing such that a couple could
take a nice click with it. However to add a little to our dismay it didn’t pose
with us when we tried to get a pic with it (maybe he preferred couples to
bachelors or was tired after one pose…one can only wonder). Going on with our
trek up the mountain road we took many a shots of the valley (amidst clouds),
the Anamudi Peak glowing in reflection of the Sun and whatever we could lay our
eyes upon.
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| A ferocious creature once... |
We finally reached a point after
which tourists aren’t allowed further into the park and hence had to return to
the intermediate spot wherefrom the mini-buses picked us up and dropped us
outside the park. There is a small gallery at the spot where buses ply from on
the return journey which has exhibits of skulls and antlers of some of the
species found in the area. There is however one very important piece of
information which I feel I must share with anyone who might plan on visiting
this area and here it is… This peak and its vicinity is abode of an interesting
flower species which blossoms once every twelve years and when it does, the
whole valley is blanketed in an enrapturing violet hue, and the sight (need not
mention) is an experience one can never forget. We weren’t lucky enough to see
that live but there was picture hanging in the gallery which enlightened us
with this knowledge.
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| Just flowing above us! |
But more on that in the next post...
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