Manas Day 2 - the morning belonged to the river Beki

And so the lockdown in TN and Chennai goes on until May 31st.  Covid numbers rise, out-of-state workers continue to struggle to get home, as everyone tries to help, but it's just not enough.

Time to continue to write, and catch up with my photos and pictures, and relive those memories.

January 12th 2020

Continued from here.

The day was full of action, and the morning was all about the river Beki, the tributary of the Manas, both of which originate in Bhutan and flow in to the Bramhaputra.

6am - It must have been some 9degrees or less in the morning, oh it was freeeeezing, even with gloves and thermals and jacket and what not.  The tip of my nose was the only part of my face that was exposed, and it was beginning to drip, with the cold.  (Oh this was pre-COVID times, dripping noses didn't terrify us.)  Jungles are always colder than an urban area in the same geographical zone, and this was no exception. But the cold couldn't dampen the good old Madrasi spirit,

Looking back now, and the masks across our faces seems quite normal in today's world.

The Bhutan hills were a hint and a shadow to the north as we drove in to the central Basbari range, past the peacocks and jungle fowl.

The tyres of the jeep crunched over the gravel, sounding louder in the still, quiet morning air.  Even the birds were not up and about as yet, it seemed.  

The beautiful morning light, off the trees, was indescribable - the way it lit the forest, and brought to life different hues and shades of green and brown.  The taller Bombax trees, the mid-sized Elephant apple and the lower grasses and shrubs.

I enjoyed watching the leaves turn almost golden with the sun, and the grand trees and buttress roots.

Elephant Apple trees - Dillenia Indica, were everywhere, young and mature.  Some were in pod.

Leaf art by insects

We set off together with the idea of reaching the rafting point at Mathan Guri for breakfast.  Along the way though, our jeep seemed to have moved apart from the others.  So there was just two jeeps and we went to a watch tower, and there was no sign of the others.  Much Assamese on the phone, but things were not much clearer to us. 

Kumar, Usha and me in one jeep, and Pritam and Shuba with Pranjal, were in the other.  Pritam was unusually sangfroid in the face of this confusion - it was difficult to be otherwise amidst all this natural beauty!  As we wandered, we saw -

the camp elephants among the grasses,

little streams by the side of the track,

spreading green canopies above, 

and even a pair of black storks.

Silk cotton trees were ablaze with flowers.  What a sight they were.  

Fairy bluebirds, Spangled drongoes and Bombax trees full of chestnut-tailed starlings.  

Finally after much beautiful meandering, we arrived at Mathanguri.  This is the point where there used to be a forest guest house (Not so long ago - 2017) and visitors would stay. Upper and Lower Mathanguri bungalows - they were was now in ruins. It was unclear as to why they had been neglected like this, and there was a new guest house coming up!

 Clear blue waters, with smooth river-worn stones. It seems that they have strengthened the banks, with stones piled up more than seemed natural.  

We breakfasted on boiled eggs, bread and bananas by the riverside, and it reminded me of a similar breakfast we had in Bhutan on another riverside!

As we breakfasted, we enjoyed watching the White wagtail, flit and wag tail as well.  This is the Himalayan sub-species Motacilla alba alboides which is more black on the back, for a white wagtail! Photo by Sudar

The white-capped redstart or white-capped water redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus) I last saw in Bhutan was also around, flashes of rust as it darted low across the water.  Photos by Sudar

The river lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii) stood still and morosely.  After a while, tiring of our attention, it took off with a high-pitched pip pip pip, quite dissimilar to the RW lapwing call.  Photo by Sudar

Across, on the other bank was Bhutan!  I learnt that the village of Panbang in Bhutan is just a couple of hours away, and supposedly you can go there with an Indian passport.  Information for next time.  

We ladies managed to use the dilapidated and dark loos.  Me of course distressed by the level of garbage on the river bank - why oh why cannot we keep anything properly, I wondered and fretted.  I asked the forest guards as to why dustbins could not be provided, and could there not be better garbage disposal.  He promised that next time I visited it would be all spruced up.  Hmm, did that mean more concrete and cement?

