And the water did fly off the wheel...
November 22nd saw another landmark event - Wildertrailers finally got off on a great cycle trek - and enjoyed it! The destination was Nanmangalam; the lovely home of the Great Horned Owl, with its scrub jungle and rock pools in abandoned quarries. The group cycled a total distance of almost 40 km, there and back. It was a lovely cloudy day, with sudden showers followed by balmy sunshine, and, for the Wildertrailers, bursts of activity interspersed with the quiet peace of this island in the city...
The 6-strong gang was flagged off from ANJ's house at around 7.30 am, with the jeep following leisurely with the not-so-athletic and, more essentially, with breakfast! The tulip charts and prizes were dispensed with, as the group was too small for any real competition. By 9am, the sun was hotting up and there was a healthy flush on the face of the cyclists... soon, the hills came into view and by 9.20, we pulled off the busy main road into a sudden oasis of wilderness...
The great horned owls were there to greet us at the first rock pool itself. It was quite a sight for the first-timers - the striking, huge, birds sitting there so motionless it took us quite some time to spot them, as they sat there watching us. Fortunately they decided we were not bad company, and stayed around the whole day without flying away... By now stomachs were rumbling after the exertions of the morning, and it was time for breakfast, which disappeared in no time...
Then it was time to do some exploring, and even as it started drizzling, the Wildertrailers set off to check out the other rock pools and climb the nearby hill. For the record, a total of six Great Horned Owls were sighted at various spots - a heartening sign that the efforts to protect this habitat are paying off.
The sun was high overhead by the time the Wildertrailers were back, and it was time for a hearty lunch followed by a lazy afternoon basking in the sun which had just come out, and some good old gossip... By around 3.30 pm it was time to pack up and start pedaling back.
As we walked the cycles back around the hill, we were granted a lovely bonus - a sudden sighting of partridges on the track a few feet ahead of us - and then, two creatures that bounded across the track in pursuit of another bird in the bushes. Mongoose, we thought, but somehow they didn't quite seem so, and after some looking up research it turned out that they might have been fox cubs! (Apparently foxes have been sighted in that area, and the weather was just right - the sun had just come out after a shower.)
And so the group cycled away with some warm memories - right into the rain! What exhilaration! Heads down and pure enjoyment on their faces, the group gamely cycled back, and were back home in time for the sun set, a hot shower, an early dinner, and memories of a day well spent...
More power to your pedaling, Wildertrailers...
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