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Strangers in the Mist- Part 2

06/02/2008
20:00 pm

Pakke National Park, Arunachal Pradesh

I am not an easy person to silence and it takes a lot to get me to shut up.

Something very very special happened today and it happened the moment I stepped into the Pakke National Park behind an Asian elephant with a penchant for breaking wind.

The forest itself was beautiful, one of the best I've seen and I fell in love with it immediately and I didn't want to leave until I saw all the forest had to offer both in terms of plants and animals. With the animals undoubtedly being the high point. The sight of surprise on the face of the wild elephant and then watching them crashing through the underbrush and the Great Hornbills soaring majestically through the sky are memories that I will always carry with me. On some levels though, I am filled with regret that I didn't get to see a tiger or a clouded leopard though I tried my darnedest. But oh well, C'est la vie.

The leeches were an experience that I will never forget. Even though I never experienced the leeches personally, it was a scare that never left me and even a teeny-tiny flutter on my body would have me panicking and dusting myself off.

The entire forest walk was something straight out of Discovery for me and something I've always wanted to do. I felt quite like a character out of 'Man V/s Wild' . The presence of 46 other people be damned.

Forests have always had a spiritual connection for me. I never feel closer to God than I do in the heart of a forest surrounded by his creations and I couldn't help but marvel at all the beauty around us and how lucky we are to have it all.

The forest brought back to me how transient we are. How we would come and go. And all that would remain were these trees.

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