Apu’s World

Some pictures from a recent weekend trip to Ranganathittu and Kodagu. Among the loveliest things I saw were a Racket-tailed Drongo and an Asian Paradise Flycatcher. I couldn’t take pictures of those, but I give you instead… 

A group of painted storks admiring themselves in the water. 

A river tern suns itself on a boulder.

A somnolent crocodile that shrugged of its inertia as soon as it saw our boat. Gave us a few moments of pure terror as it glided away under our boat. 

Pepper plant, not yet ripe for the plucking.

Wild poinsettia, a common hedge in the plantations. 

Early morning light filters through the tree cover at the plantation. 

An elephant gets a relaxing scrub, at Dubare elephant camp. 

The Buddha with Avalokiteshwara and Guru Padmasambhava, at the Golden Temple, Bylakuppe Tibetan settlement. 

Where many roads meet. 

apu In General, Travel Tales

Sometimes, a really fine piece of travel writing comes along that isn’t even about a place. Gagan Gill’s ‘जो भी ईश्वर को देखता है’ (Whoever sees God..) is one such piece that is ostensibly about the writer’s desire to visit Kailash-Manasarovar, but actually becomes a reflection on myth, faith, the plight of the Tibetan refugees who cannot return to their land and her own sense of finally letting go her husband after his death more than a year ago. 

Writing her will in anticipation of a difficult journey, she says, “यात्रा और आत्महत्या से पहले, जहाँ तक हो सके, सब साफ़ छोड़ना चाहिए…” (Before a journey or a suicide, as far as possible, you must leave everything cleared up). Kailash - Manasarovar is of course a strenous journey, but its reputation in myth and legend is that of a ‘देवभूमि’, the land of the Gods. I found the calm acceptance of possible death on such a journey incredible. 

For the English translation - here. 

apu The Literary life, Travel Tales

One day every week, I attend a class to learn violin, about 4 bus-stops away from home, in a slightly dingy area. These days, with the Bangalorean winter setting in, it starts getting dark by 6 o clock and by the time I finish class at 7, everything looks dull and gloomy. So, I was thankful when I got to the stop and almost immediately, my bus came up. I struggled up the stairs - umbrella tucked under one arm, holding my music notes in one hand, clutching the violin with another and trying hard to keep my fashionable-but-impractical handbag from falling off my shoulder.  The driver took one look at me and immediately asked me to give him the violin, so that he could place it next to his seat. 

A very small and instinctive act that set me thinking about the kindness of strangers. 

Last year, my husband and I saved up to go to Europe during the summer. I looked forward to it for months, but I was also somewhat apprehensive - would we be treated well? Since we were going to some smaller, rural areas as well, would we face any trouble? As it happened, we needn’t have worried. For the most part, we met with such friendliness and help from all the people we met. 

Asking for directions in the compact and beautiful French town of Colmar, we were startled when two 70-year old ladies started walking us in the right direction. We thought they were going the same way; they weren’t - they just wanted to be sure that we got to the right bus-stop. `At the tiny village of Hunawihr, walking on the routes des vins, for some ten minutes, I stopped enjoying the country-side around me while my mind was focused on only 1 thing - how to find a toilet, and find one quick! The village had practically shut down for the day and the one public toilet (outside a church) was closed. In desperation, I asked a woman emerging from a school, if she could help. It turned out that she was the gym mistress, and very graciously, she unlocked the school and gym that she had just closed, and waited while I used the loo. 

In Paris, at the interminable queue outside the Palace of Versailles, an Italian lady extended her umbrella over our heads as it started raining. The umbrella wasn’t quite enough for 3 people, but it didn’t matter. In Amsterdam, lost in the circuitous streets, a young man who saw us poring over a map, volunteered to our rescue. 

Closer home, when we visited the Andaman islands this year, we were captivated by a plant with lovely pink flowers, at one of the homes. Hesitantly, we enquired of the owner whether we might have a sapling to take back for our garden. A young girl, who informed us that it was the ‘madhavi-lata’, enthusiastically dug up one for us, though it took her some time and effort. 

While we enjoy the places that we visit - the chance to see the well-known monuments and natural beauty of the world and explore unusual cuisine and activities, is it not the kindness of strangers that makes travel so much more enriching? And not just travel, but in the midst of so much gloom and pessimism, it makes life itself so much sweeter. 

apu In General, Travel Tales

Some time ago, we had a lazy and fulfilling weekend in Shimoga; an account of that has been published by The Hindu this week - you can read it here.

apu Travel Tales

Yelagiri Hills is sometimes known as the poor man’s Ooty - I hope it stays that way! I got back yesterday after a lovely two days spent there, walking, playing games, catching up with old friends - all in Yelagiri’s pleasant not cold-not hot weather. Without the crowds and noise of Ooty. I wonder how long it will be before Yelagiri catches up. Size should be a deterrent - the place is really too small, to accomodate a large number of people. (I recognise that this is travel snobbery - everyone wants the best places for themselves - in which case, I wonder where everyone else should go!)

Some pics here from a friend’s camera

One of the 14 hairpin bends on the way up, each named after a Tamizh poet.

A dog, who only needed some tender, loving scratching a.k.a TLS

View from Koosu Kuttai, a hilltop reached after a half-hour trek

apu Travel Tales