Penguin Travels: Southern India - 8 February 2012 (1)

Grand Anicut Dam

Parrot by Grand Anicut Dam

Statue by Grand Anicut Dam

I woke up three times in the night and got up before the alarm went off. Jen and I went to breakfast at 0700. We had a power cut while in the lift on the way down. Luckily Jen had her torch with her, so we had light until the power came back on. The lift automatically took us back to the 5^th floor and then gave us back control so we could go down again. I had curry for breakfast again – a vegetable korma which was much hotter than the curry the night before.

Grand Anicut Dam

River Kauveri below Grand Anicut Dam

At 0800, we set off for the Grand Anicut Dam. The drive there was great with several interesting birds. There were lots of paddy fields. The rice had mostly been harvested but we did see some people busy doing the harvesting. Some black birds were watching them and had to be shooed off. We also passed some banana plantations.

Cormorant Drying Off, Grand Anicut Dam

Egret and Cormorant

I was sitting at the front of the bus with Pat, so I got a good view of the traffic. At times things got quite hairy, with narrow roads and oncoming overtaking traffic, plus pedestrians and motor scooters. But we made it unscathed.

Statue by Grand Anicut Dam

Children Going to School Across Dam

Fishermen Beside Grand Anicut Dam

Catch of the Day from River Kauveri

The dam, which dates back to the 4^th century, was huge and made a beautiful spot. We took a long leisurely stroll on it across the River Kauveri, admiring the scenery and, in my case at least, the wildlife. The first bird I saw was a very co-operative parrot. Lots of cormorants and egrets were fishing and Lukose distinguished two darters amongst them. A brahmini kite flew overhead and we watched a small black and white bird, possibly a white-browed wagtail, plunging headfirst into the water for a fish. Goats were wandering about, some being herded and some alone. There was even a flock of goats in the children’s playground. At one end, some fishermen hauled in a successful catch, which included an eel. A brother and sister going to school on one bike posed for a photo. The dam was lined with a series of brightly painted statues, which had no alternative but to pose.

Brahmini Kite over Grand Anicut Dam

Goats on Grand Anicut Dam

On the way to the bus, we saw some things set out for sale, including the twig brooms which are used for sweeping up, banana flowers and some small fruits. Further on, we passed the local no. 2 bus. It was in some difficulty and the passengers had to push it. It’s a good job the buses have more passengers than the no. 10 in York or there would never be enough to get it moving!