An Unplanned Weekend Trip To Manas National Park

 

A Camouflaged Hog Deer

Manas National Park, located at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, is home to 31 endangered species of animals and is listed as one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites which gives it protection from illegal poaching and terrorist activities. It is famous for its Tiger, Elephant, and Rhinoceros reserve. I didn't get to see any during my trip in Jan 2013 but I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend spent there. It was an impromptu plan with my Sister-in-law. We just grabbed a couple of clothes, a backpack, and a bottle of water. As impromptu as it was, we didn't even have tickets or a vehicle. Thanks to Google, we looked up a couple of options to get there. The easiest way was to take the train.

Luckily we didn't have to wait long for a train. Most trains traveling north and west from Guwahati took the route via Barpeta Road. Since it was barely a 1.5-hour journey, we decided to buy whatever ticket was available to the closest station to the Park. We got two 2nd class tickets at a very nominal cost I think it was under Rs. 500. It was winter, so the journey was comfortable. The train was crowded but we managed to get a place to sit. The train journey was pretty uneventful and we reached Barpeta road on time.

At Barpeta Road station, we didn't have to look around much. There were taxis waiting for tourists heading to Manas National Park. It was a 2-hour drive and the fare was under Rs.1000 in 2013. 

We had no bookings made for our stay. We took a friend's recommendation and headed for the Bansbari Manas National Park Guest House managed by Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC). Luckily, we got a room for two days. The guest house was pretty well maintained and had the best Bengali food. If the management and chef are the same, I would recommend it anytime.

The Beki River was just a few minutes walk from the guest house. So after a quick, shower and a very late lunch, we headed for the river. We spent the evening, watching the sunset and the birds. The park hosts over 450 species of birds. It is also home to the endangered Bengal Florican, 

An Egret and a flock of Cormorants 

The guest house arranged a vehicle for us for an early morning safari and a trip to Royal Manas National Park in neighboring Bhutan. Our early morning safari began at 5:30 a.m. It was cold and dark but probably the best time to meet a tiger making his morning rounds :). For safari, details check the Park's official website.

Sunrise on our way to the Safari

The Park is divided into three zones. Panbari zone is a dense forest, while the Bhuyanpara zone is grassland and easy-to-spot animals. Bansbari Zone has most of the tourist amenities and is centrally located. We stayed at the Guest house in the Bansbari zone, so our safari trip started from there and then we headed towards Bhuyanapara before crossing into Bhutan.

Through the dense jungle road

From Manas National Park on the Indian side, we drove down across the border to the Bhutan side which has the Royal Manas National Park. At the border, identifications are checked and entry permits are issued. Indian Nationals do not require a visa to enter Bhutan. The border village town is Panbang.

Though we missed the Tiger and Rhino, we did manage to spot other animals and birds during our safari trip. We saw hog deer, wild buffalos, nilgai, Capped langur, hawk-eagle, peacocks, and white-capped redstart to name a few.

Capped Langur

The capped langur is a threatened species due to habitat loss and is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Myanmar only.

Hawk-Eagle Fledgeling

Crestless changeable Hawk-Eagle

The changeable hawk eagles are native to the Himalayan foothills and are found across Nepal, India, Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. They are eagles with hawk-like features and they are called changeable due to the variation in their plumage color as they age and shed their feathers (molt)

Tiger Paw

Peahen

The Beki River on the Bhutan side

Footbridge across the river

The Beki River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra. It originates from the Kula Kangri glacier in Tibet and flows down Bhutan as Kuru Chchu before entering India where it is called Beki.

White-capped redstarts are natives of the Himalayan foothills and found across the Indian subcontinent, South Asia, and Central Asia

We headed back from Panbang Village, Bhutan around the evening. Our weekend was over as well. The next day early morning we started for Guwahati on the same route as we had come. It was a short trip but fun nevertheless.

The Course Of Brahmaputra

The course of River Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra River is the 9th largest and the 15th longest river in the world. The river originated from the Angsi Glacier / Chemayungdung Glacier in the Kailash range of the Himalayas. The river is called Yarlung Zhabo in Tibet, it flows east, then enters India through the state of Arunachal Pradesh, where it is called, Siang. It flows down to the state of Assam where it is then called Brahmaputra (Son of Brahma). It continues its course down to Bangladesh where it is called Jamuna. It confluences with the Padma (the Ganges in Bangladesh), to form Meghna before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. 

River Manas (Drangme Chchu in Bhutan) and River Beki (Kuru Chchu in Bhutan) originating from Kula Kangri Glacier and Tawang Chu River (originating from Cona county in Tibet) respectively, join the Brahmaputra as it flows down south. 

The tributaries of River Brahmaputra

Vatican City - The Smallest Country In The World

Vatican City is the smallest Country in the World which covers an area of 0.44 Sq km and has a population of 800 - 1000 people (2020 and 2022 data from the web). It is the only country in the world that has the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the only country in the world that has no citizenship by birth. In fact, this country has no hospitals and no one can be born here. Not sure what happens if someone does give birth to a child there. So far it has a zero birth rate. Citizenship to this country is granted on the basis of 'Jus Officii'. It means someone working there with an official status can be granted citizenship for the tenure of the job. The citizenship is revoked once the job status is terminated. 

The country is located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Rome, the capital of Italy. Vatican City became an independent state in 1929 after the Lateran Treaty was signed between Italy and the Holy See, prior to which it was under the domain of Italy. An interesting fact is Italian government allows Italians to donate 8% of their taxes to Vatican City. The country gets its name from the Vatican Hills, on which it is located, on the western bank of the River Tiber.

