|
5th February 2007
Mayette woke me to mention that the train was about to arrive at Ahmedabad (at 0525). We discovered our rather laconic and wobble-headed driver Babu, he had been waiting for us for an hour in one of the railway station car parks. We soon settled into our small but comfortable bus and bounced in the direction of Desada, on the edge of the semi-desert known as The Little Rann of Kutch. Our digs at Desada, the Rann Riders, were well away from the nearest village and situated across the road from a large lake. The lake and its surrounds were crawling with birds. Sarus cranes had a chick, the sandgrouse came to drink, ducks competed with other waterfowl, turtles and domestic stock for space and by the end of the second day we had seen 111 birds (22 of which were new for me). Also seen were many nilgai, a rufous-tailed hare and a grey mongoose. The afternoon saw us visit an enormous lake. We spotlit back to Rann Riders scoring a Syke’s nightjar and a little owl. Wonderful food completed an exhausting but exciting day. 6th February 2007 After breakfast we drove to the Wild Ass Sanctuary. LITTLE RANN OF KUTCH: The Little Rann of Kutch (also known as the "Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary") is a fairly featureless expanse of flat land - the old sea bed - dotted with islands known as "Bets" which form the core for the flora and fauna. This is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. In the Little Rann of Kutch, the asses are attracted by the coarse grasses that spring up in the monsoon. With the advent of summer, the asses move to bets in which there is a perennial supply of water and grass. We had wild ass a-plenty within a few minutes of “entering” the sanctuary. McQueen’s bustard was a nice addition to the bird list but the large flocks of common cranes were the birding highlight for mine. At one point a flock of 140 rose into the air as we walked. We returned to camp and had time to poke around the adjacent fields before lunch. Near the lodge a large family of nilgai was wandering through the fields. An impressive-looking chap and president of the local chapter of the nilgai-moving-on committee made sure that his crops weren’t next on the menu for these large antelope. Lunch included the surprise addition of large cans of cold beer courtesy of the Rann Riders manager who had just returned from somewhere not very close by. A late afternoon excursion saw us back in the wild ass reserve. This visit was to an area where flamingoes and other waterbirds abounded. We added greater adjutant (surprisingly) to our list but we could have used much more time to sort through the wet chooks. Aside from more wild ass (you can never get enough wild ass), we stumbled onto a mixed herd of blackbuck and chinkara (Indian gazelle). They were exceptionally shy, with the guide asking us not to talk in the jeep even though the animals were about a kilometer away. In the late afternoon gloom a large group of wild boar crossed the main road in front of us. They were still crossing when a truck slammed into them, splattering one of their number. The day’s events ensured that a Talisker (or two) before bed were not wasted. 7th February 2007 The day started in confusion. Our printed program told us we were staying in a town named Gondal. Oddly it also had us staying in accommodation called “Palace Utelia”. We rang the said palace and yes, they confirmed our booking in it. So off we went. Palace Utelia was built in 1882. It sits on top of a small hill and is out of all proportion to the village that surrounds it. The earthquake that hit Gujarat in 2002(?) did the palace no favours with bits falling off, apart and into one another. The charming owner of the building, the village and everyone in it gave us a tour of a building that redefines the real estate speak that a property “needs work”. Our rooms were restored unlike most of the rest of the place. Our new host suggested we visit the nearby Bronze Age Harappan settlement of Lothal. The site was finally abandoned around 1700BC so you could say it wasn’t new. It was a fascinating place. The adjacent museum was interesting and we were given an expert tour and commentary from a visiting Italian archeologist. This Italian Indiana Jones was insightful, entertaining and according to one of our number, sexy. Lunch was taken in the palace courtyard. Afterwards we were toured around the village, which was culturally interesting and very pleasant. All the loyal subjects were on their best behavior lest their feudal owner roughly cast them into the palace dungeon. We were in and out of modest homes, kissing babies and the more attractive of the farm animals while dodging gifts of food and drink. Our village tour even had adult public nudity as we took in the women’s thermal bathhouse.
A Wildlife, Culture An Lifestyle Experience Trip
» About Prudentnetworks
» Mammal Sightings
» Diary By Steve
» Diary By Steve-1
» Diary By Steve-2
» Diary By Steve-3
» Diary By Steve-4
» Diary By Steve-5
» Diary By Steve-6
» Diary By Steve-7
| 
