It's been over three weeks since the year started, and they have been incredible. I have much to write about--my heart and mind are full of stories.I wrote about bringing the new year in with the sight of a leopard at Pench Tiger Reserve, but anyone who loves the jungle knows that a "sighting" is not the only exciting thing about a safari. There's much more. The very sight of the gate makes my heart beat faster--unexplored, unpredictable worlds lie beyond!Pench, particularly, is teeming with wildlife. I would not be exaggerating if I said that we saw over a hundred peacocks during our four safaris there.We saw the young ones of nilgai, sambhar and chital, and I love fawns! They are an adorable combination of curiosity and fear. They gaze at us, as if to ask, What is this new beast? Who are these people? I wonder what they want! And then, suddenly, primal instinct takes … [Read more...]
The Forest Calls
It was New Year's Day. We sat in the gypsy, shivering with cold and excitement. There were fewer people in the jungle probably because many had stayed up to bring the new year in, and could not wake up in time for a safari on the 1st of Jan.For us, the whole point of being at Pench Tiger Reserve on New Year's Eve was that we would end one year with a safari and begin the next one with the thrill of another. As we turned into one of the forest lanes, we saw a tiger conservationist whom we'd met earlier that day standing in his jeep. He raised two fingers. "Two cubs," he whispered. He was still peering into the green.Aaah! said a voice inside me. Again!We didn't see the cubs, but that's hardly surprising. The tigers at Pench are famously shy. Even if they were right there, watching us, they would not emerge until we had gone away.But that day, the forest was full of calls. … [Read more...]
Bhigwan 2018
It was 8 in the morning. We'd woken up at 4:45 and driven over a hundred kilometres to Bhigwan. We waited a long while for our boat, and as we waited, we looked at terns, gulls, storks and stilts around us. And then, eventually, we boarded a boat and made our way across the waters towards the flamingoes.As we sat there, watching geese and ibises, I looked at the water around me and thought about what draws me to Bhigwan year after year. Why do I wake up in the pre-dawn hours and travel before light to a place two hours away?(Incidentally, when we went this time, my great-aunt had an interesting question, "Do flamingoes stink?" That was one of the questions I pondered as I sat and gazed at the pink-legged flamingoes in the distance. I still cannot answer that.)I looked at the painted storks, which look like old men walking with their hands behind their backs.I gurgled with … [Read more...]
Unique Flavours
Wanderlust. I write about it so often. Yearning is lovely.But sometimes, the joy of travelling is not in the yearning; it's in the humour. It's in the crazy things that happen all the time, all around us.When I travel, I try to eat things that are typical to the place I'm visiting. It was Spaghetti Bolognese in Bologna, though I dislike pork. Fishy things in Calcutta, though I don't like fish. You know.But sometimes, local food is unaffordable, or just inaccessible. Then, I try to get something that I can finish on my own - and roti sabzi does not fit the bill. I can never finish it.In Chandrapur, about 150 km away from Nagpur, I was at a hotel that served nothing typical of the region. So, I came to the second option. What could I finish? Lasagna! Why not? Chinese food in India is uniquely Indian-Chinese, and has regional variations. Lasagna in a small town could be fun … [Read more...]
Bye, bye, Malaysia!
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Jonker Street in Melaka becomes a night market. There are hundreds of vendors, plus shops set up cats out on the street to sell stuff. It is so lively!And unlike in Kuala Lumpur's Alor Street, we didn't find white people asking for money to fund their travels around the world.Though we were tired, we walked up and down eating random things and just taking in the sights. I love watching people! It was lovely.And then, it was time to head back - back to Kuala Lumpur and then, back home. In KL, we had a strange experience with a couple who seemed to be would-be con-people, but we didn't quite understand how they worked. We were walking towards Chinatown and the couple were headed in the opposite direction. The man had a phone in his hand and he had Google Maps open."Excuse me, can you tell us where we are?" he began. "I can't understand … [Read more...]
