I Like Big Cats and I Cannot Lie

Tiger says hello!

It’s Google’s fault that we were under clothed. We were expecting a temperature of 30 degrees, not the post-rain crispy chill of the jungle. Waking up at the crack of dawn and hauling ourselves out of bed into not-warm-at-all clothes, we set out for the morning safari in the Magdhi section of Bandhavgarh National Park. Our jeep driver, Mr. Pandey (The Awesome) greeted us with a look which said You-are-late-but-I-make-my-living-off-you-so-I-won’t-say-anything and proceeded to drive at double speed to make up for lost time. Open air jeep, No warm clothes, zipping through the cold morning air as if our life depended on it…swell!

A 10th Century Vishnu statue in Tala

After spending the previous evening at a safari in the Tala section without any cats to show for it, we had only a fool’s hope taking us to this morning safari. That and the fervent claims of guides/guest house staff- “No sir, Magdhi very good for tigers sir”, “No sir, tigers come out in the morning only sir”, “Only yesterday we see five tigers sir!”

So, we were at Magdhi at 6am, driving around slowly, peering into the bushes as if we would spot a tiger any minute now. Oh we saw plenty of wildlife! There were monkeys and macaques, spotted deer and sambar deer, colourful birds of different kinds (such as the green bee-eater, or green pea-eater, or green beater).  There were creepy skeletal trees, aptly named Indian Ghost Tree (or The White Tree of Gondor), there was even an Indian Jungle Cat in the shadows. But zilch on the tiger. 

We saw paw marks alright… fresh paw marks cutting cross the path which created a stir of excitement. We also saw scratch marks on a tree which the tiger had used as a scratching pole. Most exciting yet, was the clear, piercing call that deer make when they sense danger. Surely, the tiger (or tigers) were right there in that clump of trees! So we waited. We waited by the pond (“Maybe the tiger will be thirsty”), we waited by the trees (“This is where the call was heard”), we waited till all of us nodded off of a while.  

Big Cat Scratching Pole

It was 9am now, we were still waiting. We were having a very heated argument about the etymology of the Green pea-eater. I said it had green plumage. My brother insisted that it ate green peas. The only people still on the lookout of the big cat were the guide and the driver.

The gates to the park close at 10:15. All vehicles have to be out by then or be locked in (till there is an inquiry). The punishment is pretty harsh for the guide and the driver who are suspended for 15 days and fined heavily. So, by 9:50am, while we were still waiting, other safari jeeps crossed us one-by-one on their way to the exit, insisting that we give up and make a move too. 

What are you looking at?

At about 9:55am, a patrol officer crossing us said that there was a tiger just next to the path, some distance back.  That was when all hell broke lose! Frantic switching on of the engines, backing up the jeep on the narrow path,  cursing other jeeps on the way,  even hitting a couple of them!  What followed was the impassioned shushes from the drivers and frantic pointing from the guides-

“Shhhhhh! quiet! Look, there it is!”
“Where?? I can’t see it”
“Theeere! in the trees!”
“Still can’t see it!!”
“Turn your head at 32.6 degrees angle and squint your eyes three-quarters. Look where I’m pointing!”

 

Always look both sides before crossing the road

It was almost as if the tiger thought ‘These bunch of losers will never figure this out on their own”. He came out of his hiding place and crossed the path RIGHT in front of our jeep, looked at us, growled a greeting and made his way into the forest.

We were still absorbing the awesomeness of the moment, our luck at having witnessed this majestic feline in it’s domain, when Mr. Pandey revved up the engine and sped towards the exit gate. We made it with a total of 2 minutes and 30 seconds to spare, exulting the whole time.

You’ve seen tigers in zoos- Bengal tigers, white tigers the whole lot. But the feeling of pure awe mingled with fearful excitement which a tiger prowling in the wild, with nothing to separate you from it, is exhilarating. 

We went back to the tranquil confines of the forest rest house feeling on top of the world, still basking in the afterglow of the major adrenaline rush, all the while thinking “Mujhe junglee biliyan pasand hai”.

Gangtok and beyond- The rest of the Sikkim Series.

While the heavy rain back home was adding to the traffic woes and triggering a whole bunch of runny noses, I was enjoying the almost perfect mountain weather. The days were sunny and the evenings pleasantly nippy in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The city itself was a pleasant surprise. The houses lining the street were not posh, but were all well maintained, freshly painted, with their balconies lined with flowering plants. The roads were not wide, but there were bounded by a well kept, covered and aesthetically designed side walk for pedestrians. The traffic was extremely streamlined and everyone drove in their own lanes. There were dustbins at reasonable intervals and there was next to no litter on the streets. Was it not for the quintessential 'Mahatma Gandhi Marg', I would have thought I was in another country.

