The Chinnar Chase

Travel memories. These usually fall into fondest, scariest and strangest. The truly exceptional stories fall into all three. Presented for your approval, The Chinnar Chase we hope makes the mark, but we’ll let you be the judge.

It was Christmas eve, and the morning fog had just lifted, drawing the curtains back on the lush rolling tea plantations that seamed to engulf your entire body and mind. The brisk misty mountain air came as a welcome change from the 30 degree heat of the coast. On this, our second day in the disenchanting town of Munnar, we were ready to experience the beauty of the surrounding hills the only way to fully take them in… on two wheels.

The mountain’s siren song was too strong for us to pay head to the broken speedometer, fuel gauge or rearview mirror. In hindsight a little due diligence would have gone a long way… but then again I wouldn’t be writing this, nor would you be reading it had we heeded the warnings. Our hearts were set on the winding green paths en route to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. The final goal… spotting wild animals.

The ride toured through winding tea plantations clinging to the mountains, interrupted by the occasional rocky outcrop, and glistening waterfalls. Stopping occasionally to marvel at the seas of green kissing the clouds whose fall from heaven must have been a short one.

Now road destinations are an odd thing in India. No one can exactly tell you where to go or how far it will actually be. Asking for directions typically yields bewildered stares. Traveler’s note: The common ‘5 mins ahead’ or ‘just there’ should always be received with extreme caution and healthy skepticism. Nevertheless, we managed to evade all pitfalls except for one. Silently plotting our downfall the nemesis of two wheelers world over…. sand.

Our tires lost grip and our wheels pulled out from under us. Luckily our speed was in check and we escaped with a couple minor bruises and cuts (mostly on me). We dusted ourselves off and thanking our ‘always wear a helmet’ mantra, we humbly and cautiously made our way to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is home to some amazing animals, both big and small. Set amongst misty mountains and butterfly valleys, one can hope to spot barking dear, giant squirrels, bison and if your lucky elephants. With our tribal guide we were treated to both magnificent vistas and demanding cardio. Reaching a valley near the end of trek, our guide turned very silent, slowed his steps and seamed to listen with a concentration we had not yet seen. He was tracking some creature. The giveaway was the soccer sized dung balls, that we had entered elephant territory. Sure enough after some scouting, our guide pulled us into a clearing where we could clearly see the mother elephant shifting in the brush. She was downhill from us perhaps 30-40 meter away, but elephant can hear and smell from up to 2kms away. She knew we were there. Making low guttural noises almost like deep barking, she alerted her family that danger was close then put her attention on us. Making loud squawks, flapping her ears violently and taking a few quick paced steps towards us was all the warning our guide needed. In a bat of an eyelid he was gone, and we went chasing after him with the sound of loud footsteps behind us.

In the end we were out of breath, exhilarated and amazed by the sight of a wild elephant!

We limped out of the park with huge smiles on our face despite our bruises and wounds. Little did we know that our adventure was not over so soon! As we made our way back to Munnar, climbing the steep mountain our two wheeler started to chug up the mountain until it sputtered to a stop. We had run out of gas and quickly losing light. We worried how we’d find a gas station in the middle of paradise on such a desolate road. To our good fortune a good samaritan sensed we needed help and 30 minutes later we were gassed up and on our way.

With daylight lost, a 40 minute ride remained until we were back into Munnar. Added to this was the challenge of driving through the once heavenly mists that now cut visibility down to a couple meters, navigating bumpy Indian roads, weaving around cliffhanging hairpins, swerving around speeding buses with blinding headlights and a cold rain.

A very slow cautious ride back was spurred on with thoughts of our favorite dinner joint- Saravana Bhavana. Arriving safely we clasped our hands around our hot tea cups and knew we had lived the day to it’s fullest.