Godaari gattundi...

Off tonight on a small birding trip to Maredmilli forests in East Godavari.

Whether three days or ten, the things that have to be taken have to be taken. They are laid out on the bed now, waiting to be ticked off and put in. I had an accident years ago that hurt my back. I’m perfectly alright now but every time I have to pack, the psychosomatic pain kicks in – a small part in the lumbar region protests very vehemently as if to tell me, ‘What the heck are you thinking? Who do you think is going to carry that? Me!’ It disappears though the minute I finish packing and carry the bag to test weight and balance.

There is a depression developing off the Bay of Bengal, and there is a skulking feeling we will be huddled under the eaves for at least part of this trip. There are enough of us to make even that fun though.

That happened once in Nizamabad. We arrived at the bus stand to torrential rain, waded through swirling waters to get at lunch. Later, while the drizzle made it difficult to bring the binoculars out, we braved it anyway to go sightseeing. There is a rather nice fort there with a koofiya underground path and everything. Turned out to be a day for places of worship: we counted a mosque, an old Shiva temple built by the Satavahanas and a church, and finished with hot mirchi bajjis. Then the skies cleared and we had two days of breathtaking birding.

That’s that. Ta, then.