Bhavani Island An Ideal Getaway

Heat wave continues in most parts of India. If you can't make it to a beach or a hill station, at least 'cool' yourself through pictures and video! 

This picture story takes you to a river island named 'Bhavani Island' (named after Goddess Durga दुर्गा) in river Krishna, near Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh. APTDC runs an island resort there (Browse the link for a map of the river and the island). Ghumakkad went there on a Sunday night in April 2016. 

For last six months or so, an entrepreneur has set up water sports facilities jointly with the Tourism corporation. The resort at Bhavani Island is beautifully conceived. Set amidst large trees, it has both AC and non-AC suites, overlooking the river. Even in summer months, the island is cool because of the river and accompanying breeze. Four tree-top suites have been added recently. The view is superb and so is the thrill of being on tree-top height! Don't miss the spiral staircase!

 Visitors have to take a ferry from the eastern bank of the river. APTDC runs another resort at Berm Park Vijayawada. See picture below taken from the jetty- this resort too overlooks the river.

The tourism department has an exclusive jetty at Berm Park. Ferries ply frequently. Guest staying at the Island resort do not have to pay for ferry ride. You can park your car at Berm Park resort. It is a safe place with security at night as well. One suggestion-- travel light as you have to cart your baggage to the ferry at both ends.

Neeta boarding the ferry which can take about 50 persons.

 The island has five-tiered tower on western bank of the river. It is visible from Vijayawada city. 

As the ferry sails, Prakasam Barrage on the river catches your eye. Massive barrage with a road. The vast water basin is ideal for water sports. Just as these thoughts crossed my mind, a speed boat zoomed past.

A short fifteen-minute ferry ride takes you to Bhavani Island. Krishna river and its cool breeze had a soothing effect even though it was noon when we got there. Hope you are able to beat the heat as you 'feel' the pictures! 

After a quick lunch at APTDC restaurant, it was time to stroll up to the water sports jetty. Being a Sunday afternoon, people were waiting for their rides. The place looked well managed with an expandable pontoon serving as the boarding platform.

Variety of rides await you costing between Rs 200 to Rs 1500 per person per ride. Guests staying at the island resort get a complimentary ride upto Rs 500 for one guest only. Depending on your appetite for adventure, a wide choice is available. Pictures.

A rotating coffee table with contra rotating stools on board-- if your head is not spinning already!

There are rides for the young or old, boys or girls, loners or families. Take your pick!

We had chosen to take a speed boat ride. The same boat which had taken the para sailing enthusiasts had to come back and take us. The wait turned out to be worth it as Neeta and I had an exclusive boat ride as against 8 to 10 people in one round-- courtesy Mr Madan Rao, Operations Manager. Madan had also been in the Navy like me! Fringe benefits of professional brotherhood!

Here is a short two minute video of the speed boat ride. The noise which you will hear is the wind howling in the camera as we turned and twisted in sharp winds in Krishna river. Very exciting ride indeed-- fit for senior citizens like us! Watch the horizon go up and down. 

We then walked back to our suite and took pictures enroute. The picture below was taken using DSLR timer. The camera had been precariously balanced on a fallen branch of a tree. I ran to take my position. Beep beep and the shutter clicked. And with that the camera fell down from the branch. I skipped a heart beat. Dusted the camera and found no damage done! Thanked my stars as this was the second time the camera had taken a toss, earlier mishap having happened in Jaislamer sand dunes.

For those planning a trip to the island, here is a view of the cottage. Try and avoid AC Suites numbered 10X and 20X series as these suites are old and have no false ceiling. Takes longer to cool and furnishings are worn out. In comparison, suites 30X and 40X series are relatively better maintained and have a false ceiling for faster cooling. As with most government properties, the location is top class. However, they could do with better upkeep. 

Booking is online. Breakfast is complimentary. Restaurant serves good food. But they will serve you an early dinner as the staff leaves for the mainland by the last boat. Similarly, you have to wait for the breakfast till the first boat arrives next morning with the cook and fresh supplies! For emergencies, a ferry is standby. Most cell phones work. All in all-- a great place.

Tree-top suites are recent additions. Though fitted with ACs, we were told it is not functional. But in monsoon months, it would be magical to stay there. Only drawback is no clear view of the river. But I guess it is by design. You get a view of trees all around. You also feel the forest a bit closer, as these suites are tucked away from the dining area and rest of the AC suites. So take your call.

Why the name Bhavani island? As we had mentioned earlier, it means Goddess Durga who rides a tiger and is a symbol of  courage and valour. An idol of Gurga crated out of metallic waste has been tastefully erected in the Park. Picture for you.

Water sports end with sun set every day. Casual visitors depart the island. The resort has guests and a few duty staff not to forget few stray dogs which are like pets. You can feel the silence after dusk. As the night lights come on, the resort gets another look!

On that Sunday night, we were the only occupants of the resort. It was like having the whole island to ourselves! A picture.

Hyderabad-Vijayawada drive requires a bio-break mid way. An excellent facility exists called '7' mid way naer Suryapet (see map below, courtesy Google.). While driving from Hyderabad on NH-9, it will appear on your left with signages well in advance. The restaurant serves piping hot snacks and lunch/dinner. Very clean rest rooms with misty sprays in the lobby to keep you cool in the summer. And the best part-- there is covered parking for about 50 cars with no parking fees! All privately managed. 

So Hyderabadis-- get going and have an enjoyable getaway at Bhavani island! 

Thanks for browsing

     -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 22nd April 2016

Sand bubbler Crabs and Sand Galaxies

Sand bubbler crab gets its name as it produces tiny spherical sand balls like solid bubbles of sand. It produces these sand balls from the sand that it 'eats'. It actually eats microscopic food within the soft sand on a sea beach. It then discards the sand balls towards its back, two to three balls every second. And it does not push all the balls in one direction but adjusts its position continuously. The result is an amazing pattern of sand balls arranged artistically. See the picture.

Since there are hundreds of these tiny crabs (just one cm wide) working simultaneously, all the patterns together appear like a galaxy. Since this galaxy is in sand and not in space, it is called a 'sand galaxy'. We had explained this behaviour of sand bubbler crabs in our earlier story in December 2014 (click here to browse). Here is one part of the sand galaxy for you.

Jacob Abraham, a regular reader of the blog, has sent the following picture of a real galaxy taken through Hubble's telescope. Does it not resemble our sand galaxy? 

While some patterns appear similar, we could see many new patterns. The crab goes into the burrow as high tide comes in. It remains there till the tide recedes. It then starts to forage for food digging the sand and discarding the remains in the form of sand balls. We know that the tides change every six hours. Therefore, these tiny crabs work tirelessly every 12 hours. And in the bargain, create artistic patterns like the one below.

We also saw patterns having radial spokes of almost equal length! Amazing, how much intelligence this tiny one-centimetre creature has? See the picture.

 During this visit to Suryalanka, we could not spot any spiral pattern made by the crabs. But in Dec 2014, we had spotted spirals galore.  See a file photo below. Does it mean that the patterns made by the crabs vary with the season? