A Trip To Mysore: Ranghanthittu Bird Sanctuary

On Sunday July 1^st I went on a 1-day trip to Mysore with Karen and Abbie, the two American volunteers at VTCL. The icky part was getting up at 5:30am to catch the first morning bus, but I had been looking forward to going to Mysore for several days. I’d have a chance to go online, shop for snacks, and I was very excited to visit Ranganthittu Bird sanctuary. Probably for the sake of taking pictures of them at least as much as seeing them for myself (I’ve seen bird colonies before in Rwanda with similar species). 

We arrived in Mysore around 9am, and had breakfast in a restaurant near the bus stop. Afterwards the girls went off to meet with friends from Cornell, while I made my own way to Ranganthittu. It’s only 14km outside of town, and naught but a simple bus ride - plus a 3km walk from the main road. Short, except my stomach was still hurting so it took a good deal longer than expected. The arch that welcome you to the sanctuary is quite beautiful, with painted ornaments of birds all around it that bid visitors welcome. Excited, I probably quickened my pace...

 

 I have to admit that the price for foreigners was a bit of a rip-off: 300 rupees to get in, and another 300 for the boat ride around the lake to see the birds close up. Ah well, I was determined to do this and get my lens to work. The only thing that pissed me off in fact was that the college student discount didn’t apply to foreigners.

The lake does not appear very large, but it’s quite charming. Alongside its banks and on little islands there are large colonies of exotic birds, big and small. My favorite is the black-headed white Ibis (Ibis birds in kinyarwanda are called Inyange, a name as graceful as the birds themselves). I even spotted a group of half-sleeping bats on the bank opposite the boat stand. The little rowing boat was packed to capacity with about 15 people besides the guide, who also took care of the manual labor. The Indian families sitting in the boat with me seemed more interested in taking pictures than listening to what the man had to say, but I was quite appreciative of his occasional comments. He pointed out several bird species by name, and was really good at spotting crocodiles dozing on little rocks in the lake. It was the first time I had had a chance to see a live crocodile, and some were really close-up. In spite of reading about how their size will dwarf an adult human, I was still surprised – these creatures are enormous! It makes their reptilian ruggedness look quite majestic. 

Experiencing all these large birds close-up was a great joy, I’ve missed getting out into nature (in spite of how artificial a tourist site has the potential of). There’s something quite majestic from seeing animals in their own natural element rather than through pictures or behind bars – yet another reason why I do not wish to visit Mysore zoo. I had a great time even though I was on my own. I think I had a great time because I was on my own; just me and my camera. Like I’ve said before, there’s something different about seeing the world through a lens. The world becomes a little more idyllic and serene to look at.