Rangers
First kind of hick up in the trip. We choose yesterday to drive today to the Chennar Wildlife Sanctuary. Next best thing beside Eravikulam National Park, which is closed. By coincident, I switched on my mobile data yesterday night – first hotel with no WiFi. Between the mails, which flooded in, I saw a mail from our travel agency. Might be an issue to drive to Chennar. Quick responds, in the morning a green sign. Thank you, India Someday!
Our driver suggested to first stop by the Tea Museum. We thought might be better to keep it in mind for our way back. We certainly want to have enough time in the sanctuary. Setting priorities in our way. But he somehow resisted. Why not… when we come back late, he has to drive in the dark. Surely not a pleasure, with the mountain roads and slopes. But we were curious about the tea processing and specialties. Thus we started with the museum. We not even got the time to see the photographs, exposition and explanations. We were ordered to get into the video room to watch a film from half an hour. How great everything had been and how great it is now. Never mentioned any issues in a period of 150 year, except heavy rain and high water. From there we were urged to the processing plant. The guide explained for half an hour what the audience certainly did not know (according to him), what the benefits of green tea are and how en why everybody should chance his lifestyle. Next step was the shop… and we were out.
From here it was a two hour drive to Chennar. Past Sandal woods, a lot of plantations, some villages. From the board “Welcome in the Wildlife Sanctuari” to the information center it took another 30 minutes, while you are already driving through the estate. We saw paths were elephants cross the road, but today – no elephants. Only some peacock.
The information center – a office van 2m x 2m, 3 people, a desk, two c…. The explanation was short: we could take a 300m walk to a watch tower. Probably nothing to see but trees and bushes. Or we could choose a riverbed hike of some kilometers, certainly would see monkeys and birds, unlikely to see other (bigger) animals. I already was quite hot. We choose the hike. Riverbed sounds good. We got a guide to find our way, but more likely, we could spot some animals and birds. Because there were too many guides on the side for the day, we got two guides with us. Short summary: what a nice path, lovely landscape, good guides (showed us certainly more then we ever would expected)! Glad, we did it. Very, very, very glad. Tried to find out, how the sanctuary is managed (how they take care of the environment en everything in it). The rangers could explain the forest and the animals but not answer to the other questions. Maybe, I should have asked the guy in the office.
The drive back was much faster. All good. We had the usually near-accidents, but nothing the driver couldn’t manage. Back in town we had a quick bite. And from then is was a drive in the dark. The driver wasn’t very found on it. Can imagine. Told at some point that there two days earlier a man was killed by an angry elephant. Right. Nice to know. Not.
We made it save home. saved a frog who was lost in our shower. Packing time. Tomorrow, we drive to Thekkady.