Well, we have been on the road deep in the southern Western Ghats, the last two nights without internet access. Here is what we have been up to: Long drive across the Deccan Plateau, including passing through a huge wind farm. Each windmill is owned by an individual, and they sell power to the grid. They were present as far as the eye could see. Along the way we needed brake pads replaced (before heading up to the mountains). We had to get the pads ourselves ($15) and have them put on by a mechanic ($2, and only that higher price since there were some non-Indians around). All done in 20 minutes. No appointment necessary! All of us were watching the mechanic work (it is a guy thing). Widening roads here means that sometimes some of a house or building may have to go. Doesn’t mean folks will stop from living in the partial buildings, however. Up into the Ghats, we were again in the land of hairpin turns, and beautiful countryside. We have collected many waterfalls and wet walls, a few incidental reservoirs and streams, and some new habitats (here in the South versus the North), a variety of ponds. These places have some great algae in them, determined by evening microscopy sessions (Rex and Karthick Bala are working on some in the picture). And we always have curious helpers in the field! The food here is amazing! In Tamil Nadu the spice has been turned way up, and it is delicious. The breads (OMG!!) and curries are just fabulous. We have had our best food in small stalls. We have had nothing bad, and no ill effects the whole time (now at 4 weeks). Went into the state of Kerala yesterday. The state is amazingly clean—almost none of the solid waste we have seen in other parts of India. It is also the land of spiders—big spiders. One was the size of Rex Lowes head. Our rush from the car to a collecting site is a little slower now that we have to look out for them. We saw hundreds with webs woven between the power lines! When we arrived in Munnar for the first evening, the entire place was shut down by a strike (see picture of all the empty stalls). Seems a non-communist person threw a stone at the Communist Chief Minister of the State. The strike was over by 6PM, and a huge line was present at the state-run liquor store. Saw some walking sticks today, and we are always greeted by new birdcalls. The animal and plant life (aside from the algae) are also very interesting. Now the downside: We leave in about a week. We have 3 more field days here in the Southern Western Ghats, and we end up at the southern tip of India to have a look at both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Then a train ride back to Bangalore for some last minute shopping, celebrate Devalli, and then onto a plane bound for Paris, another to Detroit, and the last to our final destinations: Denver/Louisville/Madison.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 03:03:52 +0000
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