[hvkumar]

Lalu, where do you have to take the permission to go on the private estate roads?

[jacs]

Again nice snaps Lalu. The creeper which canopied the swift is a Passion Fruit plant, its very nutritional and yummy but sour (need to cut and add sugar). Your kiddies are following your path of photography?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Lalu, where do you have to take the permission to go on the private estate roads?

There is no permission required to enter the Poabs Estate road to go to Seethargundu. Just write your name and number at the gate and off you go.

The other tea estate road also does not need any permission though you end up at a private gate at the end, and for us since the resort was there it was ok. Else I saw a board - private road.

Originally Posted by jacs

Again nice snaps Lalu. The creeper which canopied the swift is a Passion Fruit plant, its very nutritional and yummy but sour (need to cut and add sugar). Your kiddies are following your path of photography?

We had passion fruit juice all the while. Infact the resort owner had given me some seedlings and i have planted it at my home in Bangalore, adding to my collection of fruit bearing plants from the various trips done. To name a few, we have apple tree from apple valley Munnar, orange trees and gooseberry trees from Yercaud, Chikkus from ooty, passion fruit from kodai and nelliyampathy, the list grows..not to forget the three varieties of mango. I am making my house garden resemble a forest - my wifey says. But it pays off, I have birds visiting me. A bat already has taken one of the mango trees as its place.

Power puff girls likes photography. I wish they take a lot of interest to it and develop it as a serious hobby.

[jacs]

Originally Posted by laluks

We had passion fruit juice all the while. Infact the resort owner had given me some seedlings and i have planted it at my home in Bangalore, adding to my collection of fruit bearing plants from the various trips done. To name a few, we have apple tree from apple valley Munnar, orange trees and gooseberry trees from Yercaud, Chikkus from ooty, passion fruit from kodai and nelliyampathy, the list grows..not to forget the three varieties of mango. I am making my house garden resemble a forest - my wifey says. But it pays off, I have birds visiting me. A bat already has taken one of the mango trees as its place.

Power puff girls likes photography. I wish they take a lot of interest to it and develop it as a serious hobby.

Thats lovely to have a green home in BLR, your kids are blessed to have some organic fruits. My dad is a scientist in agronomy, do let me know if you would ever require any support from him. Also let me know when you come to Idukki side, my inlaws has lots of fruit trees around the house and may be you could collect some seeds and sapplings.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by jacs

Thats lovely to have a green home in BLR, your kids are blessed to have some organic fruits. My dad is a scientist in agronomy, do let me know if you would ever require any support from him. Also let me know when you come to Idukki side, my inlaws has lots of fruit trees around the house and may be you could collect some seeds and sapplings.

All the three mangoe trees have yielded fruit. Last year one of them gave mangoes in excess of 200 numbers. The other two around 50 ish. Now one of them is in full swing. So is the case with pomegranate - but we did not like the variety. Chikku - we got just one last year :(. Apple and Orange trees - I guess is far off to yield fruits.

Thanks jacs. Next time I am near your place - I'll surely plan to meet up.

[KESriram]

Originally Posted by laluks

We had passion fruit juice all the while. Infact the resort owner had given me some seedlings and i have planted it at my home in Bangalore, adding to my collection of fruit bearing plants from the various trips done. To name a few, we have apple tree from apple valley Munnar, orange trees and gooseberry trees from Yercaud, Chikkus from ooty, passion fruit from kodai and nelliyampathy, the list grows..not to forget the three varieties of mango. I am making my house garden resemble a forest - my wifey says. But it pays off, I have birds visiting me. A bat already has taken one of the mango trees as its place.

Wow! do you really stay in the concrete jungle called Bangalore? really envy folks that have place for a garden in the first place and then such exotic flora varieties!! way to go!!

