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The Clash Of The CocksBy DK Bhaskar
The weather was getting hotter and the dust on the road was running up my sensitive nose. A landscape alternated between agricultural lands and unoccupied barren stretches with rocky terrain. As my minibus negotiated a small right turn, we saw a big river Urubamba flowing below a depth of approx 150 feet. Our experienced driver tried all his skills on this arduous journey of over 8 hours passing through the valleys, open lands, presenting me with a true picture of culture and life of the Andean people.
A rainbow penetrating through the thick clouds really brought out the colors and hues of the fabulous forest cover. As I pored over a map and was amazed to learn that the area I was in was bigger than the Wales! The road ahead led us to tall trees, yellow flowers, deep valleys, innumerable waterfalls, colorful birds and so much more. It did not take me long to forget the arduous journey and lose myself in this tropical paradise. I tried frantically to capture the majestic beauty of this place through my viewfinder. I realized soon enough that it is just impossible to capture the exotic beauty of this place.
After nearly an hour’s walk, we reached a cottage in the valley right besides the river. It was getting dark and the birds were flying back to their roosts in flocks. The orchestra of innumerable insects and amphibians sounded like a symphony to me. I settled in the part car shed and part cottage accommodation (there were no side walls, only a overhead wooden roof supported by stilts). I secured my hammock to the poles and found a place for my camera bag to rest. Before sunset, I took a plunge into the adjacent river and refreshed my stiff muscles.
How to reach: The starting point to reach Manu is from Cusco a popular tourist destination. A couple of specialists operate a trip to Manu. However, one has to talk to them very clearly about the needs and requirements of visiting this park. A good initial understanding would help a long way in this. Manu Jungle specialists operating from Cusco are one of the leading operators who have good naturalists and logistic support. |
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TM
We
started 15 minutes later than our scheduled time of departure. After few decent
minutes of smooth driving, we were confronted a bumpy road with gravel strewn
around. We drove past an incredibly beautiful landscape that made the grueling
journey bearable. On one side of the road was the gentle slope of a valley while
on the other side, hillocks and mounds loomed tall. The approach to this heaven
is completely rough and difficult to maneuver. However, the elements of
surprises in the landscape overpowered us and kept our senses alert. A few
of the villagers en route were peddling their bicycles with great difficulty,
while a few others were walking along. There is no other means of transportation
available for the villagers to reach nearby towns.
As
we crossed the dry landscape, a sudden burst of clouds and green vegetation
appeared in the front us, as if out of nowhere. It took me a couple of minutes
to register that such drastic change in topography was normal in this area as we
were in the fringes of the greatest biodiversity rich park on this planet. As we
proceeded, further the movement of clouds was very brisk and surprised me time
and again! Welcome to Manu national forest in the Eastern base of the Peruvian
Andes, a dream destination for nature
lovers. Colorful birds made their appearance and tender ferns were protruded
from everywhere. I stopped and held my breath as the clouds passing by brought
along a fresh whiff of fragrance.
Manu national park is one of the pristine landscapes in the
world. Covering an area of 1,900,000 hectares of the southwest region of the
Amazon basin it contains four distinct ecological zones; high altitude Puna,
cloud forest, Montane forest and tropical rainforest. The entire park is divided
into two distinctive areas namely cultural zone and reserve zone. Manu contains
the richest diversity of fauna and flora anywhere on this planet. The park teems
with over 1600 species of birds, more than 100 species of mammals, butterflies,
reptiles, amphibians and lesser creatures. Even before I could study my tour
guide, I had already seen five different species of multi-colored birds. Finally
the journey in the mechanized vehicle came to an end and from hereon, I was on
my own, on foot. My driver thought I was completely fatigued and would settle
down for the night. However, I had my own ideas. I mused. “Who on earth would
want to miss out on this life time opportunity to be in this paradise?”
Rechecking
my equipment and my torch, I was ready to explore the wilderness in the dead of
the night. My pangs of hunger en route to the park had disappeared into thin
air. I could not wait to take in the gorgeous beauty of this heaven. I set out
on a quick night safari. The noise of the insects orchestrating in the dark
inspired me to go on and kept me good company. The nightlife in these
parts beats the downtown dance club. The place was alive with nocturnal
anteaters, wood mouse, huge spiders, colorful frogs and millions of insects.
Next morning, I was awake even before the sunrise. I walked
around looking for interesting bird sightings and unexpected spectacles. The
tall trees let very little light filter through the layers of vegetation.
However a colorful bird lit the whole place with bright colors and silken
textures. Cock of the rock, one of the most enigmatic bird native to these
parts, is known to indulge in a fight to establish its dominance and to please
the females during early hours of the day.
I
settled down to watch this elegant bird and lo and behold, I counted, nearly 30
males involved in a massive fight to please about 10 females! “All for a
partner’, I chuckled silently. The song of this bird reaches its peak when the
female appears in front. The big male birds jump from tree to tree, look out for
a female in every nook and corner of the area, from and branch to branch,
in-between the leaves and ferns! For over an hour, this war of the Trojans kept
me spellbound and stupefied.
In
a matter of over 60 to 70 minutes, the whole ambience changed with the sun
rising over the horizon. The park transforms into a silent meditation hall after
the last pair of cock of the rock of fly away to be seen only the next morning.
I sat silently digesting the whole drama and there came along a big colorful
toucan. He was perched on a tree opposite me with a fresh fruit in his beak. The
colors of the beak and the shape of his body are quite comic but undoubtedly he
is one of the distinctive birds around here.
As
the toucan took off, I was reminded that I needed to leave this place too. I
packed and left not trying to look back with memories of exotic creatures in my
head. But this was just the beginning; I had the whole expanse of the park to
explore. Welcome to Manu again!