Fun Blogging: Jungle Tales: Open Season One (I)

Jungle Tales: Open Season One (I):

This time I would like to write the xperiences of Jungle tales of Arunachal in the form of a movie story. This will have the introduction, interval and climax. Let me start.

Name of the Movie:

Jungle Tales: Open Season One (I): Of To Namdapha… Let’s rock in the Indo-Burman Border.

Starring:

Murali Krishna (Me), Parimal Ch Ray..

Other Actor’s:

Biron in and as Field Assistant

Rego Chakma as Local Field Guide

Gopal as cook 1

Gogoai as cook 2

Special Appearances:

Daamdoom (Blood sucking flies)

Leeches

Biting Spiders

Kujli patta (Itch leaves)

Etc.

Music, Photography, Story, Direction By:

Murali Krishna.

Producer:

DST.

We would specially like to thank Airtel, Forest Department Arunachal etc.

It was in the afternoon when the bus that goes to Jagoon (a place bordering Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in eastern portion of Assam) arrived, at the network bus center in Nirjuli. We boarded the bus and travelled to Jagoon.

The next day morning at Jagoon, we hired a vehicle to reach Miao, which is the headquarters of Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh. There, we stayed at circuit house and did all the works related to forest department like getting permits etc.

The next day we started to travel to a place called Deban in Namdapha. We had to cross a Nala (stream) on the midway, which doesn’t have any specified direction of flow as it keeps on changing randomly. Somehow we managed to cross the nala as both the

heroes (Introduction) and Biron came into action. We reached Deban, pitched tents over there as we couldn’t move further into the jungle.

Here comes the other actor into the scene called rego chakma, who usually is called a gandagol aadmi by us as he uses this word a lot. The story begins from here:

The work started with two shifts, one in the morning and the other in the evenings(late). The work went on well with trekking n climbing hills. But one evening we spotted an animal in the night and I along with biron were focusing on it. Meanwhile Parimal used the liana (woody creeper) to reach the spot and tried to observe and photograph it. I too thought of doing so but thought if the liana breaks it’ll be difficult for parimal and rego to reach back. So I dropped my idea of climbing up (heroic thought). The adventure starts from here.

The next day we had to reach a place on the other side of the river for which we had to raft till a point and then have to cross the river on foot. I and Parimal helped the boat’s men to fill the air in the rafting boat. Then we reached the point from where we had to cross on foot. The water current was so strong that it started pushing everyone. But atlast we crossed the river with some struggle. We reached the place trekking uphill. We completed the work over there and at around 3.00 P.M. we moved back to reach rego’s basti. By evening we reached rego’s basti where we met his family and from there we moved back to deban.

After 2-3 days we thought of going back to a place on the other side of the river. But this time we had to go along with the local guards and foresters. We walked along with them till a point and then took another route on a work. After the work was done, we had to return back to the river and my guide took a route which was so difficult to reach the river bank. We had to walk down the hill. The mud was loose and our shoes were slipping. It was really difficult to get the grip. We made it somehow.

The other day we trekked a long distance and were about to return back to the camp. On the way we saw the route being blocked by an adult and a baby elephant. We thought they were wild ones. But I knew that they were not and even the others realized it. Rego the local guard said that they were mischievous elephants and might even attack and injure at times. We too felt so as there was a baby elephant. When we moved ahead the elephants blocked the road and tried to move towards us in aggression. We had to take another route as it was getting dark. But taking other route was difficult as

one side is uphill and the other side the downhill covered with thick bushes. Then…

INTERMISSION…

Let us meet after a break

Chaiii chaii, Cool drinks, coffee, Samosa.. Oops sorry. Lal chai, Thanda paani..

So somehow we took the uphill route n tried to escape from the elephants. But to our bad luck the elephants overtook us. We had to come down to the road as there was no further route to overtake the elephants, but it was steep. Somehow biron and rego got down. I had to get down followed by parimal in the last. I took the liana to get down but to my bad luck I lost the grip and was hanging at about 30mts from ground. Finally I made the way down to road with parimal. Then we took the downhill road and I lost the route as I

was late in following them. But it was so bushy that I got bitten by spiders, rubbed against the itch leaves and finally made the way to road. Bad luck.. The elephants were ahead of us. We just waited. By that time someone came along the road in bolero. Those elephants had a weak point. They were afraid of vehicles. They gave the route for the vehicle and so we too got a good chance to escape from them. Due to itchy leaf, there was a burning feeling on my hand when ever coldwater splashed on it. It took 3 days to feel normal.

The next day evening we went for the night walk. We reached a point and were observing some nocturnal creatures. Suddenly I heard some barking sound which exactly would be 100mts away from us. Firstly we thought it might be a pack of wild dogs. But we knew that wild dogs are not so vocal. Then we heard the call again and again. It was a call made by the barking deer. But it mimicked wild dogs. The same day we heard a cry of a bear which could have be around 200 mts away from us. Was bit scared as the bears are very aggressive at times. But we couldn’t trace it out. Last day was gaana bajana by the local guide, cook and by some guards. We joined the troop and hummed with

them. But it was nice eating the bark, leaves, fruits etc which my local guide offered me to eat. They tasted like tamarind, mirchi, halwa etc. What not I even ate makai chatni, bamboo curry, fern curry, boil, banana inflorescence curry etc. Still a lot..

The days passed on, also some tourists came and went, chatted with us, got some info from us. It was nice helping them by giving some information related to sightings etc. Finally the day came, we had to return back to Itanagar as the field session came to an end. We reached Miao and from there to Jagoon and from there to Banderdewa (A small town of Assam bordering Arunachal). After reaching banderdewa we understood that there were some local riots and the buses were not moving... So we had to walk to

university which is 10 kms from banderdewa. It is combination of plain, slight uphill followed by downhill road. Carrying 35 kgs of luggage we walked all the way crossing the fallen trees etc. We reached the hostel after 17 hrs of journey and 3 hours of walk. Happies Endings..