A constant nagging feeling growing into the conscious.. striving for some space in the monotony of driving on the highway, pangs of hunger grumbling in the stomach and a dull pain brooding over the shoulders... The hunger and pain knocked only at intervals but the feeling remained.. unrelenting and steadily growing... we were on the way back home driving along State Highway No. 7 via Karimnagar... we decided to take a break for some tea.. something had to be done to suppress this feeling...
Every day has a unique beginning.. some way or the other.. it can be wonderful, dull, mundane.. early, late, too early.. but there are certain elements.. a few chores that has the capacity to decide the outcome of any day... February 6th 2011 began with a sudden drop into consciousness vehemently thrown out of my dream.. when reality settled I realized it was a Sunday and I was some 200 odd kilometers from Hyderabad in Nirmal all set for another expedition into the woods.. The day should be exciting and I was eagerly looking forward to it.. But waking up in the wee hours of the morning can disturb the smoothly conduct of certain chores which ought to be done in the morning.. The consequences of those were reserved for later.......
At 5 AM we (a group of five.. bird watchers and photography enthusiast) were back on the roads.. The route was surprisingly smooth and spooky... covered on either sides with tall dense teak trees spreading out its gigantic branches and clasping the road nice and tight holding it steady awaiting to consume all tiny particles that trod along its way unsuspecting.. A few that marginally escaped its grasp fled past us back into the safety.. None of them entered into the unknown darkness that was beyond the headlights... perhaps they were all consumed and became part of the growing and inviting darkness and ours was saved for last... the dessert in the full course meal.. we carefully trailed along the snake like path... carefully because we were running on the spare tyre owing to an incident on the National Highway No. 7 where our journey from Hyderabad began....
One can not expect a more satisfying drive than that on the Six lane magnanimous National Highway No. 7 starting from the southern most point Kanyakumari to Srinagar running along the length of India like the amateur arm scissoring awkwardly the subcontinent into two halves... we were gliding effortlessly at top speed discussing facts about birds, making plans for the Sunday and cracking up professional birding compliant jokes... The promising road gave us plenty of time to reach our destination and therefore we decided to take a break to stretch ourselves and sip some tea in the dhaba nearby...
The chillness of the night embraced us as we located a table out in the open to enjoy the little shivers under the folded arms only a perfect continuation after the drive on the heavenly expressway.. The view opened to a vast blue sky with a half-lit moon and endless bright spots that looked like the drawing assignment of a kindergarten-going kid... Eagerly colouring the circle on the assignment sheet with a bright ash coloured water paint occasionally sprinkling the paint on the sheet knowingly and/or unknowingly.. but then growing bored of the monotonous activity and leaving it incomplete for a good night's sleep... sweet dreams child for the nightmares are en route for the rest of us....
Promises are meant to be broken... especially those made by the government.. and the promise for a smooth and secure drive on the National Highway was about to meet its stark reality.. A reality where the roads are the way they are meant to be.. Two-way and narrow road with more of patch work than the actual road and deep trenches dug to keep up the warranted number of potholes that should be available to make the commuters life a living hell.... To put some cherry on the cake were the vehicles coming from the opposite direction shooting blinding high beams followed by an abrupt explosion of abysmal darkness.. The endless freak show of contrasting lights keeps you wondering if you are on the right path if there is actually a path to speak of.. And finally the icing on the cake is when the tubeless tyre butts butt-end into one of those trenches and is immediately rendered useless... A group of IT professionals, well aware of the gravity of the situation, throw some jokes around to defuse the tense situation. The task of replacing the tyre always looked simple when the tyre-puncture waala performed it deftly. But we realized the practiced efficiency hidden behind the task only when eight hands under conflicting supervision and varied opinions struggled to get it done.. Exhausted and excited, claiming to have added something new to the resume, we got back on to the dusty path treading carefully hereafter....
Sunlight dawned streaming through the dried spotted teak leaves showering hope that there is no vanishing into the murky darkness and the forest turned benign brown and green... We wandered into the forest, listening to the whistling of the birds and a deep throb of the axe digging its pointed teeth through the woods, along with a care taker who followed the birds whistle but turned a deaf ear to the wood chopping... He was no whistle-blower and perhaps was well-fed in the wood smuggling business... Corruption in our country had deeper roots than that of the strongest Teak tree in the 893 sq. km area... I had so many 'lifers'.. a term used in Birding when one sights a bird for the first time out in the open... We spotted Snake eagles, buzzards, wood shrikes, flycatchers, nuthatch to name a few.. and got some close and amazing pictures of the Indian roller - state bird of Andhra Pradesh..
After some wonderful sightings and photography we decided to pack our bags and head home... it was the same moment when the feeling registered its presence only to be rubbished aside.. we took a different route to reach Hyderabad via Karimnagar... We took a break for some tea.. I thought satisfying my hunger can bring some difference...
The tummy was happy and hunger faded from my conscious only to give more space to that feeling that grew like darkness that began to settle or the count of the fast approaching vehicles from the other end... there was no stopping of the endless row of vehicles or the feeling.. It was now pitch dark except for the high beams from the opposite end and the feeling filled up my conscious to take complete control and I was forced to make an abrupt stop near a dhaba and disclose its presence to the group... A desperate search to dispose off this feeling was made in the surrounding areas only in vain.. There was no alternative as hinted by my colleagues and I was completely subdued to find a deserted place out in the open strip down my civic sense and relieve myself of the hardships endured during the trip...
when in Rome do as the Romans do and when in the wild....... This was another lifer.. a first timer followed by sense of absolute relief and I felt feather-weight and free like a bird soaring in the sky.... This was a trip worth the salt...
