Wanderlust - My Travel Journals: November 2014

Sunday, 30 November 2014

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) - Where the Tigers Rule

Well, this is the second of the articles submitted to the travelogy competition of my company. Only rule was to compile it around 200 words.

Here it goes...the readers are the best judge of the brevity and content.

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TATR, in Nagpur, India welcomes everyone with its outstretched arms.

The open-top gypsy safaris take the visitors inside the jungle through a series of really narrow gullies. The fragrance and the 'sound of the silence' of the - the pristine air, the tweeting of the birds, falling leaves and the occasional roar of the animals - create an enthralling trance.

Being a deciduous forest, an absolute dryness engulfs the whole region in summer. The yellowish-brownish color of the grasses gives a natural camouflage to the predators like the big cats. It needs an experienced eye to spot them.

The excitement and the thrill are in the chase, but the joy knows no bounds when a tiger can be spotted in the open - truly an experience of a lifetime. The majestic style and the total disregard of the surroundings portray the traits of a king, full of pride. Fear, joy and respect - the emotions flow rapidly from one another. A silence prevails, the only sound that can be heard is the relentless clicks of the cameras. Nobody moves, as if being numb under a mesmeric spell. Even the time stands still.

All good things come to an end, but leave nothing but the footprints and take nothing but the memories and a vow to return again.

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101_The Jungle at Dusk

102_The Royal One

103_Majestic

104_Nilgai

105_Spotted Deers

106_Spotted Deers

107_The Jungle

108_Bulbuls

109_Oriental Honey Buzzard female

110_A Really Close Shot

111_Water and Biodiversity

112_Sambar and Family

Ladakh - A Slice of Heaven on Earth

My company wanted a travelogy around 200 words. I opted for the Ladakh one.

When I sat down to actually write this one up, I realized the difficulty of the same. A mere 200 words will not do any justice to the spectacular place, but I still tried.

Here is the excerpt. The readers are the best judge of the small attempt.

Thankfully there were no restrictions on the number of photos, but the size was an issue from the office networks.

Here it goes....

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Ladakh is a place where all superlatives fall short. Magnificent vistas of Indus and Zanskar valleys, the solitude of Pangong Tso, the remoteness of Hanle (world's third highest astronomical observatory), the hightest motorable road in the world (Khardungla), a village with an absolutely different culture (Turtuk - belonged to Pakistan till 1971), from the snow-capped Khardungla to the sand-dunes of Nubra valley within a matter of hours - Ladakh has it all to offer.

But Ladakh is not just about the spectacular meadows, it is also a land of spirituality and culture. Ravaged through the several cross-border conflicts ( 1962: India-China, 1971 &1999: India-Pakistan), the essence of peace stood undeterred, although the scars of the bloodshed can still be seen (and felt) at places Kargil, Drass and Chusul.

We spent 16 long days, traveled 6500 long kilometers, crossed 12 of the high altitude passes and passed by 7 divine lakes but still much remains to be seen of this dream destination. Even after a few years, we still long for the rugged mountains, the barren lands, the scenic monasteries and the hospitality and simplicity of the people.

We solemnly took an oath to be back to the heavenly haven once again because end of one journey is the beginning of another.

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