Travel - International Indian

Kodavas Of CoorgRIGHT: Jesvin&Shyam Cariappawith Nathan &NaomiBELOW:Plantation walk‘‘ProtectElephantwas amajorproject inWayanadwhich iswhy youare sure tospot herdsof themroamingin thejungles.They arealso themostviolent, sowe werewarnednot toengagein flashphotography,‘‘staring at the orange, guava, passion fruit,grapefruit, avocado, lemon, papaya, jackfruit,cherry, litchi, mango, chiku, star apple, fig,banana and almond trees. The climate andsoil in Coorg also allows spices to grow wellespecially since most of them are creepers thatgrow on the strong and sturdy fruit bearingtrees. Turmeric, cardamom, pepper, bay leaf,lemon grass, clove, all spice and mango gingerwere some of the spices we could see growingfirst hand.We strode through the thick foliage withShyam leading the way. Every now andthen he would bend down as if looking forsomething in the bushes and that made mereally curious. When I quizzed him, he smiledback and said, “The plantation is regularlyvisited by wild elephants and bison that lurkin the bushes and I don’t want you guysbeing attacked or trampled upon”. Whoa…that scared the daylights out of me! Hecasually pointed at elephant foot prints andthe trees that had been uprooted the nightbefore by them.After a tiring but interesting two hourtour of the plantation, we got back to thehouse and were greeted with tall glasses offresh grapefruit juice. Refreshed, we preparedto head for our jungle safari to the famousWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.Wayanad is actually in Kerala and right atthe tip of South Coorg, which meant it wasjust six kilometres from Spice Glade. Knownfor its lush greenery and rich wildlife, it’s thesecond largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. TheWayanad forest is dense with silver oak, teakand timber trees and the forest is open forsafaris only in the mornings from 6 am - 9 amand in the evening between 4 pm - 6 pm.Protect Elephant was a major project inWayanad which is why you are sure to spotherds of them roaming in the jungles. They arealso the most violent, so we were warned notto engage in flash photography, to stay silentand stop the jeep at a distance as soon as wespot them and also to take every precautionnot to disturb them in their environment. Wealso hoped to spot a tiger family which wewere told is a rare sight.Our jeep and the guide finally arrived aftera long wait and we drove on the dirt tracksnoticing the forest getting thicker and thicker,truly a sight to behold. There we were inthe thicket observing a herd of deer staringat us when jeep came to a sudden halt andwe were hushed to be quiet as a family ofelephants crossed over. Bison, peacock, moredeer and a tiger’s pug mark continued toawe us and I was truly convinced that zoosshould be completely banned. That night asI watched the stars above and fidgeted withthe bonfire outside our cottage, I couldn’thelp recollecting the faces of those frightenedanimals.A COORG WEDDING!I thought the best was now all seen andexperienced when the next morning Jesvin andShyam asked us if we would like to accompanythem to a Coorg wedding they were invitedto that afternoon. I definitely wanted to go64The International Indian