A few pictures...
KawalWildlifeSanctuaryFeb0611
Every day has a unique beginning.. some way or the other.. it can be wonderful, dull, mundane.. early, late, too early.. but there are certain elements.. a few chores that has the capacity to decide the outcome of any day... February 6th 2011 began with a sudden drop into consciousness vehemently thrown out of my dream.. when reality settled I realized it was a Sunday and I was some 200 odd kilometers from Hyderabad in Nirmal all set for another expedition into the woods.. The day should be exciting and I was eagerly looking forward to it.. But waking up in the wee hours of the morning can disturb the smoothly conduct of certain chores which ought to be done in the morning.. The consequences of those were reserved for later.......
At 5 AM we (a group of five.. bird watchers and photography enthusiast) were back on the roads.. The route was surprisingly smooth and spooky... covered on either sides with tall dense teak trees spreading out its gigantic branches and clasping the road nice and tight holding it steady awaiting to consume all tiny particles that trod along its way unsuspecting.. A few that marginally escaped its grasp fled past us back into the safety.. None of them entered into the unknown darkness that was beyond the headlights... perhaps they were all consumed and became part of the growing and inviting darkness and ours was saved for last... the dessert in the full course meal.. we carefully trailed along the snake like path... carefully because we were running on the spare tyre owing to an incident on the National Highway No. 7 where our journey from Hyderabad began....
One can not expect a more satisfying drive than that on the Six lane magnanimous National Highway No. 7 starting from the southern most point Kanyakumari to Srinagar running along the length of India like the amateur arm scissoring awkwardly the subcontinent into two halves... we were gliding effortlessly at top speed discussing facts about birds, making plans for the Sunday and cracking up professional birding compliant jokes... The promising road gave us plenty of time to reach our destination and therefore we decided to take a break to stretch ourselves and sip some tea in the dhaba nearby...
The chillness of the night embraced us as we located a table out in the open to enjoy the little shivers under the folded arms only a perfect continuation after the drive on the heavenly expressway.. The view opened to a vast blue sky with a half-lit moon and endless bright spots that looked like the drawing assignment of a kindergarten-going kid... Eagerly colouring the circle on the assignment sheet with a bright ash coloured water paint occasionally sprinkling the paint on the sheet knowingly and/or unknowingly.. but then growing bored of the monotonous activity and leaving it incomplete for a good night's sleep... sweet dreams child for the nightmares are en route for the rest of us....
Promises are meant to be broken... especially those made by the government.. and the promise for a smooth and secure drive on the National Highway was about to meet its stark reality.. A reality where the roads are the way they are meant to be.. Two-way and narrow road with more of patch work than the actual road and deep trenches dug to keep up the warranted number of potholes that should be available to make the commuters life a living hell.... To put some cherry on the cake were the vehicles coming from the opposite direction shooting blinding high beams followed by an abrupt explosion of abysmal darkness.. The endless freak show of contrasting lights keeps you wondering if you are on the right path if there is actually a path to speak of.. And finally the icing on the cake is when the tubeless tyre butts butt-end into one of those trenches and is immediately rendered useless... A group of IT professionals, well aware of the gravity of the situation, throw some jokes around to defuse the tense situation. The task of replacing the tyre always looked simple when the tyre-puncture waala performed it deftly. But we realized the practiced efficiency hidden behind the task only when eight hands under conflicting supervision and varied opinions struggled to get it done.. Exhausted and excited, claiming to have added something new to the resume, we got back on to the dusty path treading carefully hereafter....
Sunlight dawned streaming through the dried spotted teak leaves showering hope that there is no vanishing into the murky darkness and the forest turned benign brown and green... We wandered into the forest, listening to the whistling of the birds and a deep throb of the axe digging its pointed teeth through the woods, along with a care taker who followed the birds whistle but turned a deaf ear to the wood chopping... He was no whistle-blower and perhaps was well-fed in the wood smuggling business... Corruption in our country had deeper roots than that of the strongest Teak tree in the 893 sq. km area... I had so many 'lifers'.. a term used in Birding when one sights a bird for the first time out in the open... We spotted Snake eagles, buzzards, wood shrikes, flycatchers, nuthatch to name a few.. and got some close and amazing pictures of the Indian roller - state bird of Andhra Pradesh..
After some wonderful sightings and photography we decided to pack our bags and head home... it was the same moment when the feeling registered its presence only to be rubbished aside.. we took a different route to reach Hyderabad via Karimnagar... We took a break for some tea.. I thought satisfying my hunger can bring some difference...
The tummy was happy and hunger faded from my conscious only to give more space to that feeling that grew like darkness that began to settle or the count of the fast approaching vehicles from the other end... there was no stopping of the endless row of vehicles or the feeling.. It was now pitch dark except for the high beams from the opposite end and the feeling filled up my conscious to take complete control and I was forced to make an abrupt stop near a dhaba and disclose its presence to the group... A desperate search to dispose off this feeling was made in the surrounding areas only in vain.. There was no alternative as hinted by my colleagues and I was completely subdued to find a deserted place out in the open strip down my civic sense and relieve myself of the hardships endured during the trip...
when in Rome do as the Romans do and when in the wild....... This was another lifer.. a first timer followed by sense of absolute relief and I felt feather-weight and free like a bird soaring in the sky.... This was a trip worth the salt...
A few pictures...
KawalWildlifeSanctuaryFeb0611
