22 May 2015
Postcard from Nagarhole
November 2012
This is change of scene, despite being just 100 km or so
from Wayanad: it's hotter, there are more big-name wild animals and no more
coffee plantations. This 600 sq km national park houses the largest collection
of tigers in India, about 400. There are a similar number of elephants, as well
as leopards, snakes and bison. On an early morning safari (05:30 to 09:30), we
see none of them.
Well, that's not strictly true, as there is a water snake
curled up inside the propeller casing of the outboard engine, and another
inside the tyre fender as we cast off (the national park is a 10 min boat ride
on the opposite bank of a reservoir from our hotel). But there's still lots to
see on the safari, including deer, monkeys, mongoose, peacocks, wild boar, many
different birds including a crested serpent eagle; a preying mantis and spiders
that are even larger and fatter than the one in George and Dom's flat. We're
shaken around in the back row of an open-sided Land Rover, with a couple from
France and another from Germany occupying the rows in front of us. The guide,
as they all seem to be, is local, self-taught and passionate about his region.
We're not allowed out of the vehicle due to the risks of attack by a grumpy
elephant or a tiger that works out we are an easier target than a highly-strung
deer.
(Pamela's not feeling 100% today, not so much Delhi Belly
as spiced-out, so perhaps being stuck in a shuddering Land Rover for four hours
is not the most sensible thing to do, but a double Imodium the night before
seems to have done the trick.)
Yesterday, there was a waterside perspective, with a boat
safari. The sides of the reservoir are lush with grass, as the water-level is
some 4m below where it should be, due to less monsoon rain than usual this
year. This attracts the grazers out of the forest cover, and there we see the
elephants (and many other mammals), butterflies and a wide variety of water
birds: kingfisher, heron, egret, stork, spoonbill, duck, waterhen, as well as
swallows resting on a dead tree in the middle of the water. India is a paradise
for bird watching. (Tonight we're going on a bug-hunt, so we'll see whether the
same is true for insects and spiders).
The sunset is magnificent, after which there is a
'culture show'. As the fearsome editor points out, there's been more written
about ants in previous postcards than about these culture shows, so a catchup
is overdue. We've been to three so far, and they are well-meaning,
enthusiastic, noisy and fun, if enjoyably, unashamedly amateurish. More
mid-school nativity than West End theatre. This time the men are bare-chested,
with what looks like a T-towel around their necks. The only musical instruments
are hand-drums and a PiPi, which looks and sounds like a recorder with a sore
throat. They dance in some semblance of time, to three themes: welcome, wonder
and celebration. All three scenes look and sound pretty much the same to us
uncultured Europeans.
There is perhaps space for a final observation: the
dentistry or perhaps the diet, appears to be better here. Everyone you meet in
India gives you a big smile, but here we're seeing more shining white teeth. If
the Internet connection allows, attached you will find a picture of two girls
whom we saw washing clothes by the side of the road. Just look at their teeth!
This is the universal warm welcome from India.
# posted by DavidF @ 16:46 
