It's yet another 5 AM morning and my Safari jeep is slated to pick me up at the front at 5:30 AM. I'm joined by Zoe, a solo female traveler hailing from South Wales, and Stefan and Tanya from Germany. The 2 hr jeep safari itself was fairly non eventful. Our driver along with other safari drivers tried to make a concerted effort to spot wildlife but considering the jungle setting it proved futile today. We were only able to see some water buffaloes, Nilgiri Langoers, and the head of one elephant over tall bushes, but alas no tigers. After the game drive, we embarked on a strenuous two hour hike up the Nilgiri Mountain ranges. This is where it gets interesting. Leeches! Yup, you can literally see them crawling all over the ground. It was entertaining to see all the foreign and Indian tourists freak out at the sight of leeches extending their bodies up in the air awaiting their next victim. We had to constantly brush them off our shoes. Most of us ended up being bitten, myself included yet again. The leech's skinny bodies enlarge nearly 20 times their original size after having made a meal of our blood. It was actually quite funny to see Tanya find an enlarged leech and the commotion she made of it. I can still envision it now! :) We ended the day at the Periyar Tiger Preserve with a visit to a pathetic elephant bone museum and a nice paddle boat ride to a waterfall.
Returning home I quickly wash up and take a leisurely walk around town. The touts as usual descend on me eager to sell their wares and services. I easily brush them off as I'm a pro now! All you need to do is say "No thank you!" and keep walking. The second you stop, its all over and they've got you by the balls. I find a quiet restaurant at a quaint hotel recommended by a local. It turns into the most expensive meal yet at Rs740. The meal consisted of ginger Gobi (cauliflower), veg rice, Kerala style paratha and a couple of Black Label beers. Talking about Parathas, I have yet to taste a Paratha that rivals the ones handmade by an old lady in South San Francisco. (I know my Parathas!) Satisfied but a bit lighter in the wallet, I forgo hailing a rickshaw and walk home in the rain.
No comments:
Post a Comment