Reserve Forest- Manimutharu

The agony of having left Leh so early still fresh in my mind, i needed something quickly to forget it. Just like a drunkard who has that small peg in the morning, after a night of binge drinking...

News was rife in the workplace that a small group of individuals were wracking their brains to identify a good adventure zone. Out of the several suggestions that popped out, the balance was tilted heavily in favor of Manimutharu- Waterfalls & Reserve Forest. Now, the name didn't sound exciting anyway. In my books, it seemed like one of those god forsaken places where a 1000 bare bodied men & women would be craving for every single droplet falling from the mountains. Adding to the chaos, would be about 30-40 buses , while groups of people would be picnicking and littering the area.

After a lot of suggestions and counter suggestions, we ultimately decided on Manimutharu. The trip would be very short and last only 2 days. We pooled in 1500 bucks each for the trip. Train tickets were booked on 2nd Class till Tirunelveli Junction.

Saturday Morning: After a good night's sleep in the train, we reached Tirunelveli at 6:30 a.m.Breakfast of Pongal, Dosa & Idli at Aryaas hotel ensured that we would not be hungry for the next couple of hours. Luckily,the south Indian ponch is so tuned to accommodate any amount of such delicasies.Not so very good roads and a distance of nearly 60 kms delayed our drive considerably. We eventually reached the base of the mountain after 2 hours. By now almost all that we ate was well digested.

Route to Manimutharu: Tirunelveli – Amba samudram – Singam patti - Manimutharu - Manjolai –Kakachi - Nalu mukku – Kuthirai vetti – Upper Kothaiyar – Kuttiyar

The Manimutharu Falls was quite a spectacle. However, as expected there were some people already trying to beat the heat. We took off our clothes as well and had a nice bath. With the water gushing on our heads with tremendous force, the weariness seemed to instantly fade away and we felt fresh once again....

Manimutharu Dam was hardly visible from the hilltop. The mist was thick and we could barely see each other.We settled back into our seats and took photographs all along the way. Finally we reached the check point of the "Manjolai Estate". Manjolai in tamil means a Mangrove. Entry beyond this point is highly restricted and unless you have a special permission, the only option is a "U" turn.

Being a Wildlife Reserve, carriage of alcohol and cigarettes is strictly prohibited. The Reserve forest is home to the Tiger, Bear, Leopard, Bison, Blue Bulls (Neelgai),
Elephants, Boars and a host of smaller animals.

The Neelgai

Food was already cooked specially for us at the dingy forest restaurant. There are a few hundred locals who live within the forest precinct and whose livelihood depends on the tea estates owned by the 100 year old Bombay Burmah Tea Company.

It was already dark very early in the evening. The mist surrounding the Forest Guest House gave it an eerie look . The guide told us that there could be Bisons moving around close to the area. This was exactly what we had come expecting. We went around a couple of miles.The guide clung to the back window of our car and flashed his powerful torch into the jungle slopes. Suddenly, we could see several pairs of glittering eyes...The Bisons were very much there and their partly white legs could be clearly seen. As i rushed with the guide to get a closer look, they all left in haste leaving me high and dry!!!



We came back to the Forest Guest House.The locals warned us from venturing by foot out for fear of being mauled by wild animals. Respecting local sentiments, we wrapped ourselves in woolen blankets and rested near the fireplace. While relieving myself middle of the night, I heard some weird noises emanating from the shrubbery. Later, i was told that the place was infested by Wild boars....

Sunday Morning : We got up before daybreak and readied ourselves for a long trek. With an injury on my left toe, i had little option but to wear sandals. The previous day we had learnt that there was a cliff from where we could get a good view. It indeed turned out to be a marvelous sight. There was a small tower from where we got even a better view of the entire area. On the left, there was this inviting sight of a thick forest cover.


Watch tower during dawn

Peacock perched on a tree

Armed with a few sticks, we started venturing inside. This was no doubt a rain forest. There was no sound watsoever and every step of ours seemed like disturbing the tranquility. Beautiful flowers and trees were all around and then there was this ocassional peacock. It seemed like bliss...But not for long! As we treaded further it got mighty dark . The trees now seemed to be growing taller and taller and we could barely see the sky. The mild drizzle was almost a heavy downpour. As we looked around, we realised, we were now very deep into the jungle. We had walked nearly 9-10 kms!! The path almost seemed to have disappeared behind us. Elephant droppings were almost everywhere and Bison hook marks were still fresh in the mud. We stopped by a brook and took some photographs.

