After our travel today we had some free time before we were to visit a spice garden. After checking into our cottage and freshening up Gail and I took a walk into Kumily, our first town in Karala state.
Abraham's Spice Garden offers an experience to view rare varieties of flora & fauna, medicinal herbs, spices, fruits and flowers. The farm was started in 1952. The spice garden is organic and uses natural methods instead of pesticides. The spices, herbs and medicinal herbs are packaged for sale.
Tonight we celebrated Gail and Our Anniversary. We were presented with Jasmine necklaces and the resort had an anniversary cake for us. Sudhakar After a delicious dinner at the All Spice restaurant the Muthoot Cardamom County Plantation had a special presentation of local Indian Classical Dance. The local school’s dance teacher and two students, who were attending classical dance school, performed a Folkloric Show and dances.
Day 11 OCTOBER 03 - Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary • Cooking demonstration • elephant trek • Rubber plantation
The Muthoot Cardamon Country Resort is adjacent to Pariyar National park and Periyar Tiger Reserve. When we stepped out of our cottage this morning we were greeted by a family of Monkeys .
In 1982 Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (A) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (B) was declared a protected area in Kerala, India . It is an elephant and a tiger reserve. The protected area covers an area of 357 sq miles. As early as 1934, in an effort to stop the encroachment of tea plantations, the Maharaja of Travancore declared the forests around Periyar Lake a private game reserve. After the political integration of India in 1950 Periyar was created as a wildlife sanctuary.
Forests consisting of evergreens, teak, rosewoods, sandalwoods are host to hundreds of flowering plants including 171 species of grass and 140 species of orchids. The forests are home to 35 species of mammals, 265 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles: 30 species of snakes, 13 lizards, 160 species of butterflies and moths, and 40 species of fish in the local lakes and rivers.
To begin our exploration of Periyar National Park we first needed to cross the Periyar River using a raft. Once in the national park we embarked on a 2 hour jungle walk, keeping our eyes peeled for the sanctuary’s exotic animal species. Our guide pointed out flowers and interesting protected resources in the national park. While we didn’t see Elephants or Tigers we did see Spiders, Mushrooms, Pheasant, Sambar deer, Monkeys, Indian Giant Squirrel, Jungle Cat, Nilgiri Langur, Salim Ali’s Fruit bat, and the Bicolored (Malabar) Frog. Oh yes I forgot to tell you about the leeches. We wore special leg coverings for protection. Our guide had some tobacco powder he used to get the leeches off our clothes.
While we didn’t see Elephants in the National Park our next activity was an Elephant trek through an area adjacent to the National Park. Gail and I had two Elephant adventures. The Elephant had a blanket with hand grips on his back that was secured with metal bands. There is a cement “tower” to get up on the Elephant’s back. So here we are up on the Elephants back and his left rear leg buckled causing the elephant to start to falling on his left side. To keep from falling off my fingers grabbed the metal band and as the Elephant tried to keep himself from falling was crushing my fingers. Elephant Incident Meanwhile some mahouts were trying to hold up Gail and me from falling. Other mahouts were talking to the Elephant trying to get him over to the tower and hopefully get us off. Well it did work out and they safely got us off the Elephant. I didn’t want to try the Elephant Trek with another Elephant but Gail insisted. She said, “If you fall off an Elephant the best thing is to get back up and try again.” The second Elephant Trek was terrific. This afternoon’s lunch stop was a Cooking Class in Indian Food. We cut up vegetables and everyone had an opportunity to prepare our lunch.
Back at the Muthoot Cardamon Country Resort I had some free time before dinner to play with my friends the Monkeys . I put grapes out for them and watched as they “stole” grapes and bananas. I know I should not feed wild animals but they are so cute.
- Southern India
Southern India Photo Page 11