My Memorable Tours - 1

I just love traveling to places!! Just don’t know how this interest caught up with me, but whenever I get a chance to go to a new place, I just love it!  

This doesn't mean that I've traveled a lot. In fact, to be frank, I've not visited many historic places in our own country--Taj Mahal for example. A plethora of such locations in my mind, places where I would like to visit atleast once before my life fades away!!

And, if there are friends to accompany you, can't get a better trip!! Just a funny freakish tour is on our hands.

Enjoyed a whole lot of trips with friends. This is one such trip, which I really cherished, and will never forget in my life!

SILENT VALLEYNATIONAL PARK – May 28^th, 2003!

This was a visit totally unexpected, to be frank. Along with my school mate Pranesh, I went on a 5-day Nature orientation camp at Salim AliCenter for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) [www.sacon.org], Aanaikatty- a golden opportunity provided by our then school Principal. That was a camp attended by 10 students including us from all over Tamil Nadu.

For the first 2 days, we were given a nice insight into the kind of research going on there at SACON regarding the various fascinating features of Nature, including the wild life present around Aanaikatty, the various variety of birds, the kind of butterflies which populate the place, wet lands of India etc.,

 Guess what ? There were researchers present there who dealt with Snakes, and we had a chance to touch the head of a poisonous one!! Terribly beautiful, that creature is, when looked at such proximity!

On the third day, 28.05.2003, we were taken to Silent Valley National Park, Kerala. This place, 22 kilometers uphill from a place called Mukkali, is truly a Paradise on Earth! That we went on a partially rainy day made things even more amazing, as the forests of the National Park looked evergreen and so refreshing…

Poochapara Hills

The very sight of the entire location from the watch tower there at the top provided us with an indelible impression that there can’t be more spectacular spots in the world. A small trace of water was all we could see from there at the bottom. But, it was something else..

Right at the heart of the National Park runs River Kunthi, or Kunthi Puzha, as it is called,  a beautiful small river supplying pure water, where we had a nice bath. The forests were really dense, and to our bad luck, we weren’t able to see any animals. But, traces of Elephants, Leopards were on view at various spots of the forest.

We had to trek for nearly 5 hours in total, and the entire experience was just amazing.

 Its 5 years since I took up that trip and still those memories are fresh in my mind. An opportunity, which just came up out of the blue, but the memories will live long in my mind!

Thanks to Dr. Pramod, Nature Education Officer, SACON and his entire crew who led us through this thrilling trip.