The nature preserve was a bit of an adventure but not because of any wild animals. We were up at 5am to be in line by 5:30--which we almost made. A man selling masala tea off a cart saved the day by providing me with a little bit of caffeine while we waited. We were actually waiting on the bus in the line to get into the nature preserve. Where we were actually headed was the lake so we could catch a boat to motor around and see if any wild animals were around.
There are two tickets: one to get through the front gates, the second to get through the boat ramp gates. We had the first but not the second...yet. The instructor and our van driver grabbed the 3 thinnest people off the van and headed through the front gate before they opened. Rickshaw drivers were waiting to rush people to the front of the line for boat tickets. Our group of 4 reportedly had a very interesting race with other rickshaws for several kilometers, then they had to run the final 500 meters. They made it--whew--and managed to buy the last 16 tickets for the first boat flotilla. If you don't get the first boat you have to wait until it gets back from the 1 hour cruise---yeck!
We didn't see much on the cruise except birds, and birds, and more birds. However their was some excitement when someone spotted some elephants. I couldn't see them but a classmate with an awesome camera captured them--yay! We also saw some water buffalo, and maybe some boars? The lake is manmade and many trees and rocks still line the waters and shore...from a distance I could believe they moved :)
After are excitement we checked out of the hotel and headed back down the mountain...Thiruvananthrapuram (Trivandrum) here we come!
There are two tickets: one to get through the front gates, the second to get through the boat ramp gates. We had the first but not the second...yet. The instructor and our van driver grabbed the 3 thinnest people off the van and headed through the front gate before they opened. Rickshaw drivers were waiting to rush people to the front of the line for boat tickets. Our group of 4 reportedly had a very interesting race with other rickshaws for several kilometers, then they had to run the final 500 meters. They made it--whew--and managed to buy the last 16 tickets for the first boat flotilla. If you don't get the first boat you have to wait until it gets back from the 1 hour cruise---yeck!
We didn't see much on the cruise except birds, and birds, and more birds. However their was some excitement when someone spotted some elephants. I couldn't see them but a classmate with an awesome camera captured them--yay! We also saw some water buffalo, and maybe some boars? The lake is manmade and many trees and rocks still line the waters and shore...from a distance I could believe they moved :)
After are excitement we checked out of the hotel and headed back down the mountain...Thiruvananthrapuram (Trivandrum) here we come!
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