After a rugged and fearful roller coaster ride, we landed in the dark and nowhere terrain. Our guiding light was a waning gibbous moon, and its bone-chilling cold and gushing water was my lullaby. On the following day, early morning, I could still hear the gushing water, which made me wake. The slight drizzle and dim, hazy chillness made me lazy to come out from the hibernation mode. After an unwilling struggle, I came out of the sleeping bag and walked barefoot on the chilled grass to see the picture-perfect beauty.
A Few Steps from the tent camp, a Frozen Pioneer Butterfly was resting in a tiny twig. I got inspired and learned how it had survived from the whole night chillness. It gave me confidence that everything in the world sustains if there is a will.
I walked above a few meters to get my morning coffee and crunchy biscuits from the pantry. On the way, I wondered to see a Rosa-Sinesis Hibiscus decorated with a Christmas star on the tip of the plant; Then, I realised it’s a construction in progress of a house sparrow’s nest. The Mr and Mrs House Sparrows were seriously finishing the final touch for their newly built nest. I wish I could attend their housewarming ceremony.
In the far distance, the heroic villain named Long-Tailed Shrike catching the dragonflies ruthlessly for his morning breakfast. It stimulated my morning breakfast and fuelled my stomach with hot Idlies, spicy coconut chutney and vada. After the sumptuous breakfast, we were seriously strategising to discover a new route to take on that day. So, we set the task for the day to find out the gushing water stream’s origin. We packed all our gear, some butter spreads, loaves of bread, lemonade to fuel our inner gastronomy. So we walked and trekked along the creek to find the source. On the way, we encountered a lot of fascinating creatures. Somewhere in the distance, we heard the Kilch-Kilch alarm calls from Small Blue Kingfishers were shuttling between the stream banks.
I noticed a Yellow Pansy Butterfly hopped step-by-step and directed me to the right path, and my instinct commands me to follow it blindly. A lazy Cleora Moth rested for the long day and did not want to play with anyone, and I woke him up to fly and explore. But, he went and relaxed in the next branch. So, I left him to enjoy his lazy day—a Purple Rumped Sunbird perched in a nearby twig to play hide-and-seek with their friends. I tried to capture their friends, and it was in vain. On the next side of the stream, a gigantic Indian Gaur Family was picnicking to the adjacent grassland. Though we were at a safe distance, it stared at us and went into the deep woods.
Suddenly, a small drizzling changed into heavy rain. It’s hard to predict the natural course, but you have to be prepared to face everything in the woods. Since it was raining cats and dogs and open land, I was ready with a raincoat and protective gear; it saved me and my belongings. After the rain, the birds came out in decent numbers; we spotted a Brown Rock Chat hopping, the Pied Bush Chat male racing behind the female. In the meantime, we reached a small cascade that gushes the water in a rhythmic symphony. A lovely Grey Wagtail wished me joyfully by wagging his tail. A Dew Drop Spider stuck in a natural Rose Balsam flower.
It was a symbolic indication that we reached the destination, but we were unsure about the origin. Though we couldn’t find out the stream’s source, it tailed to a nearby mountain where the lush green mountain, a native horse grazing and a bluestone studded tarpaulin differentiate nature from the old. To mark our mission’s accomplishment, we stacked stones near the stream’s bank to showcase our achievement and symbol of worship to nature.
Indeed, The Black Forest tent camp is one of the beautiful picnic spots to enjoy along with nature. I stayed in a lake facing tent and trekked near to the thick woods. I was kept out from the digital and official world to enjoy the serene forest. It’s one of the best places to get together with families, friends and even for corporate. The home-cooked food was superb.
Photo and Content by Siluvai Amalan
