What comes to mind when you think of Kodagu or Madikeri? Coffee, homestays, waterfalls, elephant camps, Tibetan settlements, meaty-pork stews? How many of us know that Kodagu, unlike the other districts of Karnataka, is home to a range of wildlife species? And in particular, birds and reptiles?
I found the answers in a plantation located in Galibeedu village, Madikeri. I visited a 25-acre plantation, in which coffee, pepper, cardamom and vanilla are cultivated for a two-day stay. It is run by a North Indian couple who quit their jobs 20 years ago to develop this piece of land into an eco initiative that can be enjoyed by all.
The plantation is dense with coffee and other spices grown under the inter-cropping method. Guests are accommodated in tents and a handful of cottages. Locally grown organic food is served to them. The entire plantation is run on solar power, bringing it as close to the nature as possible.
The plantation also serves Civet Coffee, which is made out of beans that are defecated by the civet, a wild cat, that feasts on ripe coffee berries. The beans are washed, sundried and roasted to yield maximum aroma. Due to the enzymatic activity and the touch of amino acids in the Civet’s gut, these beans acquire unique flavours—making it less bitter, more aromatic and hence one of the most expensive and exclusive kinds of coffee in the world.
The night called for a few pleasant surprises—the deafening sounds of the crickets followed by a soothing array of fireflies. Though their charm might be ephemeral, they have a magical effect on you. I tried so hard not to blink, fearing the loss of a few glints. The minimally-lit tents with below 10-watt bulbs paved a perfect setting for this magical moment.
The plantation is an ornithologist’s delight. I spotted the Malabar Whistling Thrush, Woodpeckers, Racket Tailed Drongos, Fly Catchers and Kingfishers among several tiny birds. The plantation is also home to stick insects, hibernating butterflies, tree frogs and leaf frogs. Some belonged to the Lateralus family and are endemic to the Western Ghats region. The frogs were a sight to behold; they changed colours, had shiny-green skin, big, bulgy eyes and had perched themselves on twigs as if waiting for us to visit them.
My two-day stay passed away in a blur and I decided to walk down to the much talked-about stream surrounded by birds about five kilometres away before departing. As I trekked down, the clouds got thicker and darker. I spotted a flock of birds, all different in colour and kind, perched on a tree. It suddenly began to drizzle and the birds in search of shelter, flew from one tree to the other at once. The swarming birds flew low, making it one of my most colourful memories—tints of hidden orange and blue, reds and greys exposed—a flying rainbow indeed.
Ignoring the rain and time, I soaked and hiked at my own pace. When I got back, I was the only one for breakfast and I had missed out on my last dig at the sumptuous avocados too! Oh well!! What more can one ask for when you had the experience of a flying rainbow?
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Aishwarya Madineni, DHNS / September 03rd, 2013
