Nature photography « The Lazy Traveller

Olichuchattam falls as viewed from my backyard

After a very long hiatus… I’m back on WordPress. A lot has happened since i last logged in here about 4 years ago. Our family has grown. We have a son, he’s almost 2 years old now. He keeps us busy and we don’t travel like we used to before….

Also…. we have finally fulfilled a long cherished dream of ours. A small house in the lap of the mighty western ghats. Anakkampoyil is a small village about 45kms from Calicut. Drive uphill from there for about 4 km and you reach a place called Karimb. Another kilometer uphill and that’s where we have our small house.Its about 600 meters above mean sea level, ensuring fantastic climate (depending on your apetite for heavy rains)

Mobile and internet connectivity are poor and non existant respectievely, and that means more time spent on soaking in the views and climate…

A black eagle hovers in the mist

The mists and rains are constant companions throughout the year. The place is blessed with fresh water streams originating from pristine forests which start from about a kilometer away from our house. Clear days provide us with spectacular views of the Vellarimala range from our yard. Birding is fantastic….and so is the wildlife apparently. Elephants , Sambar , and many other wildlife visit our neighbours who live closer to the forest boundary. I’ve not yet mustered the courage to go for a night walk.

Moonrise over Vellarimala

I will try to keep updating/boring everyone with few sights from our patch of paradise.

We were the last group to leave the checkpost. Although we reached Malabar WLS well after the official visiting hours, we struck up some conversation with the police and forest guards. Very friendly people, who I must say have their patience tested by the innumerable idiots who venture there with their drinks/bottles/etc etc….

They told us to be careful about elephants that we may come across on the road. It had just started raining, and the sun was about to descend below the storm clouds.It was an amazing scene !!! I got out of the car, clicked a few frames and ran back in just before the heavens burst.

Thankfully the elephants were chilling out in their own piece of heaven.