Chasing hoolock gibbons in Lawachara Forest!
Whenever I get a chance, I prefer traveling by train. Its so much better than bus. This time our train started
at 645 in the morning. I bought a cup of tea from the train caterer just for
the fun of it, although I had full breakfast at home before starting. A young
man approached me and asked if I would swap seat with him in another
compartment. They are traveling in a big group and want to sit together. I
agreed joyfully. My new sit was front facing, which was good, and by the
window. An old man sat next to me. After a little while we started chatting,
about different things, specially the recent political turmoil in Bangladesh.
Its surprising what a change of mood can do to you. I would have never said
things that I have said to that old man sitting next to me in the train unless
I was going on a trip. It was a pleasant experience.
My station was Srimongol, the tea
capital of Bangladesh. I my memory Srimongol was a romantic place. I have never
stayed there, but once had to travel through the town long ago. I still
remember seeing carts after carts of lemon and lime people were bringing to the
town in early morning. These lemons grow in the hilly areas surrounding the
town. Anyway, Srimongol arrived and I got off the train. At the station I
bought my return ticket in the same train. Then I walked into the town looking
for an eyeglass shop. I broke my sunglass that morning and needed to repair
that. After that I had to some shopping for my one week stay in Srimongol. I
booked a room in the ‘Nishorgo’ cottage which is away from the town and in the
forest area, so I was not sure if there would be any shops in that area.
Although later I found that there are quite a few shop in the Radhanagar
village where the cottage is located. I bought some dry food and some fresh
fruits.
I started for the cottage in a
shared CNG run autorikshaw and got off at the gate of the cottage half an hour
later. There were actually three cottages in the ‘Nishorgo Nirob’ premises. The
one that I have booked is a semi-concrete building with tin roof. It had a
attached bathroom with high commode and a veranda over a small garden. I was
greeted by the Chef and the Caretaker as the owner/manager was not present.
After lunch, I took little rest
and when the sun died down I went out for a little walk. I took a right turn
and that took me into the settlement. This part of the village Radhanagar is almost
‘in the forest’. If you look around you will see the remnants of the old forest
here and there, on top of the hillocks and into the streams which are known as
‘Chara’. There are rubber plantations on the North West side of the cottage,
property of a tea estate. As the night approached I returned to the cottage and
opened my ‘Kindle’ and started reading. There were a lot of mosquitoes so I
could not stay in the veranda for long and locked myself inside the room.
