White Water Rafting On The Mhadei River.

I have mentioned about the ‘Early Birds of Ponda Pool’ in some of my older posts. This is my swimming group, at least a few from which I meet every day in the swimming pool. We became a group and named ourselves Early Birds (early fishes would have been appropriate) after we found most of us being present in the pool for the first batch at 6 am over a period of time. Casual acquaintance and a cheery ‘Good morning’ before jumping in paved way for exchange of pleasantries and small talk while catching breath at the shallow end and later turned into friendship, followed by development of some sort of a bond. Most of the members learnt to swim in this pool and have continued swimming. Almost all are now experienced swimmers. I mean experienced in swimming in a pool. We are of different age groups, different professions, habits and interests but we gel well. As a result, we now find ourselves spending more time at the shallow end discussing the affairs of the world or poking fun at each other, than swimming in the deep.

During February 2012, just out of a whim, the group decided to go on a day trip to the Dudhsagar waterfalls which involved a trek of  about twenty five kilometers to and fro (My post ‘Trek to remember’ - Feb 2012). Many missed swimming for the next week but the trek was a hit. After the trek some felt that we need something milder - I mean milder on the limbs but stronger on spirits - and it was decided that we meet to celebrate a combined birthday of some members. The hardest task here was lifting the glass till the lips and obviously it was a bigger hit. So now it is almost a tradition that we have few birthday parties (birthdays are combined and celebrated 2-3 months apart - giving enough time to get over the hangover) followed by an outing. We have had successful treks to the Tamdisurla falls - Ten kilometers up and down, crossing streams and avoiding leeches, the Mainapi falls - another ten kilometers but which felt like a hundred because of steep climbing up and down the hills, a night out in the Molem forest camp - where members saw their own wild side when in senses  and wild animals when they were ‘OUT’, Scuba diving in Malvan coast in Maharashtra and a visit to ‘Yana’ in Karnataka.  I missed and regret having missed the last two and have no first hand info about them.

Now, last week some of the members again felt stagnated and looked around for a suitable outing. White Water Rafting on the Mhadei river, in Sattari, Goa, caught their fancy. Mr Kurtarkar, having experienced it once, turned out to be the organizer, guide and coach. After hearing about his rafting experience many members felt that they need fortifications before embarking up on a hazardous task and it was decided that we halt overnight in the dormitory of the Bondla wild life sanctuary, which is on the way, and use it as a ‘Watering hole’.

Saturday night (26^th July 2014) saw us at the watering hole with enough stock of ‘water’ which lasted till 1 am. Those who were dry the early morning on Sunday, went for a walk in the sanctuary and were rewarded by sighting of herds of deer. 

A forest stream active during rains.

A herd of deer crossed our path here but this is all I got in my camera.

When we returned, we found the others enjoying a hearty breakfast of ‘Pav’ and fried eggs and we eagerly joined the breakfasters. 

The instructions from the rafting operators said that we should assemble at the designated place near Valpoi town by 10 am and we were there by half past nine.

The group had second thoughts when asked to sign an indemnity bond clearing the rafting operators and the Goa tourism development corporation of liabilities in case of damage to limbs or life. But having come thus far, we could not turn back and being a swimming group we were not prepared to lose face in front of many others who did not even know to swim and probably saw water only in their bathrooms and on their dining tables. We signed the bond, refused to order for food on return (after signing the bond we were not sure how many of us would return and did not want to waste food!) and bravely occupied our seats in the van which had arrived to take us to the starting point.

As it turned out, the rafting was a great experience without any real hazard. We covered a distance of about nine kilometers in about fifty minutes and we enjoyed every minute.  I think the pictures explain the rafting and the excitement better and hence I will stop my narration here and leave it  to the pictures.

On the path leading down to the river. Bravery in the stance and butterflies in the stomach.

Testing the waters

Now testing the raft.

Ready for action. Controller Hari Upadhyaya urges the group on.

Heading for the first rapids.

Right in the rapids. " Forward paddle everybody"

Well done. That was great. 

Two from our group got separated for logistic reasons. Catching up with friends.

Calm stretch, mild drizzle. The picturesque Mhadei river flowing through the Mhadei wild life sanctuary. 

Soaking wet but back in one piece.

Posing for a group photograph with the brain and muscle behind Goa river rafting - John pollard.

 The group which signed the indemnity bond with an air of resignation and refused to order food on return is now talking of going for the grade four rafting (this was grade two) in the Tillari River, Goa being operated by the same operators.

Empty Nest And 'Harichitta Satya'

I will begin this post like a letter from/to a government department.

Ref : My last post about bird watching. 

Much before we went bird watching on the road to Diwar island (last Sunday) one of our tiny winged friends had been watching us keenly and based on the intelligence gathered by its tinier brain, concluded that the folks around were not foes and decided to use our front yard for the propagation of its tribe. 

Ref: another of my previous posts about ‘Ajja,’ the old man who comes to tend to the grubby shrubbery that we call our ‘garden’.