MG Road, Gangtok

The MG Road is the city's epicentre. Its a well maintained, pedestrian-only shopping paradise. The avenue is lined with shops selling merchandise ranging from expensive brands to export surplus, Tibetan antiques to plastic Chinese toys. I have spent my fair share of bunked dissection hours in Janpath/Sarojini Nagar, but never have I street-shopped in a  more delightful place than MG Road. The government has taken special steps to make MG Road a pleasant place so tourists can empty their wallets and make the state richer. The numerous fountains, flower pots and benches all along the street just add to the shopping experience. Not to mention that there are some amazing eateries along the way. I especially loved the Roll House which I frequented for my daily fix of cheese rolls and momos.

Just some monks chilling

About an hour's ride from the city is the Rumtek monastery. As far as places of worship go, Buddhist monasteries are my favorite. They always have a serene atmosphere and at the same time, they present a rich burst of colour. The reds, blues, yellows and greens of the walls and the murals are just incredible. Rumtek is now tied in the first place with Thikse monastery, Leh on the official 'Best Monasteries Mana Has Been To' list. We reached Rumtek in time to catch the morning prayer. I found it quite interesting, unlike a little monk boy seated in the back of the prayer hall, trying desperately to stay awake.

Clouds greet us en route to Tsongmo Lake

One of my favourite aspects of the trip was the visit to Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake. The original plan was to go to Nathu La but a week's worth of snow can play spoilsport to the best laid plans. We could only go up to the lake, which is about 10-15km short of the pass. The lake itself is at 12,400ft and it quite a sight. We had to trudge through quite a bit of snow, politely refusing yak rides to get to the half frozen lake. I had to trudge along even further to leave behind the horde of loud Bengali tourists. I eventually went around the bend and reached an isolated stretch where the snow was undisturbed, the noise was far away and the mountains were serenely reflected on the glazed surface of the lake. I might have gone further if I wasn't scared of sinking into the snow. I spent some time on that isolated spot, taking pictures and just breathing it all in till my dad found me and called me back for some warm grub. Maggi, momos and snow. Yes, life is good.

Diagonal lines

Shades of White

A bit of fun in the snow

A day in Namchi- the first of the Sikkim Series.

Much of 3rd grade geography was spent trying to learn the names of the states and their capitals. Sikkim and Tripura were my personal demons. I was always mixing the two up- their locations on the map as well as their capitals. They were just so remote, and so unimportant to a 9 year old living in Delhi. Even in the 15 years that followed, hardly any thought was given to these small eastern states. Till the time Air India announced all domestic flights at Rs. 1500. Almost on a whim, bookings were made for Bagdogra with the intent of traveling ahead to Sikkim.

We spent a day in Namchi, South Sikkim. At first sight, Namchi is unimpressive. A disappointment even, considering that the Chief Minister of the state for the last 25 years belongs to this constituency. The major 'attraction' is the Char Dham Temple Complex, which in my opinion, is essentially a Mini Siam of temples. There were smaller 'replicas' of the four main dhams and a gigantic Shiva statue to overlook the whole complex. The place is pretty enough- manicured and well maintained. The main prayer hall is adorned with murals depicting scenes from Shiva's life, which, being quite fond of mythology, I found interesting. However, I felt that the place lacked a certain character. It felt too artificial, too new and too 'perfect'. The sense of awe and wonder that you experience on beholding the massive, yet intricate temples of Kanchipuram, or the sense of peace and serenity that washes over you at the Bahai Temple, Delhi was missing in this place. It just felt too plastic. (Incidently, this is also how I feel about the Akshardham in Delhi.)

Walkway of the bazaar covered in pink gulaal after holi

In the evening, we walked to Namchi Bazar. All the shops were closed on account of holi. Well, almost all. The liquor shops were very much in business. So was a tiny little shop called 'Rekha's Fast Food'. People were lining up outside this shop for a hot cup of tea and samosas. After warming ourselves up with the Rs. 5 chai, we wandered along the Central Park. This is a misnomer since it's not technically a park, but a pedestrian-only area with a fountain and an aquarium surrounded by (shuttered) shops. The 

walkway was covered in pink gulaal after the day's festivities. We sat on one of the many benches and people watched. The longer I sat, the more I started warming up to the place. This was the heart of the city. Even though the heart was on holiday, there were still locals walking around, catching up, laughing... I imagine that the atmosphere would only be livelier on a regular day.

