Day 2 : Munnar - In Detail...

The first pit stop was Eravikulam National Park. Already my eyes have seen no other color than Brown, Green and Blue, with the Green taking dominance. Kerala is fittingly called God's Own Country. Probably you cant see no other place in India, with more pleasing pictures, gorgeous waterfalls, streams, lakes, rivers, and wildlife(elephants) than Kerala. Already I started seeing the low flying clouds, interspersed between two hillocks, as it forming a eye pleasing formation!

Kurunji BLOOMED
Eravikulam National Park boasts of the flora and fauna which no one can envy upon. It is the only place where the Nilgiri Tahr (a varied goat variety) can be found in the entire world. I did get a glimpse of 2 of them grazing the grass. Also, there is a flower which is beyond any scientific explanation, would bloom once in 12 years!! and to my surprise, this was the year. I had caught this lavender colored Neela Kurunji bloom and cover all the hillock. The next bloom is 2018, which is quite far, and I think the money spent on the trip is worth to have caught a glimpse of this wonderful flower.

Then I got down and then headed to Mattupetty waterfalls. The roads were zig zagged that even if you dont drive it, you enjoy it to the most! Also, I think only experienced drivers should try out these roads, as the road is so narrow, and still allows 2-way traffic and most of them being tourist buses, better leave the job to a skilled driver, like Priyan was, in my case! I then headed off to Speed Boat cruise. This was the first in my life, and the speed boat driver, took me to all the nook and corner of the vast lake that had a picture perfect beauty. He explained that there was a Railway Station thatz been submerged in that lake, and can be seen during summer, when the water recides. It seems Britishers used this as their favourite hill station before Ooty became more popular!! Ofcourse, I had no argument on this point, as Munnar deserves to be one!

Night Halt in a hotel called, "Forrest Haven" and as the name suggests, this hotel is suggested about a mile away from the actual road and this means, this is the only residential building and the 1 km radius is fully covered with large trees and it was as if I was sleeping in the cradle of nature. I just wondered, if we had left the nature untouched, we would all got to live in a "heaven". Thinking about my next day, when I would bid good-bye to this most wonderful place I have ever visited, I slowly dozed off.............