[mallumowgli]

[quote=laluks;1851946]We had passion fruit juice all the while. Infact the resort owner had given me some seedlings and i have planted it at my home in Bangalore, adding to my collection of fruit bearing plants from the various trips done. To name a few, we have apple tree from apple valley Munnar, orange trees and gooseberry trees from Yercaud, Chikkus from ooty, passion fruit from kodai and nelliyampathy, the list grows..not to forget the three varieties of mango. I am making my house garden resemble a forest - my wifey says. But it pays off, I have birds visiting me. A bat already has taken one of the mango trees as its place.
quote]

For a house in Bangalore that is one hell of an orchard/grove. Can u post a pic if its not a problem?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by KESriram

Wow! do you really stay in the concrete jungle called Bangalore? really envy folks that have place for a garden in the first place and then such exotic flora varieties!! way to go!!

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

For a house in Bangalore that is one hell of an orchard/grove. Can u post a pic if its not a problem?

Thanks guys, I'll get you some pics over the weekend.

[Majic]

Woww, i am really enjoying every moment, sorry lalu 2010 year is being one of back breaker for me...but i am really following with this ...if not for any other stories.

[Nutty Nair]

@laluks - Superb travelogue from you & nice photos, as usual. Waiting to be swifted more..

[laluks]

Originally Posted by Majic

Woww, i am really enjoying every moment, sorry lalu 2010 year is being one of back breaker for me...but i am really following with this ...if not for any other stories.

I can understand. I am in the same shoes too.

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

@laluks - Superb travelogue from you & nice photos, as usual. Waiting to be swifted more..

Hey renjith - remember me??

[laluks]

Day 2, April 3rd 2010 continued

Nelliyampathy

After lunch we strolled around the resort again. This time we saw some more interesting wild life.

We saw the skink - aka "arana"




Dragon Fly






These are the fellows that create that noise in the forests. The Crickets.






Some info from web

Male crickets produce calls (chirps) to attract females. Males that are able to chirp faster, or for longer, may do better (i.e. attract females sooner or attract more females) than males that can't chirp at such a high rate or can't sustain their rate of calling. It may be that males that feed well can chirp faster and for longer than males that don't feed well.

The way those guys were chirping away we were pretty sure something was going to happen.




Soon the entire area became too dark and heavy lightning and thunder scared the hell out of us for over 30minutes. And heaven just poured on to us. Those who knows rains in Kerala knows it - "Thullikku oru kudam pemari" (one drop big enough to fill a pot). It was so so exciting to get caught, but was very scary due to the lightning.



Some thing similar to this (picture are from the net, copyright respective owners)






Wifey enjoying the rains


Rain water falling




But the excitement was short lived. The rain was over in 30 minutes. But the entire place just cooled down. But we were pretty sure we'll have some reptilian visitors.


The beautiful flowers after the rains.






While it was raining we had our tea break with banana fry - anyways there was a gap of 30 minutes after lunch for the tea. Thus successfully our food cycle was corrected.

continued...

[mallumowgli]

Laluks - you seem good in macro photos. good snaps of the smaller wildlife! Didnt know that the arana was called skink. We used to call them snake-lizards
And thanks for the photo of the cricket. Never met them in 'person' in spite of innumerable visits to the forests

[Nutty Nair]

Originally Posted by laluks

Hey renjith - remember me??

Of course I do. Also nice shots of the crickets, Lalu. Nelliyampathy is one of the places that keep on evading me for some years now. After reading this, the itch to travel there has started again.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Laluks - you seem good in macro photos. good snaps of the smaller wildlife! Didnt know that the arana was called skink. We used to call them snake-lizards
And thanks for the photo of the cricket. Never met them in 'person' in spite of innumerable visits to the forests

I stumbled on the crickets accidentally. When I move they stop making the sound. So in stealth mode I found out two of them in a tree branch and caught them on camera!

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

Of course I do. Also nice shots of the crickets, Lalu. Nelliyampathy is one of the places that keep on evading me for some years now. After reading this, the itch to travel there has started again.

. I'd be driving down to Trivandrum next weekend (01.05 and 02.05). Any possibility to meetup?