The statue at Samudruptse

We made an early start for Gangtok the following morning, stopping to visit a couple of places in between. Our first stop was at Samudruptse, where there is a massive statue of Guru Padmasambhav- the patron saint of Sikkim (according of one of the plaques). The path leading up to the statue was  lined with Buddhist flags waving in the wind, the air was fresh with the smell of the mountain forest and the sound of chirping birds flitted through the atmosphere. Peace! I made friends with a kitty who I found meditating (soaking up the sun) on one of the benches. It mewed and purred loudly in response to my petting but refused to pose for photos. 

We made another pitstop at a Temi Tea estate where we basked in the sun as we enjoyed a hot cuppa of the garden fresh tea. Refreshed, we resumed our drive to Gangtok, the state capital, which requires an entire blog post of it's own.

Fresh tea from the garden

Mandu- Good things come in small packages.

My suggestion of a trip to a small town in Madhya Pradesh was mostly met with an unsure 'Why do you want to go to Mandu of all places?' Honestly, the only answer I had was 'I just do'. So, obviously, that's exactly what we did.

Our train from Delhi to Indore was running 6 hours late. Frustration and annoyance was hitting a dangerously high level. By the time we reached (it was 7 in the evening), the buses to Mandu had left and we had to hire a cab (which charged extra money) for the last 95km of the trip. Surprisingly, the roads were in excellent condition and it took us about 2 hours to reach our destination- Malwa Resort (an establishment run by the MP government).

Mandu is one of those places which make you feel as though the time has stopped. There is a charm in the serene lake-side town which leaves you wanting more. The night was spent walking along the lakeside, gazing at the splendid night sky and going back to being 8 years old in the playground in the hotel premises. We slept with intention of waking up at the crack of dawn and witnessing the sunrise over the lake. But all noble intent crumbles when faced with a warm, snuggly blanket on a chilly morning.

When we finally went outside, it was nice and sunny. We had a hearty, albeit spicy, breakfast at the hotel and started our leisurely walk on an undulating road passing through green wheat fields, towards the Rewa Kund group of monuments. I am glad we decided to walk instead of taking a cab. It allowed us to soak in the rural serenity of the place- the small huts, the farms, little chicks following the mother hen, the cawing roosters, the smell of cow dung and the soft bleats of goats. The village children were very excited to see strangers sporting sunglasses and waved at us as we passed.

The premises of the Rewa Kund monuments- The palace of Baz-Bahadur and Rani Roopmati's pavilion- are quite well maintained and sparsely populated. The architecture is typically Persian with plenty of arches, domes and baths. The view from the pavilion is absolutely breathtaking and we spent our time just sitting atop the ruins, chatting and looking out into the distance. The sun got pretty harsh as the day progressed and I came back with a slightly sun burnt nose. 

One can 'see' Mandu in a day or not get enough of it in a week. I do not like to check off 'Things to See' from a list of  'Places to Visit' which are flooded by tourists. I like places which are far from the madding crowd. Places which allow you to sit and reflect, maybe read a good book by the lake. Places which make you take in a deep breath and soak up the atmosphere and attain a sense of Inner Peace. Mandu is just that kind of a place. I know I did not spend too much time there on this trip, but I am coming back in the future. You can keep your Agras and Goas.

Triund- There and Back Again

It’s been four insane months of internship. Four months of erratic schedules, 100 hour work weeks and no weekends. It’s a tough line of work, this medicine. But finally, just as the temperature in Delhi was hitting 43 degrees, I managed to steal a weekend getaway. And after a race against time to catch the bus to McLeodganj, I was off to Triund with some of my other crazy friends.

The twelve hour bus journey to McLeodganj was mostly uneventful. We reached around 7:30am, hungry for some yummy breakfast at The Four Seasons Café- I had missed those scrumptious chocolate pancakes! Satiated, we headed toward the Dalai Lama Temple (to pay our respects and also) to use the loo. I have always loved the atmosphere in the Temple. I could sit there for hours looking out into the picturesque valley. In my earlier visits, one was allowed to carry electronic items like mobile and cameras inside the temple. However, it was not allowed this time and we decided to visit the temple in shifts with some people staying behind to look after the bags.