Downstream on a rubber raft

Photo by Venkatesh

Rafting on the river or not?  Take camera or not?  Shoes or not?  Are we going to get wet?  Things were not very clear to me and I had a hundred questions, and to be on the safe side, (Sekar’s in-absentia cautions kicking in) I left the camera behind, but took the phone, and wore shoes (stupidity) - even though I had taken a pair of rubber chappals in my bag.

Clambered down to the waterfront, rubber dinghies - got into one, with Aparna, Venkatesh, Bhuvanya and Sudar.  and suddenly, I was filled with anxiety.  Whaaaat?  This did not look very stable, it would definitely topple, was the river calm?  What would happen to my phone?  Bizarre - solo travelling made me into a different animal - usually I leave all this kind of responsibility and worry on Sekar’s shoulders and am quite bindaas and carefree - what was this new me?  I put my phone into a ziplock and put it into Bhuvanya’s bag.  Sudar had his mighty “gun” camera and didnt seem in the least bothered.  Bhuvanya was laughing cheerfully and chattering away.  And then we were off.  Venkatesh calmly recounted stories of falling into the river on some other trip. (How timely!)  OK he made up by demonstrating the technique of wedging heel into the gap between the side and the bottom of the raft and holding on to the rope - “if you go overboard, hang on to the boat.  Thank you very much.

The river was so gorgeously beautiful, that how could one be worried - I soon forgot and was enchanted.  Soon I heard a growing murmur, like a waterfall, and my apprehension was back- what was that?  Are we going around it?  No, through it!  Oh just some gentle rapids I'm sure, said Venkatesh complacently.  Huh, what??? Oh no oh no, I don’t want to get wet, I should’ve also stayed back with Suresh, who did not come for the river ride.  Venkatesh saying hold on now - its just a gentle rapid.  Now that is an oxymoron I thought to myself, if ever there was one, gentle rapid?!  No one else bothered - Aparna and Bhuvanya continued to chatter, what about I do not remember.  Our rafters knew exactly what to do and expertly steered our raft through, and I heaved a sigh of relief.  OK Rapid 101 then.

Phew!  And then I relaxed. never mind shoes were completely soaked by now.  And I began to look around.

A startled Common Merganser took off in a hurry, and I caught a flash of white feathers and red beak before it was gone. I could still count it among my first lifer for the day!   As usual. I was always looking at the wrong place at the right time.  Thankfully Sudar did not have my affliction!  Photo by Sudar

These Small Pratincoles were swooping around as they hunted for insects - they were at a distance, and Sudar's zoom helped bring them closer. Photo by Sudar

The shoreline was a jumble of debris from upriver I guess, and reminders of a river in spate.  Venkatesh spied the Pied Kingfisher on a fallen log, keeping company with a cormorant.  It was absolutely delightful to see not a single scrap of plastic or rubbish.

If Sudar had been a cowboy, he would have been the quickest draw in town.  He captured a picture of this smooth-coated river otter, which was into the river in the blink of an eye.  I saw its snout in the water - I told you, wrong place, right time! The otter is battling habitat loss, and listed as Vulnerable  It was good to see them swimming in the clear waters of the Beki.

 Photo by Venkatesh just after the otter got in the water! Missed it by a whisker   Cool and clear waters that I ran my fingers through, so clear I could see the river bed stones.  We encountered more rapids - which I rather enjoyed now. 

The majestic Pallas Eagle pair - they swooped, glided and fished as we drifted downstream and stared at us from the shore.  Photo by Venkatesh

The large Ruddy Shelducks were seen in pairs, and if our raft went too close, they would take off with an indignant honking call.  These birds form long lasting pairs, and they generally hang around with their mates.  Handsome birds.  Photo by Venkatesh

The Wild buffaloes ....it was good to have the river between us, their body language full of menace.  Photo by Mr Shankarnarayan

After about 2-3 km, when I could have gone on for much longer, we came to the point where we had to alight.  By this time, I was ready to do it all over again, even though the sun was right overhead.

We had come down from the rear flowing river.  This water in the foreground seemed like a backwash.  Further downstream, the Bihu mela was on in full swing - in the middle of the river!!

Bombax thorns up close. Shimolu in local language

It was one o clock, and time for lunch! Florican was a 100m away.  To the left is the Manas sanctuary periphery and where we would see rhinos hanging around.

Afternoon at the Bhudapara range in the next post