Spotted throughout the area were churches of various designs and colors. Many were perched rather high up, some even on rock. Interspersed, one could find tower-like “churchettes” with a single narrow lower space in which a statue was placed. Also quite prominent were Catholic schools, attended by students of varying faiths. The presence of upcoming elections was everywhere, from signs and posters plastered everywhere, to the mini trucks with a person in back, whose message was projected through obnoxiously loud speakers.
Up near Thekkady, forests of rubber trees and carpeted fields of tea bushes dominated, replacing the coconut palm trees of the backwaters. Trees soared to towering heights, with filtered light dappling on large ferns.
Although we arrived too late for a bullock ride, we were able to take a boat ride on the Periyar Lake within the tiger reserve. It took a while for the boat to depart, as each person in the boat had to have a life jacket firmly secured by park personnel. Although we initially complained about the clumsiness of the jackets, they did serve an alternate purpose, keeping us slightly warmer and drier when rain blew into the boat. The boat slowly chugged its way in a pre-determined path, carefully avoiding the many petrified tree trunks scattered throughout, evidence that this area was flooded in 1895 when a dam was constructed. Perched on the gnarly tree trunks were birds, on the lookout for fish. Along with the more common Cormorants, small Kingfishers were also spotted. Despite the blowing rain obscuring the view, we were able to spot bucks, bison, monkeys, and elephants.
No comments:
Post a Comment