At the Rainforest Retreat, the days are structured like this:
- 0830: breakfast
- 1300: lunch
- 1630: tea/coffee
- 2000: dinner
Food is important!
Yesterday was our second day here. After a tasty breakfast, we went for a walk down to the river. We had coffee at a chocolate factory. Walking back uphill was arduous because of the strong sun above us for the whole return journey.
We returned for lunch then relaxed outside our room on the deckchairs. I read my book before heading for afternoon tea and coffee.
We rested for a while then resumed reading. Internet access in our room was patchy. But another guest, Frank, said he had good access in his room. This was about a ten-minute walk. We went to his cabin and perched ourselves outside. It wasn’t great but at least we had internet access. We were able to receive and send messages.
It soon became dark. We lit our torches and returned to the dining area for dinner.
Today, the Rainforest Retreat estate manager, Ravi, took us on a guided tour of the estate. He pointed out various plants and their medicinal value. He also spotted various frogs, spiders and other creatures.
After lunch, Arjun, a new guest, joined us for a walk to the Sacred Grove. Some of the local residents practice animism. They imbue nature with spiritual properties. The Sacred Grove, a forest, is one such place. We walked there. The only thing of note, apart from the grove was a nearby small temple, which we visited.
We met a local guide showing about ten tourists around the area. He told us that locals regarded the Sacred Grove as something to be protected. The grove also had rare and precious trees and plants. Visitors could easily damage them. Therefore, no one was allowed in the grove itself.
After a circular path, we were back on the road back to the Rainforest Retreat. It had been humid all day and there was a chance of rain. Ravi had told us to take umbrellas and plastic bags (for phones, cameras, etc).
As we started our return journey, the skies darkened. By coincidence an auto came towards us and I held out my hand. Arjun spoke to the driver, who took us back to our homestay.
This evening many more guests arrived. They were mostly from Bangalore. Ravi lit the fire by the dining area. Some of us sat around it in the dark, brightened by the fire. A couple had brought some jackfruit seeds. They were roasting them on the fire. I had imagined these were like pumpkin seeds and wondered how they could see them next to the fire. When they offered us one each, they were the size of Brazil nuts. We peeled off the shell and ate them. The taste of the seed is difficult to describe especially because some of it was burnt in the fire!
The food has been unbelievably good here. A lot of the ingredients are grown on the plantation or in the area. Helene and I both think it may be the best we’ve had in India. We’re having three very tasty meals a day!
After dinner, we again went to see some fireflies around the estate.
As we were walking back, we saw a frog. This was the third frog we’d seen today.