Bison Hoof Mark

With little or no protection, it was getting a little dangerous. There was noone amongst us who knew to handle snake bites either. Good sense prevailed and we made our retreat. After about 2 hours, we reached base camp again. The trek last a solid 4 hours.. While we changed clothes, i realised that something was clinging hard on to my leg. It was a big brown Leech. Pulling it out would be painful and difficult. A pinch of salt was used for eliminating this pest. Surprisingly, a lot of blood oozed out from my body. I realized that the Leech is no ordinary threat as it seems to be...
Leech Bite

We wound up quickly and had a bath in the rivulet on the way. The train started at 7:15 pm from Tirunelveli and we were back to business next morning.

(19/06/09 - 21/06/09)



MJ's dead (26/06/09)

Enter the Valley ( J&K)

Chennai
At 40 deg + in Chennai and the pollution unabated, it looked like i was in for some really tough time. It was only going to get worse in May with the onset of the dreaded "Khatri" or the peak summer period.There was very little that i could do than watch the IPL or play that occasional match for the office team. Two additional options could still be used - one to cuddle myself into the fridge or head off somewhere from this god forsaken place. Not being an Eskimo didn't help either and i eventually opted for the latter.

I looked into the map and wondered where i could possibly go.It was nearly 4 months that i had last traveled and a getaway was desperately required. A cold place would obviously give me the much needed respite. With a limited budget i could not aspire to be in Europe. After a long and hard thought, i decided that i had to visit Leh. After all, i had read numerous stories of this wonderful land... After several permutations & combination, i figured out that i had to fly there via Delhi.Being from the Logistics industry helped me for a change.

I called up a couple of my friends who had an inclination for travel. But it was coincidentally the same answer. They could not travel in May but were ready some other time during the year. I understood that they would have some or the other pretext even later. And then tickets had to be booked well in advance to get the discounted fares.

Ritesh Shergill was a close buddy of mine in school. I remembered vividly that we were quite similar in more ways than one. He could prove to be the ideal foil for this trip. I called him up to share the idea and almost instantly he agreed. It was GAME ON from now.

Delhi
I reached Delhi on the 16th of May. After 15 long years, Ritesh was almost the same. In school his addiction for GI Joe was well know. The saving grace was that he had now graduated to Play stations and online games. Delhi was terribly hot at 43 deg. The fumes felt like larva splashing out of a volcano. Thankfully,his home saved us from the cauldron.

We watched " The Fast and Furious- Tokyo Drift" in the afternoon. Ritesh's sister Alisha was supposed to be a key participant in the evening's Fashion Show. Inspite of being an amateur ,she carried herself well . The event however wasn't too well organised. However, some pretty faces did keep us interested through the course of the show.

Our flight took off from Delhi in the wee hours of the next morning. The excitement was gripping us. After all, Leh, J&K happened to be our common dream destination!

Leh

The flight was about 15 minutes away from Leh. On the sly, i managed to take the window seat. From the distance, we could some changes in the landscape. From a brown and green land cover, it was turning white. This was our first glimpse of snow in our lives....


17th May, 2009

At close to 12000 ft above sea level, 48 hours is generally the time taken to get acclimatised at Leh. Rimpochee happens to be the Highest Airport in the World.We checked into the DIHAR ( Defense Institute for High Altitude Research). Food and accommodation was subsidized for us. We slept for a couple of hours and got up late in the afternoon. The view from our room was testament to the fact that we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world.



All travelers are generally advised to carry Sunscreen lotion, Sunglasses, cigarettes and sometimes brandy. May is usually cold and one can suffer from a Sun burn and a frost bite at the same time in Leh. The UV rays could easily damage the skin and eye sight. It is recommended that visitors adhere to the local advise. Any sort of excessive adventurism could easily land one in deep trouble. People with breating problems should ideally refrain from traveling to Leh. AMS (Acute mountain sickness) is common and loss of appetite and lack of sleep is a very high possibility.

