Heritage run from Ernakulam Jn to Cochin Harbour Terminus

I was excited to travel in a steam locomotive even in this century. There I am, at Ernakulam South Railway Station to board  the century old  'EIR 21 Express'.   It was as part of Thiruvananthapuram Division’s initiative  to run this century old steam engine  from  Ernakulam Junction to Cochin Harbour Terminus. This segment of the trip takes about 20 minutes covering 8 kms. My trip was at 2 PM. I reserved my ticket in advance and the fare for adult Indian nationals is Rs.500.

It is said that the name 'EIR 21 Express' was given to the loco by its creators, Kitson,Thampson and Hewistson of England, who built it in 1855. The loco was shipped to the Indian subcontinent and used about 55 years till it was discontinued in 1909.  It was then used for exhibitions at Jamalpur Workshops and  Howrah Station for 101 years.

In 2010,  Loco Workshop , Perambur revived the Express EIR 21 and the first heritage run by EIR 21 was conducted as part of the Independance celebarations in 2010 from Chennai Central to Avadi with two coaches. It runs in Chennai, Puduchery, Thiruchendur and Nagarcoil before coming to Kochi.

A special coach with 40 seats is  also attached to the steam engine for the trips . The coach was decorated beautifully . The coach has plenty of removable chairs and was fitted with an air conditioner.

The train left from Ernakulam Jn at 2 pm and it chugged through scenic places towards Cochin Harbour Terminus. Along the way you will get beautiful views on both the sides. When the train passed through level cross, I could see clicking of dozens of cameras going off around the train. Some were waving to the train as it passed.

 
After a break at Cochin Harbour Terminus, it returned back to Ernakulam Junction. The train was fun and and the route is also beautiful . Sometimes duration and the destination doesn't matter for a train journey and for me, this train journey will always be cherished .

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Trekking and Camping at Pampadum Shola National Park

Munnar is my favorite place in the whole world. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited this breathtaking place multiple times, and each time I fall more in love with it.

This time, my travel is to Pambadumshola, the smallest national park in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated 35 kms from Munnar town.

The drive to Munnar from Kochi was uneventful. I decided not to stop till I reach Munnar town. After breakfast from Munnar town, started my drive through narrow road amidst tea estates. When  I passed through tourist destinations like Rose garden,  Mattupetty, Echo point and Kundle Dam,  I saw huge rush in those areas. The road was good till 3 kms away from the Top station. And as I drove, I could see mist spreading all over the area. From Top station, I turned left through a small road and the road was not good till the entrace of the Pambadumshola National Park. After that the road was excellent. 

Our two day camp was arranged near to the Forest Department training centre.  It was already 1 p.m., when I reached the camp site. 

The Forest Department had also arranged enough facilities to accommodate tourists who wish to stay overnight and enjoy the park. There is one amenity center and two log houses for  tourist accommodation.  You can book the rooms directly from Kerala forest department website.

RESTORING GRASSLANDS

After lunch, our first activiy was to participate in the Grassland Restoration Project.  And we walked through the tar road  and both sides of the road is interspersed with eucalyptus and conifers.  Forest department doesn't allow passengers after 6 pm in this route. The long walk through woods is always an awesome experience.

 
After a few minutes walk through tar road and then the dense forest, we reached   an open space.  There are grandis (a variety of eucalyptus) that threatens the ecology of the area due to its dehydrating and quick-spreading character.  We removed extensive  growth  of sprouted wattles. This project started few years back and we could see the grasslands that are coming back. I felt proud to be a part of this project.

The dusk turned into night, we returned back to the camp site.  'There are some actvities tonight' our coordinater pointed out.  We had some fun filled activities and  an interactive session with Dr Rajan, a biologist, who spoke about the bio-diversity of the Andaman and  Nicobar Islands. It was interesting to listen to his personal experiences and how he escaped from tribals.  

It was too cold in the night. With a bit of luck, we saw gaur herds near to our camp site. Suddenly the full force of thunderstorm hit with all its pent-up fury. A torential rain poured down. I crawled in  the sleeping bag and felt myself drifting away. Of course, I dreamed. 

Day 2

When  I stepped out of my room  in the morning, I could see mist covered in the area. The air smelled clean and crisp.

Our first acivity in the day was a visit to Vattavada strawberry farm. Vattavada, situated 6500 ft above sea level is just 7 km from the camp site. 

We made a short jeep ride to Vattavada.  Further, the jeep turned down to small mud road from the main road. The path was slippery with mud.  Our local guide was waiting for us and he directed us to his farm. And I plucked carrots and strawberries from the farm and asked the farm people to pack for me.

On the way back to the camp site, we were lucky to see gaur herds. 

Our next activity was  a five-kilometre trek through the Bandhar route. Our guide had already reached the camp by that time. We walked till Pampadum Shola National Park entrance. Some of us bought T shirts with logo of the park from the counter.  After a few instructions from the authorities, we started our trek.

The area is home to wildlife animals such as elephants, buffaloes, lion-tailed macaque, gaur, and Nilgiri langurs. There are various types of medicinal plants (herbs), of which studies have been made. We caught the sight of the dazzling rhododendron blooms on the side of the path

We spotted nilgiri langur on the way.  It walked on top of a tree branch and gave us a good sighting for few minutes.

Around 1'o clock we reached back to the Camp. After lunch and camp review, we bid goodbye each other.

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