BIRD WATCHING IN GOA ON A RIVER CRUISE

There is always a sense of intrigue when you begin a journey in the dark. There is a certain rawness, a dense silence that you can feel in the wild. The bushes crowd around you; it is cold and dark .  I shiver a bit, reaching out to a cup of chai to keep me warm and reassured. For a moment, my senses are lulled by the chill morning breeze. I look around and see the shadowy outlines of the coconut trees standing tall, lit by the moonlight.

It takes a moment to sink in. I am in the jungles of South Goa, waiting for the drama to enfold as another day dawns in the wild. It is the wee hours of the morning and I have an early morning date with the birds, not in the forests, but in a river. I am not a morning person, but the lure of catching a day-break on the river bed was motivation enough to drag me out of bed in the wee hours of the morning.