Ritesh urged me to join him for a walk late in the afternoon. I was of the opnion that we do not exert much on day one itself. But, the tempation was difficult handle. Leh is a small walled town. We found it exteremely difficult to hit the main road owing to the maze like streets. Walking further and further, we reached Spituk, a small village about 10 kms from Leh. Over a cup of tea, we gathered a lot of information from the shop owner. Unlike city stalls, these shops get fewer clients and the owners have ample time for sharing their knowledge. With our bodies getting a little weary, the best option was to take a local bus to hit back to our room.

18th May, 2009

Nizar handled all the guest requirements at DIHAR. A resourceful person that he is, he made us a detailed plan on the places to visit till the 23rd. A competitive deal was struck for hiring a Tavera for the next 5 days. There were some permits required to visit certain Wildlife zones in J&K. Ahmed, arrived shortly. He was the Tavera driver and also someone who made our trip an amazing success in time to come. Getting the permits was a grueling exercise, as is the case in any government office. By the time the permits were ready, we were half way through the day...Obviously, there was no scope for the wasting the second half.



We were traveling to this place called Karu. En route we stopped at Shey Palace. It was at least 30-40 feet above the ground level. The climb up was difficult considering that we were only on our second day. Gasping for our breath, we somehow made it to the top. The Gonpa (Buddhist monastery) was relatively new compared to the older ones like Likhir, Lamaryu and Diskhit.

Santosh Pitre (Santya ), had joined the Indian Army after college. He was someone who always had that penchant to be in the forces and was our Scouts leader in school. He had been posted at Ladakh for a couple of years. With my Orkutting skills, i somehow managed to catch him on the phone. Being in the armed forces, it wasn't very easy for him to travel out of his military complex. It meant numerous cumbersome formalities. So, it was agreed that Ritesh and me would travel to Karu (about 45 kms from Leh) to meet Santosh. He was there waiting for us. The moment we entered the complex, i noted several soldiers saluting him. It was evident that he was a Senior member in the forces. To be precise, he was a Major. That moment, i was overcome by pride. He had obviously left the " so called pleasures" of normal living for this tough occupation. We were introduced to some senior staff and then we settled for lunch. Seeing all this around me, i was reminded of this short poem:

God & Soldier,
All Men adore:
In times of trouble & no more;
Coz when the war is over,
All wrong things righted;
God is neglected,
The poor soldier slighted;


I saluted the army man & my friend and left back for DIHAR.


19th May, 2009

Ahmed turned up early in the morning. After a lavish breakfast, we started out on the adventure. We would be travelling about 130 kms into the farthest point in Nubra valley.
As we moved on, i noticed that the lanscape was changing rapidly with every passing mile. The roads were so narrow that at most times, only one vehicle could traverse at a time.

There was certainly something mystical about this land. We reached Khardungla Top or K top after an hours drive. There was snow abound. The biting cold was far better than the city heat. We spent about half an hour at K top and after purchasing some souvenirs, continued on our trip.


On the way was the picturesque Khardung village as well as the long Shyok river. Hot lunch tasted good in the village of Khalsar. Then came the Panamic spring. It reminded me of the hot springs in New Zealand. The ones you see when the Indian cricketers are on tour. Few would have known that there was a Hot sulphur spring very much in India.

This place- Yaralcho was never in the itenary . It was Ahmed's surprise . All that we saw a small hillock in front of us. We trekked for about 2-3 kms and lo and behold! there was a breathtaking sight ..yonder was a small pond that had been there for thousands of years. This place is particularly revered by the Buddhists and the meaning of the word Yaralcho is apparently 'A honest life.'One would be pleased to note that people in Leh are extremely honest and corruption is almost non existent.



Hunder - For a moment, we thought that we had landed into Rajasthan. The sand dunes and the landscape are strikingly similar! The Two humped Camel with its thick long fur thrives in this area. We went on a Camel safari in the Wadi for 15-20 minutes. It was fun! Made me feel like a medieval king for a change..



Accommodation at Hunder was cheap and extremely clean. It would have cost us a bomb in any other place. With the rivers, hills and ravines surrounding us, it sure was some adventure. The sound of silence however was frightfully deafening. We had a nice dinner and rested for the night in the cold.

