Idimuzhangan Nights - A memorable experience

                It was a cloudy Friday morning. We were six and all of us were so excited about the trip because of various reasons – the destination, the time gap since we’ve went one together etc. We started off from Trivandrum by 11.30 AM in a Maruti 800 and a Pulsar 220.., after clicking a few selfies. We took the Kilimanoor – Madathara – Kulathupuzha route, following the Google Map directions. We had a bumpy ride once we were off the MC Road. The roads were in very bad condition and the continuous rain in the previous days made the condition worse. At one point I even had to off-load my co-passengers to get past the potholes. On our way back we took the Kulathupuzha – Anchal – Ayur route which was a smooth ride.

The Thenmala Dam reservoir 

                Talking about the destination, Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Kollam district, Kerala. The sanctuary surrounds the reservoir of the Thenmala dam. Major area of the sanctuary is covered by tropical evergreen forest. The sanctuary is the home of a wide variety of flora and fauna. ‘Idimuzhanganpara Nights’ was the package we’ve booked there. The cost per person was around Rs.1600.

                We reached Thenmala by 2.30 PM after having a nice meal at a small hotel in Kulathupuzha. We paid the balance amount at the Forest Information Centre and the officer gave us the guidelines and a small briefing about the travel and stay in the forest. Now, it’s time for our vehicles to get a day’s rest. 

                               By the time we came out of the office the Mahindra Thar which took us to the boat was waiting outside. We were accompanied by a Forest security officer (not sure about the exact designation), a guard and a cook. The vehicle took all 10 of us including the driver to the boat in a hardly five minutes’ drive. By the way, the automobile enthusiast in me was really impressed by the power of the SUV.

The reservoir bank

           

     It’s time for the amazing boat journey. Once got into the boat it was really busy time for the mobile phone cameras. And now it’s time for me to take my DSLR out. After taking a handful of shots I decided to enjoy the ride without spending too much time with the camera. Cloudy sky, Still water, surrounded by the hills & forest, the only boat in the water….. waw.. what a combination that was…..!!! 

We spotted a small group of wild Guars during the journey. But they were at a very large distance for me to capture in my camera. Unfortunately, these were the only animals we could see during the entire trip. We reached the camp hut after a ride of 30 minutes through the reservoir. 

The camp hut

Tea time

                After having tea we left to a stream near the hut. We spent more than 2 hours in the cool waters. It was very enjoyable and we were like kids playing in the water. It was very refreshing for mind and body. 

                   

                We came back to the hut spent time in clicking photos, playing cards etc. The dinner served was very delicious and the hospitality and dealings of the department staff stands out and is very appreciative. The security officer narrated his experiences and the challenges they face while fulfilling their duties. Their life-risking efforts and sacrifices for protecting the wild are praiseworthy. We went to bed after planning to get up early to get the nice morning view of the jungle. It didn’t took long for us to get asleep in an environment with nice climate, sound of running waters, chirping of crickets…

Day 2              

                We woke up in the morning hearing the sound of rain falling in our roof, which didn’t let me get off from the bed. By this time others went for a morning walk. I got up soon and took my camera to get some shots at the reservoir banks in the morning light. Even though I was a bit late I managed to get some cool shots. 

A morning view

                          

                We came back to our camp hut and had a yummy breakfast - a combination of puttu + payaru + papadam + pazham. By 9.30 we went for trekking for a few kilometres in the jungle. Our guide explained us about various animals, trees, reptiles, insects etc. found in the sanctuary. We spotted few of the reptiles and poisonous insects found there. The frequent drizzles added more thrill to the trekking, even though it prevented me from taking out my camera a number of times. Our guide said about the presence of elephants in the surroundings, but we were not enough lucky to spot any of them.

                   

                The trekking was a thrilling experience. Now it’s time for us to return to the base. We came back by 12 PM and had one final bath in the cool stream before leaving. A nice vegetarian meal was served to us. After making our tummies happy we packed our bags and started our return journey, walking towards the boat. 

The way back

                     It started raining when we were in the boat. All of us were once again busy with our cameras getting some final clicks. It was pin drop silence in the boat. Don’t know what the reason was. Was it the sadness of leaving the place…??? Was it the reluctance to go back to the busy and chaotic life on the other side…??? Hard to figure out. Whatever.., we have to go back to the routines. But memories of such experiences can keep us refreshed for a long time…!!!