What happens to you on a holiday
when your husband is an early riser, a birder and nature lover? I shall reveal
it to you because my husband is one. On most holiday mornings, I find myself stranded
in a hotel room with our kids while my husband is enjoying the peace of the
dawn in the background of chirping birds. To worsen my situation, their body
alarms set off the moment I step into the bathroom. So that I hear one is
crying on the bed and the other one pounding the bathroom door. This sort of
cacophony on holiday mornings does leave me peevish and cranky. I don’t resent
his having a good time but I certainly mind being stranded alone.
Well, this is the only downside
of being married to a naturalist. And comparing it to the up sides, it is quite
worth it. To begin with, I get to go to places unheard of by most people, be it
picnic spots, day trips or weekend getaways. And while in that place, I get a
chance to do and see very special and uncommon things. So was also the case in
our recent trip to Kotagiri. A quaint little hill town, perched in the shadows
of its popular siblings Ooty and Coonoor. But it enjoys its solemn solitude in
the wild company of bison, bears and leopards. Kotagiri is beautiful. Despite my
hollering kids, the mornings here felt so nourishing with its fresh tea estates,
sanguine climate and cottony misty sky. The best part about this holiday was
having no agenda or scheduled itineraries to follow. Nevertheless, we had some very exciting and
adventurous excursions.
The day of our arrival was quite
uneventful or probably just relaxed with a pleasant stroll around the serpentine
paths along the tea estates and then sipping hot masala chai in the gelid air. But my husband had made plans for the
night. A night safari across the hill town to sight some crossing deer, bears
or even leopards! Frankly, I did not give it much thought because the prospect
of sighting animals in the wild though very thrilling doesn't seem very
promising to me. However, we went ahead with the plan soon after dinner. One of
my husband’s old acquaintances accompanied us on the safari as a local
naturalist cum guide. What followed next was the most unexpected drive of my
life.
Out of the village limits and
into the unknown we drove. There was no sign of light or life except for the
inkling and hope of wild beasts crossing our path. In this eerie darkness we
stopped the car, turned off the engine and headlight and sat still. After a
couple of minutes the guide flashed his torch to detect any animal movement. But
of course you don’t get lucky just so soon.
So we drove ahead and entered the
Curzon rainforest. A deep, dense and absolutely dark forest, with high
potential of animal sightings. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement. I
was wondering if our car broke down here in the middle of nowhere, which animal
would look out for us. But the thought of catching a bear in action allayed all
fears. Sadly, all bears seemed huddled inside that night and only a Black-naped
Hare dashed across. We crossed the jungle with bated anticipation but nothing
emerged.
We went further down the valley
and tea estates to Keel Kotagiri, bumping high and low over dirt tracks and navigating
baleful spiral bends. My husband confesses that it was one of the most arduous
driving experiences of his life in pitch darkness. After 3 ½ hours of manoeuvring
the car we were a tad disappointed for having sighted just some hares, wild
boars and a lone porcupine. Yet, trust me; the whole experience of that night, of
letting ourselves into the strange sinister paths and woods was exhilarating
and thrilling to the core. This is the real upside and privilege of being a
naturalist’s wife. Most people aren't even aware of such exciting opportunities.
The next morning was an overcast
sky with a slight drizzle coming down through the gauze of mist. This forced my
husband to abort his birding session. And so we soaked in the damp chilly
breeze of the hills but with a pinch of salt. It seemed our plan to trek inside
the Longwood Shola Reserve might as well be cancelled. But thankfully the sky
cleared itself in some time and we continued with our plan. After some
persistence, we obtained the permission from the forest department to enter the
shola forest. Visitors are allowed with only an accompanying forest guard.
A few meters inside it and I was
awed by the raw beauty of it. This is the closest that I have walked in a real rainforest.
Damp, thick foliage carpeted the undulating narrow path. Smell of the soggy
trees filled the still yet fresh air and an unusual quietness pervaded its
dense surroundings. The forest is a haven for bird life especially the endemic
Nilgiri species which are beautifully colourful but the passing showers sent
them into hiding. Nevertheless, my little boy was overjoyed to spot the
frolicking Malabar giant squirrels over the tree tops. Same time a leech clung
on my husband’s leg and only after sprinkling enough salt over it, it curled
and fell off. Blood sucking leeches are very common in rainforests especially
after rains.
Longwood Shola looked enchanting with its fallen
logs, mossy streams and gentle valleys. And chances of a bear or leopard though
rare were looming. This was another highlight of our trip and thanks to my
husband for introducing us to such amazing aspects of nature which not many
people get a chance to enjoy and appreciate.
Apart from this, we did the usual
things, driving around the hill countryside, halting at beautiful meadows for our
toddler girl to play around for she was so fascinated with the grazing cows. And
of course we relaxed a lot or rather tried to whenever the kids gave an
opportunity! It was a splendid family holiday where I also realized that the wonders
of nature that opened before me and my kids eyes were the gift of a nature loving
husband and father.