Sungai Melaka and Kampung Morten
I originally thought that the name of the river in Melaka was Sungai. I looked it up later, though, and discovered that 'Sungai' means 'river', so Sungai Melaka is simply Malacca (as it is still sometimes spelt) River.Especially as sleepy Melaka shuts down early on non-market days, the river cruise is a charming thing to do in the evening. It costs MYR 18 per non-Malaysian adult, and at another time, I would perhaps feel that it isn't worth it. In the mood that I was, though, the cruise was quite lovely, just how I wanted to spend a calm evening in a laid-back town.There's such a huge culture around pubs and drinking, isn't there? Pubs and cafes are so romanticised that looking at people sitting by the river and drinking creates a kind of yearning that I cannot help being amused at.In college, I disliked coffee - the smell, the taste and the cost. But it was a taste I … [Read more...]
Colonial Hangover
Taman Negara was incredible, and my mind is still full of the wonder of the forest. Yet, we did have to say goodbye to it when it was time to move on to Melaka.And Melaka was incredible too. A world apart from Taman Negara, I think it was the first city outside India where I felt I would like to live, and I cannot quite lay my finger on why. I know part of what speaks is my colonial hangover.What makes the red buildings in the Dutch Square reach out to me? Why do I find a little windmill charming? Why do I like all those bridges over the Sungai Melaka?Whether I admit to my colonial hangover or not, Melaka won my heart.We stayed at a lovely place, too, which added to the charm of Melaka. An old building that is a minute's walk from the vibrant Jonker Street, Da Som Inn is the first hotel I've stayed at that offers free coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice, cereal and … [Read more...]
Of long walks in the jungle
For the most part, I dislike treks. I don't think I'm lazy, though I cannot really be sure. I just don't like pushing myself up a hill, or feeling undercurrents of sympathy when some people don't walk/climb as fast as others. Sure, everyone is nice. People help other people out. It's just that my body is not convinced that it is worth it.Walking, on the other hand, is a whole different thing. A walk in the jungle is incomparable. Sometimes, at rough patches that require a little climbing, I am a bit of a scaredy-cat, but once I take a few steps, I love it.And that is why, on our first morning at Taman Negara, despite my determination to sleep in, I could not stay in bed. I lazed till about 7:30 and then, I had to get up. We made our way first to Lubuk Simpon, a place we'd visited the previous day. It's a sweet spot by the river where people apparently go for a swim. We … [Read more...]
Night Walk at Taman Negara
We read a lot about the night walk at Taman Negara before we left India. Most people said that it was a waste of time and money and that all you could see were spiders and insects.That did not deter either of us. Honestly, I did not expect to see an elephant in the jungle at night, and I cannot imagine why anyone would. Isn't a walk through the rainforest at night thrilling in itself?At every forest we've visited, we've tried to spend time with the guides listening to their stories. Often, guides tell different versions of the same tale, embellishing it and adding drama that I love. I'm never on the hunt for "facts" there; I'm just in search of a good story!Taman Negara was no different, but I couldn't help smiling at the anecdotes our guide chose to retell - for me, they highlighted how rare a 'sighting' is during the night walk."In 2010," he said, "we saw an elephant … [Read more...]
Canopy Walkway – Taman Negara
I'm always amused by how the concept of distance depends so much on where people live."The canopy walkway is very close, just about half an hour or maybe a little more." That's what we were told when we bought our 5 ringgit tickets to the canopy walkway. For most people I know, 1.8 km does not quite fit with the phrase 'very close'.We walked through the jungle, marvelling at the fact that we were there, feeling privileged to be in a place that is so old and so wild. As we walked, we promised ourselves that we would take our time, strolling and taking photographs afterwards - our priority was to get to the walkway before it closed. It was a Monday afternoon, so it was not even a day that was unusually crowded. Even so, there were still so many people there that we waited for over an hour. We put our names down in the list of people in queue, and then settled down under the … [Read more...]