20th may, 2009

Next morning, we headed straight off to a small monastery as well as the renowned Dishkit monastery. They were pretty similar to what the other Gonpas that we had seen. However, you can note some minor differences in the architecture.

Thrilled by what we see in the 2 days we left for our base camp- Leh.

May 21st, 2009

Pangong Lake

The famed Pangong lake is about 155 kms from Leh. On the way we saw yet another mountain pass at Changla. The best part about the J&K region is that you feel totally secured owing to our mighty army presence. At a height of 17586 ft, one can expect to see snow fall most time of the year.

For those wildlife enthusiasts, there is a lot that can be expected on this route.i.e If you are very lucky enough!!! Below pictures illustrate what could possibly lie in store:

1) Horses



2) Wild Ass


3) Marmot (Large ground Squirrels)

4) The Himalayan YAK


5) The IBEX (Mountain Goat)


We were indeed fortunate to see the Wild Ass and the Ibex, both that are extremely shy creatures and are seldom seen.

The serene Pangong lake is one of the amazing sights that one could possibly see. The blue and green traces of water make it a sight to behold. The water is salty and hence cannot be consumed. You can hire tents near the lake at a very nominal cost. Half the river apparently flows into China.




What more we also encountered a desert storm . The visibilty was extremely poor , but we managed to get through luckily




May 22nd, 2009

Kargil






Being a patriot by birth, i had been longing to visit Kargil ever since the war took place. There had to be something about the place that made the Pakis make the blunder. History says that every resourceful place is prone to a lot of misery and pain. Whether it is Afghanistan, Africa or Iraq, the tale is quite similar.
Bird's eye view of Kargil Town

Kargil town up close


Kargil lies about 250 kms from Leh. We started early morning and reached Kargil at around 5 pm. There is a massive military presence even today in this place. While Leh is a cold desert with very little or no greenery, Kargil is spectacularly different. The moment we were close to reaching Kargil town, i was choked with emotion. This was the very place where many a soldier sacrificed thier lives so that we could live to see another day. The main bridge in Kargil is named after Iqbal Singh, one of the many martyrs. All along the route, you would find the memorials of great soldiers who perished during the many wars.



From Kargil, we headed to the main nerve center of the War- Drass. We passed through Khorbo vollage that too the brunt of the shelling at the time of war. Electric poles had been shot at by the Pakis to cut off communication links. You can now spot Indian Army snipers at many places in the mountains to ward off any mis- adventurism by our foes.

We decided to stay at Drass instead of Kargil. It was unbelievably cold and the temperature was close to minus 10 deg. The fading skies and the misty mountains felt like heaven. Everything looked magical..i wondered whether this was the reason the Pakis risked so much inspite of the heavy price they had to pay. Surely this had to be one of the best places in the world!

My pulse was racing fast...we were near Tololing, Tiger Hill & Batra Hill. The very places where our troops fought for recovering our posts. Even a trek seemed a difficult task. But our valiant soldiers did what anyone would consider virtually impossible. The feeling i had is diffuclt to explain. I felt proud...proud of our Armed forces. Their presence convinced me that our nation is in secure hands.I then felt that we sometimes forget the sacrifices of these great individuals and do not give them the respect they deserve. Maybe it is high time we all understood this and spared a thought for their deeds.


23rd May, 2009

Early next morning ,we thought of visiting Sonmarg. As luck would have it, there was heavy snowfall at Zozilla pass and several vehicles had got stranded. We turned back and only stopped at Dropati kund. Legend has it that during exile, the Pandavas stayed in a cave that is hid high behind the mountain.




This had to certainly be one of the best things ever to happen to me. A place where one can see the desert, snow,greenery, mountains, rivulets, rain, sun- all on the same day! It also made me introspect the life that we live compared to the endurance of our soldier brothers. Every single rupee spent was worth the money. This trip actually changed the way i think about life.


We returned to Leh that evening and flew back to Delhi next morning. Anyways, do let me know if you plan to visit Leh sometime. Ahmed is more of a friend than a driver.You can avail his services at nominal costs and is reachable at 09419815042. You can speak to him in advance to plan a successful trip.


(16/05/09 - 24/05/09)