Vatican City is the home of the largest Church in the world, St. Peter's Basilica. Built in the Renaissance style it was designed by some of the best artists and architects of the Renaissance period - Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno, Bernini. Porta, Fontana to name a few. The Church was built in place of the old St Peter's Basilica constructed by Emperor Constantine over the burial shrine of Saint Peter one of the 12 disciples of Jesus who played a prominent role in founding the Christian Church. While Pope Nicholas V began the renovation works on the old basilica, Pope Julius II laid the foundation of the work for the new Basilica.

Vatican by the night

I traveled to the Vatican once in 2007 and once in 2019. Reaching the Vatican is pretty easy since it is located in Rome. Rome is one of the best-connected cities in the world. While there is no entry tickets to the Basilica, there is entry ticket for the Sistine Chapel and the Museums. The tickets can be purchased online at the Vatican City official website. The online ticket price is around 22 euros. They are available at a reduced cost if purchased in person at the entry. However, the basilica is usually crowded, with more than 25000 tourists visiting it every day and entry to the basilica itself takes almost 2 hours or more unless you are very lucky. We had a long wait and I did not get a chance to visit the museums or the gardens, since we had no time after the long wait in the queue. The basilica opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. (April - September) / 6 p.m. (October - March).

St Peter's Square

The most famous sculpture of St. Peter's Basilica is the 'La Madonna Della Pieta' (our lady of piety). This Carrara marble (quarried from Carrara, Tuscany), sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo gives a tangible form to the sorrow of the Madonna who is shown holding the body of his dead son. The sculpture is protected behind a glass case after an attack in 1972, by a Hungarian tourist who threw a hammer at the sculpture thus damaging the face and arm of the Madonna. 

Michelangelo's Pieta

The basilica is one of the most exquisitely designed churches of the Renaissance period. The grand nave is breathtakingly beautiful. The ornated carvings and inscriptions are mesmerizing. The Latin inscription seen around the base of the dome reads:  "...You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...."

Another inscription above the Statue of St Peter reads: "...Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed also in Heaven...."

The nave of St. Peter's Basilica

The Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, The Apostle Islands, And Indiana Dunes

 

The Great Lakes are 5 large freshwater lakes that are interconnected and are shared by USA and Canada. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron; Lake Superior is connected with Lake Huron by St. Mary's River; Lake Huron is connected with Lake Eerie by the St. Clairs River; Lake Eerie is connected with Lake Ontario by the Niagara River and Lake Ontario is connected with the Atlantic Ocean through St Lawrence river. Hence, these lakes are also called The Laurentian Lakes. 

I visited Lake Superior from Duluth, Superior, and Bayfield. Lake Michigan from Chicago. Lake Eerie from Detroit on the way to Niagara Falls. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit lake Huron and Ontario. Yup, a visit to Canada is definitely on the bucket list :)

APOSTLE ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO:

We went to the apostle Islands from Fargo via Duluth, Superior, and then to Bayfield. At Bayfield, we rented a cottage in a wood close to one of the beaches. The cottage was a duplex with beautiful views, though a teeny bit spooky at night when the sounds of animals and insects break the silence of the still nights. We saw stars and fireflies but couldn't capture those with my not-so-high-tech camera. We also saw a black bear, clicking a pic was the last thing on our minds :) but yes it was my closest encounter with a bear who thankfully did not notice us. 

Bayfield is the closest to the Apostle Islands archipelago. It constitutes 22 small islands on the lake Superior shoreline. Each island has a lighthouse which can be seen during the cruise ride. 

The cruise ships can be boarded from Bayfield port. We took a two-hour ride and maybe a longer one would have been better. There are options for kayaking as well. When we visited, the waters were high and rough and Kayaking was restricted.

Bayfield Pier

The cruise takes you along the shoreline and beautiful rock formations can be seen. Details of these formations can be read here. The longer cruise allows island hopping. Camping is possible in 19 of the 21 islands. Boating, kayaking, fishing, and hiking are other popular activities in this park. At the time we visited the lakeshore, it wasn't as crowded as it is off late in the last few years. We got to experience the beach private to us only - that was quite a steal. 

Bayfield is a small harbor town with a quaint little downtown and quiet beaches. Just perfect for a weekend getaway. Overall, our vacation there was lovely.

Sea caves and sandstone arches - The caves can be entered through kayaks and during winters when frozen

NIAGARA FALLS:

Well for all Indians, Niagara is a must-visit. If it's a US trip, Niagara has to make it to the bucket list. So, as tradition goes, I had the opportunity to visit the falls twice. Once with parents and once with friends visiting us and it was totally worth it. Niagara falls constitutes of three waterfalls, the American falls, The bridal veil falls and the horseshoe falls. While Niagara may not be among the tallest waterfalls, its width and volume make it one of the top five largest waterfalls close to Iguazhu and Victoria (the largest waterfall in terms of width). The falls are formed by the Niagara gorge and fed by the waters of the Niagara river which connects the two great lakes Erie (USA) and Ontario (Canada).

The maid of the mist boat tour on the US side takes tourists close to the horseshoe waterfalls. Cave of winds, a natural cave behind the bridal veil falls has decks that take tourists pretty close to the bridal veil falls. Both tours are an absolute must if visiting the falls. The experience is once in a lifetime.

The three Niagara waterfalls - American falls (the leftmost), Bridal Veil falls (The narrow falls next to American falls and the Horseshoe falls (rightmost) which is partly in the US and partly in Canada

INDIANA DUNES:

The Indiana dunes is a long beach stretch of natural sand dunes on the southern tip of lake Michigan. It is maintained by the Indiana State parks systems and is one of the most bio-diverse systems. The park is home to more than 350 species of migratory birds, lush wetlands, and sandy beaches. Hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, and bird-watching are the most popular activities here.