So we decided some time in March that we will go for the vacation to Mudumalai wild life sanctuary. By mid March, I searched out the Tamil Nadu Forest Department web site and l picked up what is available for visitors like us at Mudumalai.
They had three guest houses. I also spotted their phone number of the Wildlife Warden in Ooty for Mudumalai and gave him a call. His office staff picked up and said that I should call by 1 Apr or later since there is no way he can book for periods beyond one month and May, he said, the sanctuary could be closed. But he was not sure.
So I waited till April 1 and then, I think it was April 2 or 3 when I gave them a call again. Yes! they said the sanctuary is open. When do you want to come? I said, May 5 &6 at Mudumalai. No Problem! We will book. But how many people. I said six adults and 4 kids. He said it is done. Pl come on your day of arrival to Ooty office and collect the allotment card.
That is it. Stay is confirmed and the rest of it is easy.
So from Coimbatore, we decided to drive down. Fortunately or unfortunately, as usual there were some drop outs and the final strength was 5 adults and 2 kids.
When we reached Ooty it was the 5th May Morning about 11 am. We reached the office of the Wild life warden. Got our reservation slips, paid for the rooms. They had booked three rooms for us. And the cost was just 300/- per room per day. How about food etc.,? There will be a cook in every guest house, they said. There is no need to worry about anything, the office staff said.
We drove down from Ooty to Mudhumalai through a place called Keel Kundah. What a steep route that was! It went down all the way. I was driving the car and of course had no difficulty in keeping the car on track. Lots of hair pin bends, I lost count of. And then finally we hit Mudumalai which was relatively a plain area.
We were driving down a straight patch of road and then I suddenly spotted it standing about 200 meters off the road. A large Bison, really frightening to behold. The thick patch of forest was behind it. It was standing in front of that and there was only grass all along from the road till the thick patch of forest. I stopped the car and turned to tell the others about it. To my surprise, everybody was watching it silently.
The Bison stared at us and we in return. One of the occupants said, he could not see it properly, can we go back a bit. And so I switched to the reverse gear. My! I forgot the kind of noise my car makes when I switch to the reverse gear. The sound echoed through the silent forest and that is it! The Bison turned and vanished into the thick forest. Wow! what a mistake I thought. I should have switched off my reversing warning.
But any way, that was a great way to welcome us into Mudumalai!
We decided to have lunch at a way side hotel since we did not want to surprise the guest house staff by landing there exactly at the lunch hour. We had to ask for guidance from a number of people to the guest house.
Finally, when we reached it, it was 3pm. Are we happy to be here? You bet it!
More in the next post
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