Trekking Trip

Vasupradha Girish reminisces about the trekking trip to Parambikulam
during the Puja holidays

On Sunday, we woke up early, and went straight for a morning trek in the forest. Despite very few hours of sleep, the cool, clean, fresh forest air managed to stir our senses. I was busy appreciating the sound of a gently rushing stream nearby, when a friend spotted a leech on her leg. Immediately in a wave of paranoia, I decided to check my legs as well, and found a leech on my left leg. Surprisingly, I was quite thrilled, as I felt it to have completed the trekking experience. A little salt did the trick, and I was back to appreciating the sights and sounds of nature.

After the trek, we had breakfast and helped in cleaning up the sanctuary, and after going back to our rooms, we packed our bags to get ready to leave this area of the reserve. We travelled by a local bus to another area of the reserve, and we found, to our delight, that we were to stay in cosy little tents, fully equipped with a bathroom and hot water. After lunch (which was wonderfully arranged in chafing dishes, buffet style), we went in a van through the forest and took a look at the oldest teak tree in the world, the Kannimari teak, which was extremely tall. We then rode through more of the very picturesque forest and stopped at a lake for a boat ride. It was sunset, and the sky was a light pink, as well as the gently rippling water. There were hills in the distance, covered in a thin mist. After a quiet ride on the lake on wooden rafts, we watched a tribal dance. On the way back to our tents in the van, we could see many animals: deer, bison, rabbits, even a porcupine as well as the occasional firefly gleaming in the darkness. The sky was also clear, and numerous stars were scattered across its blackness. Once back at the tents, it was dinner and straight to bed.

The next morning we woke up and dressed, and after a quick cup of tea, went into the forest for eco-meditation. We sat at the top of a rocky hill, and closing our eyes, took in nothing but the gentle sounds of nature. We were then led through the forest for some bird watching. Unfortunately for us, most of us were wearing slippers, and there were numerous thorny bushes along the way. We emerged quite badly scratched and very tired, and rewarded ourselves with a delicious breakfast. Then we donned our trekking attire (along with our sneakers of course) and went trekking for two-and-a-half hours. The terrain was quite flat, making it quite easy for all of us to stay together. We came across springs where we had the opportunity to refresh ourselves; sit down, and even fill up our empty water bottles with the pure water. We spotted no animals (I guess we made too much noise as we were a large group).

After returning to our tents, we showered thoroughly, washing away all the grime and sweat from the trek, and satisfied our hunger with lunch. We packed up and got ready to return to Chennai. In Coimbatore, we stopped at a temple (which was undergoing renovation), and then bought snacks for the rest of the bus ride to the station. We ate packed dinner in the train. However, there was a problem with the seats and many of us had to share berths. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, and woke up abruptly in the middle of the night. I reflected on the trip: I thought about the peace and calm in the reserve, the diverse wildlife, and the clean, fresh air. It was then that I realized how much I would miss the lush, green forests of Kerala.

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