Travel Stories - India

Around 12 o'clock a pink bus will arrive in the town of Munnar and it will indeed go to "Kumily". I step in and enjoy the beautiful landscape through which we drive; high mountains alternated by green hills with tea plantations, villages, valleys, swirling rivers and forests. It seems that on every corner the bus stops and because the one has not arrived this morning this one is packed. Next to me is an older man who can not stay in his place at every turn (and there are a lot of them), and clashes with me several times. Then he smiles shamefully and then staring straight ahead again. At the end of the afternoon we enter "Kumily" in at a very dusty bus station. There are several "touts", offering places to stay, and I choose one and walk with him into the center. The hostel is a large wooden almost colonial building where I am treated with a cup of coffee and some sandwiches because the lady of the house has just finished cooking. The room is large, modern, clean but is exactly next to the lap yard that is in front of the house. The house is not on the main street, where I think it can be very noisy but in an alley next to another path. 

During my meal I ask information for about visiting to the National Park of “Periya” which is nearby. I also read that all Indian tourists go on the boats but the chance of seeing wildlife from the boat through the fog and the distance is not great. You can also take a ride on an elephant, jeep safari and bamboo rafting explains the woman. I decide in the end to go for the cheap option; a walk of 3 hours with a guide. In addition, I will try to make an evening walk together with a "ranger" to check if all fences are still intact. I rent a bike for tomorrow (a taxi is pricey and walk is far) and after a simple dinner I go back to enjoy my room. However, I have to stand on my stripes when cold water comes out of the tap and I have to walk to the owner because a switch has to be made and there is a powercut a few times but otherwise it is fine and I watch TV before I go to bed.

In the early morning I hear what jeeps driving around, but a little later it is quiet again. It is half past five and I have just been awakened by my alarm. After a few minutes of walking I unlock my rented bike and then I zigzag with it around the many potholes in the road in almost complete darkness towards the national park. At the entrance I pay my entrance ticket and then the landscape becomes hilly and very wooded. From the fog I suddenly see a large deer with a beautiful antlers along the road and he looks as strange of my presence on the bike as early as I do. Unfortunately I can not enjoy this for too long because I have to cycle for another 4 kilometers until I encounter a large building where I am expected. I report myself to the reception and may join a group of other tourists with whom I will take the walking tour. A guide introduces himself and together we walk to the river where we go in groups by means of a bamboo raft is pulled to the other side. The first part of the walk is along the river bank where we can wave to the hundreds of mostly Indian tourists who provide themselves with a spot on the waterfront on the boats. We see a lot of birds here, such as the "Kingfisher", woodpeckers and birds with a double tail. Fortunately, some have a bird booklet with them so that we can find what we spot. Unfortunately, we are walking on a paved path as many tourists have used for us, so the chance to discover big game is not very big. We do hear monkeys screaming in the distance, but on a field in the middle of the forest we meet the other group - not really conducive. Before you know it, the three hours are over and you are again along the river to be picked up. But suddenly a wild dog appears on the other side and we have seen at least one animal which makes it kinda spectacular today. 

When I return to my town on my bicycle, I meet a guide who is jumping behind. At exactly the same spot as this morning, three deer are now grazing and we keep looking for a moment until they take a turn. At the information center I inform the "borderwalk" for tonight but unfortunately I am still the only one who has registered for it so it’s cancelled. 

After dinner I jump back on my bike and this time I leave the village on the other side (contrary of the National Park I’ve been earlier today). Steep up the hill, over a road full of noisy and smelly trucks and buses. Whole pieces I have to walk next to my bike because it is too steep but then I find what I came for: "Abraham's Spice garden". The man asks a multiple of the amount than stated in the travel guides and I see other tourists walking away. I lie that I do not have much with me and I can go inside for less money anyway. The tour through the beautiful herb garden together with a couple from Alaska takes an hour and we see for example pepper, coffee, cocoa, papaya, nutmeg and pineapple. Nice to see everything in its natural habitat now instead of at a supermarket on the shelf.

Because my intended jungle-evening (or night) walk does not take place, I want to look at a performance that is given in the "Mudra Kathkali" center. As planned, I am directly addressed but make it clear that I cannot afford those touristy prices for the tickets. I get this with a big discount and because I am alone and so early I can also see where the actors are being painted. While I am standing there I am again addressed by one of the staff members and they also offer me the second show for half the price. Too beautiful and unique not to do this and so I pay for both of them.  

The show takes place in a real arena; the audience sits on small wooden benches on an elevation platform while we look in a kind of sandbox with high walls on both sides. There is fighting with knives, spears, daggers, swords, long and short bamboo sticks. A kind of yoga performance was included in the middle of the show. The final piece is fighting with lighted sticks. The other show will be held in a big tent further up on the complex and although these kinds of performances are normally held during public holidays, only tourists are present. First we get an explanation by a heavily maked-up man who has to go on as a woman (at least that’s why I understand) and it shows all the facial expressions that are made during the show. This gives you an impression of what is meant because there is apparently no talk. The following is an explanation of arm- and hand gestures and a paper copy is given in which is a summary of the story we get depicted. In the actual play there are two players (male and female) and a number of musicians in the background on the stage. For me it is difficult to follow but it is very difficult and artful what these gentlemen do - express something without speech. After the show, the Indian tourists in particular are queuing to take pictures with their heroes. I decide to cycle to "home". It was a very divers, interesting day.