Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Rangantittu


It was last weekend in Bangalore and the last thing I wanted to do is spend it doing nothing at home.I was yearning to take my new cute little car out on the highway and see what she could do. At 8 am switched on the TV for some news and thats when i heard that many migratory birds have flocked down to one of India's finest bird sanctuary ; Rangantittu. Two birds , one shot!. Called up my sister and asked her to be ready within one hour and by 9 am we are out on the road heading to this destination 110 km from home. The news was true, there were more than 20 species of birds and the density was at least 3 birds for every sq ft.Most of these birds from Russia and Europe. Went around in a boat and saw these masters of air basking in the sun. With such concentration of birds, the stench was intolerable. The tall bamboo shoots was dotted with bats hanging upside down. I for one first thought it was bin bags lifted by the wind into the bamboo thorns. The river has more than thirty crocodiles which sometimes were very near to the boat but seemed to be docile. Atleast I was told that way by the boats-man. Just a few kilometers from there was my uncles house, dropped by there for a quick lunch and catch up and headed back home. For the ornithologist in you here are some pictures.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Hogenikal falls



On one of my visits to my cousins place when they came down to walk us till the parking lot is when an idea of all of the bangalore settled cousins going out for a picnic struck me. From then on it snowballed into being a reality. I love long drives anyway and hence we decide to go to the border of karnataka and tamil nadu. One of natures wonders was there, the Hogenikal falls. Its a deep gorge with each shore belonging to the two rival states. My mom packed breakfast for 14 of us and in three cars five families headed off. Stopped for packed breakfast at a jungle and then we reached the tourist spot to hire three saucer shaped boats for a fantastic four hour joy ride. There were more than twenty different falls where with utter delight we were soaked in some of the lighter ones.
We stopped at a shore for a long relaxing swim/paddle in the shallow river. Fresh fish was caught by the local fisher men which was fried right in front of us for sheer pleasure for some of my hungry fish loving cat of a cousin.The 190 km long road was pothole less and pleasure to drive.
Honestly I did miss my partner more than once during the trip.
Here are some pictures