Plantation Tales and River Lore

After a six-hour drive,we reach our destination,the Orange County resort. The rain had stopped for a while and after a cup of freshly-ground pure plantation filter coffee,we headed out into the rich,mist-covered acres of the property. The sky was cloudy and pecky woodpeckers and thrushes kept up their daybreak chatter as we explored the seed-to-source-to-supply chain saga of the enigmatic Robusta coffee bean. Later in the day,after fleeting drizzles,we headed for the Dubare Reserve Forest,an elephant camp on the edge of the Cauvery.

Kodagu has several attractions,if one ventures into its hilly reaches. Pollibetta,aka the ‘Planter’s Town’,a small village further up,boasts endless coffee and pepper plantations,orange groves and a fine golf course. We dropped by to see keen golfers tee off into the verdant greens,the earthy smell of moist grass wafting in the air.

Returning by dusk,we drove down to the scenic Bhagamandala,the holy confluence of the rivers Cauvery,Kanike and Sujyoti. Evening found us by the roaring warmth of a bonfire with succulent canapés and fine wines. The next morning,past Nisargadhama,we reached Bylakuppe. Home to Tibetan Buddhists who have established their unique presence and identity here under government protection,it is a fascinating place with an imposing golden temple as its centre of attraction. Giant thankas line the temple walls,illustrating the life and teachings of the Buddha. We watched austere Tibetan monks perform rituals in a synchrony of melodious chants,filling our souls with peace and quiet.

Our next stopover was Raja’s Seat,a picturesque lookout near Madikeri. Watching the monsoon sun set from here makes the drive worth it. Not far are the Iruppu Falls and the ancient St Anne’s Church,known for its remarkable Gothic architecture. For ardent bird lovers,Kodagu has plenty of winged friends to spot and the rainy months bring out the feathery plumes in a riot of jungle festivity. Our eager naturalist friend ticked off exclusives like the Malabar trogon,grey-breasted laughing thrushes,white-bellied treepie,blue-winged parakeet and the rare great black woodpecker. We even managed glimpses of the great pied hornbill,grey-headed bulbul,the powerful black eagle,Ceylon frogmouth and the elusive Nilgiri wood pigeon. As heavy downpours gave a heady spurt to the gurgling streams through the plantations,we sat by our resort villa overlooking the natural canopies of century-old oaks,savouring cups full of hot filter coffee.

Food is an important part of any vacation. At Kodagu,spicy delicacies at traditional homes include fascinating dishes of meat,steak,poultry and fish. We savoured the delicious puttus (rice balls),koovale puttu,made with jackfruit or banana,paputtu rice with shredded coconut and milk,spicy pandhi curry (pork),kozhi kari (rice noodles and chicken curry) and succulent yarchi (lamb).

After spending several leisurely days in Kodagu,we were ready to be on the go once more. Three hours on rough puddle-pocked country roads brought us to the plains,to the Nagarhole National Park and its quiet surrounds of Kabini on the banks of the Kabini river. Part of the fragile Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,it is bordered by thick forestland and is charming in its appeal.

In spite of the steady downpour,we decided to go for a river safari soon after we reached. The boat cruised past weathered wooden stumps inhabited by noisy ­cormorants. Lulled by the rhythm and ­symphony of rain over river,we looked on with bated breath as a herd of elephants came to the river for a drink,while deer sprinted around and restless langurs watched us with animation.

Dusk came slowly but magnificently. Over a dramatically amber skyline,birds settled in their nests along the marshes,and as we went ashore,the sun dipped down in a blaze of orange and vermillion splendour. We spent the evening listening to local folk musicians and watching dancers of the Kadu Kuruba tribe over a bonfire.

It was pitch dark the next morning as our Land Rover trundled across the Kabini’s flat banks to the jetty. We were then transferred to the jungle safari jeeps on the forest’s outreach. Expectations were high as we scanned the greenery,our cameras on stand-by should a worthy opportunity present itself. Our patience was rewarded by a male tiger who moved leisurely down to the river bank. The rain chose to come down at this moment,robbing us of our photo opportunity. The tiger though was not done with the show. He stared back for a while,growled mildly,and quickly and quietly moved away. His pug marks on the slushy,rain-washed tracks an hour later suggested he was on the prowl. In crescendo,the cacophony of birds resumed,a pack of wild dogs stepped up their fanged threats behind bushes,only to be roughly snorted out by a full-grown family of angry water buffaloes. By then,the rain was pouring down and we beat a hasty retreat to the comfort of our resort.

There’s absolutely nothing like unwinding by a high verandah lounge overlooking the mind-calming,shower-swept Kabini,a book in hand and freshly brewed coffee for company. The wild wind teased our faces as the expansive 360-degree frames encapsulated unremarkable scenes of everyday life — cattle sheltered under a tall banyan,a rickety bullock cart lurching along to a hamlet ahead,egrets scouting for worms and river insects,and chaffinches and beaver birds doing a chirpy waltz. The sound of the monsoon changed rhythms by the minute.

That night was the climax of our memorable vacation and it was only fitting that it ended with a sunset dinner on a rice boat anchored in the middle of the Kabini river. The wet skies had cleared to reveal a pale moon looming over the hills,casting a cloudy veil over tiger country. Did we hear the deep growl of a big cat across the dense forest? We couldn’t tell. But what we did feel at that moment was the largesse of nature.