Wild elephants at Periyar Wildlife Preserve

Report #3

Dear Friends: Greetings from Kerala, Just arrived here yesterday, Sunday, January 30. Kerala is full of waterways. So far, its something like Seattle, but MUCH more populated. Yesterday we were at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We took a morning trek: 7:30 AM. You can imagine how chipper I was at that hour. Trek was a really good word for it as I've never walked so fast in a pair of sandals. We did get a chance to observe a group of elephants with 3 little babies. Otherwise, the wildlife was not so visible. The guide would stop, point to some poop and say, "wild dog." A little further on he would stop, point to poop and say "water buffalo." Next we stopped to observe the poop of "tiger." Personally I was glad that it was not still attached to the tiger.

We also had a ride across an inlet on a bamboo raft. It was four long bamboo stalks lashed together with two across for sitting on. When you got on the whole raft was slightly underwater so you rode across with your shoes submerged. When we reached the other side the boatman said, "teneech." What? we said. He repeated, "teneech, teneech!" I thought we were getting some greeting in Tamil or Mamalayam. You probably guessed he meant ten rupees each for the boatride.

That's all for Kerala. More soon. Love, Maye

Merrily we roll along... tra-la-la. (She's partially underwater here folks and still smiling.) I was hanging on for dear life mind you.