It was 1:30 in the morning and my friend Srishti was already waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. After having checked my packing list for the hundredth time and making sure I hadn't forgotten my camera (or God forbid, my underwear) I finally zipped up my small traveler backpack and shut the door behind me.
We arrived at the Parking Lot shortly after and in a matter of minutes, we were all packed into a bus en route to Pune Station. That's how we started our Project Week where, according to Cary (our faculty) we would be hugging crocodiles, charming snakes and fighting the evil carpenter ants.
At around four in the morning we were all riding the Chennai Express (which is almost as cool as the Hogwarts Express, except...not really). While in the beginning we were all hesitant to even touch the bedsheets (we saw tiny cockroaches strolling around our bunks), we fell sound asleep in a matter of minutes. What else was there to do for the next 25 hours, anyway? Our day went by with us talking, taking naps, eating spicy train food and listening to the chants of the vendors saying "Pani bottle, pani bottle, pani bottle" and "Chai, coffee; coffee, chai; chai, coffee", while we all tried to figure out how they fit two different drinks into the same container.
It was Sunday morning when we arrived at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. We were half asleep, and I am pretty sure we didn't particularly smell like roses. The last time we had taken a shower had been Friday night. However, it was all soon forgotten when our guide for the week, Vineeth, gave us all steaming cups of chai while sitting right next to the beach to see the sun rise.
We arrived at the Parking Lot shortly after and in a matter of minutes, we were all packed into a bus en route to Pune Station. That's how we started our Project Week where, according to Cary (our faculty) we would be hugging crocodiles, charming snakes and fighting the evil carpenter ants.
At around four in the morning we were all riding the Chennai Express (which is almost as cool as the Hogwarts Express, except...not really). While in the beginning we were all hesitant to even touch the bedsheets (we saw tiny cockroaches strolling around our bunks), we fell sound asleep in a matter of minutes. What else was there to do for the next 25 hours, anyway? Our day went by with us talking, taking naps, eating spicy train food and listening to the chants of the vendors saying "Pani bottle, pani bottle, pani bottle" and "Chai, coffee; coffee, chai; chai, coffee", while we all tried to figure out how they fit two different drinks into the same container.
It was Sunday morning when we arrived at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. We were half asleep, and I am pretty sure we didn't particularly smell like roses. The last time we had taken a shower had been Friday night. However, it was all soon forgotten when our guide for the week, Vineeth, gave us all steaming cups of chai while sitting right next to the beach to see the sun rise.
On our first day, we got to meet the crocodiles. I had never seen so many of them and I couldn't believe that they could stay still for so long (with their jaws hanging open!).
Crocs are really gorgeous creatures (in their own, unique way), and also some of the most naturally aggressive animals. Even more than snakes, apparently. We saw a couple of them that were missing limbs due to fights. They're definitely not the most sociable of animals.
That same afternoon we managed to get some time on the beach. Instead of actually being in the water, we focused on getting some expertly curated beach shells that are now some of the best souvenirs of my trip.
During our second morning we met the turtles. Such cuties.
Contrary to what I believed, turtles are not that slow. They can move fast enough when they're hungry, and trust me...they're quick eaters.
Right after feeding our new wrinkly friends we went back to the crocodiles. The Crocs in the Bank Trust live in pits where they are grouped by age and species. The pits kind of look like this, except they vary in size. (And yes, that crocodile is real).
And just our luck...we were asked to clean the pits!
The green thing that can be seen in the picture is actually a mix of sand, food and crocodile shit that has been casually chilling there for about four months. Only.
While we were cleaning, the crocs stayed outside of the pits. You know, just looking at our every move and such...nothing creepy.
A little later that same day we were introduced to the tiny snakes and we got to learn a little about their life cycle and general anatomy. We also learned that in most cases, snakes will not attack immediately when they feel threatened. Instead, they will wait until its territory is repeatedly invaded before preparing to bite or constrict. They're actually pretty cool creatures.
Afterwards, everyone retired to our room to get ready for a biodiversity night-walk, while Srishti and I managed to squeeze in a little more beach time. I must add that having a private beach feels great. We were the only two people out there for a long while and everything was peaceful and quiet.
Since this is actually turning out to be a pretty long post and we're not even halfway through the adventure...(we haven't even gotten to the best part yet!), I will end the first part here and I promise, promise that I will come back tomorrow and finish the tale. This time it won't take two weeks, honestly.
And finally, as most of you guys know already, I have spent a few days in Paris that have been magnifique! So...expect a few couple of posts on that too. Thanks for reading (and sorry for taking such a long vacation from the blog!).
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