My wife was out in the garden during Ajja’s latest visit giving him instructions (which he was sure to ignore / misinterpret) and I heard an excited shout “Look here, there is a nest in the ‘Parijata’ plant.” (Parijata -  nyctanthes arbor-tristis).   I went out eagerly and there indeed was this beautifully sewn nest, built by sewing the leaves of the parijata plant with fibres to form a cup and then using the cup to hold the eco friendly building materials to make a cozy looking nest there. We have two tiny birds which visit our garden regularly, the sun bird and the tailor bird. When I explained the nest to one of my experienced bird watcher friend, he said that it must be a tailor bird nest.

This was the second nest that we were seeing in our garden. Few years back we had found the first nest in the other parijata plant close to the present one and with lot of excitement had followed the construction process, daily chores of the occupants, the stork bringing the eggs followed by the hatching and hatchlings, only to find, to our horror, the same activities being watched, with more interest, by the stealthy cat and the crooked necked crow. One gloomy morning we had found the nest empty and the parents flying around agitatedly. We do not know which of the higher ups in the eco system got the hatchlings but we were heartbroken.

So, I was trying to keep the excitement level low and was just observing the nest with detachment as advised by Lord Krishna in the ‘Bhagavadgita’. But this time the nest remained empty ever since we found it (nearly a month back) and we have not noticed any activities there.  I do not know who had built this nest, the husband or the wife but I can almost hear the other one chirping when it came to see the future home “What have you done? Look at the location. So close to the ground.  And on such a slender branch. This may not survive even a week in the rains. And any of our foes can just reach out from the road and pluck out our kids. I am sorry but we are not living here.”  Just like my wife who had expressed her opinion in no uncertain terms on seeing the fourth floor flat (without the facility of a lift) that I was intending to buy once.

The nest is exactly at the center of this picture

It is either that or the builder built the nest even before it could marry, hoping that the house may attract a partner, if his/her own charms were not enough to do the trick. Like what we used to hear about the bachelors in Mumbai.  An ownership of a small flat in one of the suburbs (or even the possession of a rented one )being a very strong point in the portfolio submitted to the parents of prospective brides.  But many a hopeful groom ultimately ended up with just the flat and not a wife, this point portrayed very nicely by Sri Purandara dasa  in one of his devotional songs ‘Harchitta satya’.   “Sudati makkaLa bhagya bayasodu nara chitta, maduvyaagadiruvudu harichittavayya”  (The hopeful human may will to have a wife and children- but Sri Hari’s, that is, god’s will, - that you remain a bachelor - prevails!). 

The Empty nest

Bird Watching Walk.

The post on face book said “The Goa Bird Conservation Network is organising a birdwatching morning on the lovely island of Divar this Sunday, the 6th of July. The walk will begin at 7:00 am at the Ribandar-Divar ferry jetty, take the ferry across the river to Divar, and go along the road to the village through prime bird habitat. If it isn’t too rainy, expect to see lots of waders, skulkers, shorebirds and raptors. And if it is too rainy, we’ll just enjoy the rain! The walk is free and open to all. Bring along your cameras and binoculars if you have one, and rainwear if you don’t like getting wet. Also note that we may be squelching around in the fields along the road, so wear suitable footwear.”

 It sounded good and I decided to go. Birds or rain (which we lack this season) I was OK with any.  We (self and son - who was generous enough to give up his Sunday sleep for the sake of this walk) arrived at the jetty at seven on the dot and found most of the group already collected there.  

 It was a very pleasant, though cloudy morning with the sun vainly trying to break through the clouds. The river made a pretty picture from the jetty.

The ferry blew its horn and the walk, rather the float began. It was time to exchange pleasantries.

The Gynaecology department of the old medical college building looked nice and peaceful from the ferry. With the wards overlooking the soothing Mandovi, many a peaceful mother might have given birth to a contented baby here. 

Soon after, we were walking along  the road to Diwar and had identified some Munias and Ashy prinias (which were too fast and small for my camera) when we got the first photographable bird, the Cormorant in the typical position of drying its wings. Yes, the black spot you see at the center of the greenery is the cormorant. It did look like a  bird when viewed through the binocular. 

The walk continued with the enthusiastic participants exchanging information and trying to spot more.

The next one to be spotted was the lonely looking Adjutant stork perching on a bare branch (right hand upper corner in the picture) half a kilometer away and then the black headed ibis (white spots in the picture), three of them, on the ground below. I hope that your eyes are better than my camera and that you do not need me to direct your sight to them. 

Some birds which were flying around were identified as the Yellow bittern, Night heron, Common Kingfisher, Egrets, Lapwing, Bulbul, Brahminikite and so on, all of which looked similar to me but for their size. Like the aircrafts observed from the ground. And then someone pointed to this bird which looked like a real bird to my eyes without the aid of the binocular and which, my camera also agrees looks like a bird. That is the Baya weavever. (in the middle - if you are worse than me) 

We walked merrily in the pleasant weather, pleasant surroundings and the much pleasant company. I would have loved the walk just because of the road - forget the bird and the rain.

And like all good things in life the walk came to an end near the culvert where some local people were involved in a much more useful hobby of angling for fish for the Sunday special. 

We walked back to the ferry and the group posed for a picture in the ferry and for a fuller group on the jetty. 

Then it was back to my daily grind of cavities, fillings and RCTs - unlike the fortunate others, who could just go back, lie down and ruminate on the enjoyable bird walk, I work half a day on Sundays.