We hired a taxi to Gullu temple (Rs. 600 for an Innova) from where the trail to Triund starts. The trek is about 6km and it took us about 4 hours to reach Triund. The trail wasn’t too steep but there was a fair bit of clambering over rocks involved. My favourite part was the smell of the mountains. The clean, cool air laced with the scent of mulch and rhododendrons. We started at a steady pace, with the crunch of leaves and stones beneath our feet and the mountain breeze in our hair. The sun was shining brightly and no one could have foreseen the rain that lashed down on us about 2 hours into the climb.

We climbed on through the rain, continuing to clamber over wet stones. In retrospect, that might not have been the safest decision. But the experience of walking through the trees and over rocks with the rain on your face was worth it. Maybe we decided to continue climbing because we knew we were almost half way there and that there was a little chai stall where we could find shelter till the rain stopped. Ah! The joy of a hot cuppa in the rain!

The rain stopped as suddenly as it began and the sun was out once more, wearing a bright smile as though nothing had happened. We waited at the chai stall for almost another half hour during which our clothes dried in the sun. Then we began the second leg, with a little more treacherous footing  because of the rain. It took us about 2 and a half hours to reach the campsite. We hired two of the remaining three tents (Rs. 800 per tent) and set up shop near the chai stall.

Feeling a little rejuvenated after some hot grub at the stall, we walked around the meadow taking in the breathtaking site. Rain gods decided to grace us with their presence once again and we had to retreat to our tents to avoid getting drenched. This unfortunately meant that we had to abort our plans to trek to the snowline. The rain let up around dusk and we were out again, looking at baby lamb grazing in the field.

The night was a cloudy one for most part so we couldn’t see the glorious night sky and show off our Sky maps. There were multiple camp fires at night with people singing and/or playing trance music while drinking/smoking up. My friends and I had the simple Indian dinner being served at the stall and hung out around the fire for a while hoping to get a little warmth.

The next morning, we started our descent around 8am and reached McLeodganj just in time for lunch. Our bus back to Delhi was at 7pm. The 6 hours in between were lost in the midst of the incredible ravioli at Jimmy’s, the delicious carrot and cinnamon cake at Nick’s and the McLeodganj special- hot ginger lemon honey tea. Heaven!

Being the best has its perks

Ten years ago, I was a preteen with puppy fat wading through the pristine waters of Radhanagar Beach, Havelock. This time, the only change was my recent college graduate status and the new 'commercialized' look of the beach Everything else was just the same, fat and all... I was as excited as I was back then. After all, this was one of my favorite places in the world and I was far far away from the Delhi chill.

Radhanagar Beach was voted one of the Best Beaches of Asia according to the Time Magazine in 2004. Havelock Island has definitely benefited from that status. Many new resorts, hotels and restaurants have cropped up, there are new roads and painted footpaths- there has certainly been an improvement on the economic front. Or the elections are drawing near.

Dolphin Resort is a good place to stay. It is slightly far from Radhanagar Beach, but offers excellent accommodation for an even better price. The best rooms are for Rs. 2000 per night (25% discount in off season). The bookings are extremely difficult to get, so book way in advance. There are many other more luxurious resorts such as Barefoot, which are accordingly more expensive.

Many new cafes and restaurants have opened up along the main road. Offering a range of food- Andamanese Sea Food, Italian, Lebanese, Continental and Indian cuisine. I had lunch at Rony's Italian Restaurant located near Dolphin Resort. A small, open air cafe decorated in colors of the Italian flag. Wood fired pizzas were fresh and absolutely delicious. The food is as expensive as any fancy place in Delhi- Rs. 300-400 per pizza. It's probably cheaper in the off season, if it's still open. Most people in such places work for 6 months during the peak season and spend the rest of the year farming. The food, however, is worth every penne! (See what I did there?)

Taxis are the major mode of transportation for tourists. A taxi charges about Rs. 200 from the jetty to Radhanagar Beach. There is a bus service also which runs from the jetty to Radhanagar beach every 2-3 hours and costs Rs. 50. Scooters and motorcycles are available for hire at Rs. 200-400 per day.

Scuba and snorkeling trips are organised by Barefoot in the reefs near Elephant Beach. There are no roads to Elephant Beach. Access is via boat. For the slightly adventurous, a trail leaves the main road about 2-3km before Radhanagar Beach. The trail winds through the forest and leads to Elephant Beach. It takes about 45 minutes one way.

Radhanagar Beach is gorgeous. Its definitely more crowded than it was in 2003, but it's still nothing compared to other places in India like Goa. The beach has received several additions to make it more 'touristy'. There is a large gateway welcoming visitors. There are many log benches and thatched huts for people to sit. There are even changing rooms for ladies (guys can change where ever they like, according to the guard). There is a string of shops along the entry to the beach selling souvenirs in form of t-shirts, jewelry, shell and coral curios.

The beach itself is as delightful as it was back then- fine white sand, shallow water, lovely waves. Ideal place to swim or just splash around. The water is crystal clear and you can sea tiny fish swimming around your legs. I was really glad to see that there were hardly any plastic bottles and other trash strewn on the beach. Either the public has suddenly become conscientious or there are designated cleaners to pick up the trash. The former is highly unlikely. The latter shows just how much the locals want to preserve their island's pride- a world renowned beach which has undoubtedly brought a lot of income to the island in form of tourism. 

Local vs Fancy: A take on Ferry Rides in Andaman

Ferries and ships are practically the only way to travel from one island to another in Andaman and Nicobar. You might be super fancy and hire a helicopter or a sea plane- in which case, this article is not for you. However, if you are one of the people trying to decide between a slow, bulky government ferry and a fast, sleek private catamaran, here is my take.

A government ferry is nice and slow (takes about 2 hours to cover the distance between Port Blair and Neil Island/Havelock). Its huge and heavy looking and there are far too many people on board (even though the seats are numbered and there's nobody left standing). There is no facility of 'checking in' your luggage and you have to carry your heavy bags with you and try to stow it in the limited space available. It feels really claustrophobic being seated in such a hole with people everywhere speaking in a language you don't understand. And if you're a foreigner, you'll be subject to quite a bit of staring.

Government ferries named after islands

However, once the boat has left the jetty, you are free to roam about as you please. For me, that meant rushing to the deck with my book and finding the best spot in the sun. It's an exhilarating experience, being on the open deck with the wind in your hair, waving the land goodbye and staring out into open sea. You can spot a school of flying fish here and there. The sunset is even better as you watch the sky change colors over the water. Once it's dark, you can stare up at the absolute brilliance of the night sky. Even just staring into the wake of the boat is hypnotic. Of course, there will be a lot of people around you, but once you're off, it doesn't seem to matter that much. A government ferry is the cheapest way to travel and you can interact with locals and be a part of some very interesting conversation.

Bidding the shore goodbye

As far as the cost goes, the ferry costs about Rs. 300 from Port Blair to Neil Island and about Rs. 350 from Port Blair to Havelock. They run at a reasonable frequency and timetable should be checked at the ticketing counter. As for the tickets, it's advisable to book your tickets 3-4 days in advance, especially during peak season.

Another good thing about government ferries is that their bulk and speed (or lack thereof) makes it exceedingly stable. Unless the sea is extremely choppy, you shouldn't feel sea sick.

Soaking up the sun on deck

Oh and these ferries have nicer names- after the various islands/bays of Andaman and Nicobar.

Now for the private catamarans like Makruzz (what a random name)... They're sleek, smart and gleaming white with tinted windows, on-board cafeteria and television screens playing song videos from popular Bollywood movies. It is frequented by lesser number of people and the people on board are much 'classier'. There is a facility to 'check in' your luggage. You might have to wait for some time after de-boarding before it is returned to you. That is provided they sent you luggage to the right island (It might have been a one off experience, but a lady travelling with me told me about how her luggage was sent to Havelock instead of Neil Island where she was de-boarding).

The boat is fast alright, covering the distance between Port Blair and Havelock in 45minutes. But the speed and sleekness comes at a cost- people puking everywhere. The bathrooms are nice and clean till they are covered with vomit (about 15 minutes into the journey). All but the most resilient travelers are advised to pop some sea sickness pills before the journey.

The worst thing, in my opinion, is that you can't go on deck. Well, there is no deck.  You are just stuck sitting on your allotted seat watching Aishwarya Rai run into the waiting arms of Shah Rukh Khan. Thank God that the journey lasts only 45 minutes. The ticket of course, costs much more- about three times more expensive than the government ferries.

In my experience, for a person on a relaxed holiday, with no hurry in the world, wanting nothing more than the dull hum of the engine and wild flyaway hair (and saving precious money), government ferries are the way to go. If you feel the need for speed and the love for 90s Bollywood movies, cruise the Makruzz. Just remember to pop those pills!