Thalacauvery - April 09

On way to Thalacauvery. Stocked up on provisions - rice, dal, vegetables, bread, jam etc. Pretty forest cottage, English style again. We have two forest watchers as guides. New recruits, helpful. I got a room to myself. I made good use of binocs in the evening, identified Yellow Browed and Black Bulbul. There is no water facility in the bathrooms here. We have to fetch it from a well about 50 mts away. We are at a height and it's a little cold here. There is a room for boiling water in the other cottage. It is actually a bathroom, separate from where we are staying, but it doesn't have a door so can't use it. All these PWD and Forest Department bungalows have a British style construction - cottage type, high wooden roof, fire place in the dining area and really spacious big bathrooms. Those guys sure lived in luxury. These places usually have a nice setting, an old kind of charm. I particularly like this one, maybe because we are not all crammed together and I have a room to myself. I am writing all this in candle light, sitting on an old dusty wooden chair in an enclosed veranda. Looking out through the windows, it is pitch dark and I can see some glow worms here and there on the trees. It is a clear night and there are many stars up there. Tomorrow we are leaving for a place, walking 18 kms through steep decline. We'd stay the night at a camp there and then get back here the next day by a bus. It's going to be tough but I am looking forward to it. That's all folks. Good night.

Blue hills - on way to Thalacauvery

Still on way...

Finally there

Thalacauvery Forest IB

Forest IB - from the well