Nandi Hills 2004 Aug

NandiHillsBikeTripAug7 

NandiHillsBikeTripAug7

 

08/01/2004 - 08/07/2004

 

   

 

• Rediff.com

Syndicate this Blog

(RSS/XML feed)

 

Saturday, August 07, 2004

The bike trip to Nandi hills started exactly at the same time as the trip to Mysore a week later.PJ(Pravin) piloted the route while I drove.Another genum of median 

presented itself similar to the pseudomedians in the Mysore road.Both halves were good but while the onward section permitted vehicles from the opposite direction 

as well, the other section was orthodox.Initially , I got a jolt to see vehicles from the opposite side coming towards me in good numbers on my side of the 

road.Further down ( after a few construction diversions between the four way lane sections ) , I was amused to find myself at the right section of the median which 

was orthodox.A good number of lorries and tempos were coming against me in two rows overtaking each other.I rode on slow honking my presence.The excitement 

did not last long as I found a cut to the left side of the median.From then on , the road was much much better and I touched 100.While I was in charge the rest of the 

route to Nandi hills , averaging 70 , the trip had not started off quite so confidently.I was quite jittered up when a tempo crossed into the road through a both-way 

median looking only at the opposite direction.I had anticipated that before the hero takes his vehicle in , he will look in the opposite direction , see me and let me pass as I was going quite fast.I was ready for the possibility that he will look and still not stop and get in my way.However , I was shocked when he cut in without even 

looking at this side ( which was the official direction of the median ).I had to brake suddenly , I was honking strong and as I braked hard my right hand inadvertenly 

twisted the accelerator creating a lot of noise.Hero woke up , dilated his pupils , rotunded them , drained his face off blood and gaped, while I was mister 

irritated-at-injustice less and more one weary about his own lack of say over the road.Immediately following that we had our breakfast after which the goto 

to the in-charge ride met with the right label to continue.

Nandi hills was a beautiful diva in green with a black long ever twisting lining.While we were riding on her , she beckoned us to behold the beauty of the 

sights below.I switched to my wide-angle lens and got another unpleasant realisation that a wide angle lens constricts the spread sharply.The kilometers and 

kilometers of plains below could not fill a few inches of the viewfinder however you angle the camera.I gave another long look ,switched back to the zoom lens.This 

undertaking got it's say in the name of the butterflies and birds that were meant to give sudden guest appearances.Well after a pleasant ride uphill , we were inside the 

protected domain.The evergreenery glistened in the rain remains.The sun provided the anxiety hiding in the dense clouds.We had gone all the way with one of the 

primary intentions being spotting new butterfly species.Butterflies need sunshine to bask in sunshine obviously.As the trip so far had been very positive , I was 

unwilling to accept that the sun would not come out and foil things.Suddenly both of us were standing still.On our right within ten meters on a you-can-touch-it branch 

there was one vessel of a pigeon.Ok .. one more new bird for a juvenile bird watcher.So which is this bird.PJ hushed me and told me a secret.The secret was 'tell you 

later'.I took one happy snap with the vessel sitting pretty in the middle occupying enough silver oxideResigned for comprehension later , i let the lens hang .Cinish you 

have seen a rare bird.Another secret.You can spend the whole roll on this.Well the bird was already sitting perfect for us, I had taken three comfortable snaps.The silence of the bird watchers was over.I suggested that we walk closer to get a better view.One of the fundas of bird watching is not to look the bird in the eye while walking towards it.I followed the dogma and reached near the branch.I turned.Man - leaves.Two steps back - again leaves.By now the guard was off.Did you get the chessboard on the pigeon.Can you repeat the question, I thought and the bird twisted revealing a conspicuous chess board patch on the back of the neck.In that moment of sense-suspension , PJ took a snap.Pronto the bird flew off.I missed the chessboard.Well in the walk ahead , PJ explained that the vessel was Nilgiri wood pigeon an endangered bird.It was 

being spotted fifteen years after Salim ali.It was one of the four birds being sought out in the area as a rare catch.Elation was what I felt.I felt congratulated and 

hopeful for the day ahead.

The sun was still behind the clouds.Quite some time after the elating spotting, we realised that otherwise the trip was eventless .Habitats were better than 

we had anticipated but the sun was just not there.Actually I had always wanted to go to Nandi hills for the thrill of the bike trip to add to that I had the bird 

snapping.Were our justifications being alike a consequence or a coincidence.On the roll down , we braked at every butterfly flutter and tried our luck in vain.Two of 

those stopovers were eventful and served as the saving grace to the butterflying endeavour.We spotted a few new butterfly species - nawab , chocolate pansy , blue 

mormon , mormon mimicked as rose , painted lady , three ring , a striking navy blue cerulean some of which were photographed.The ride back was fine and fast.

Posted by cinish narayanan on 07:08 AM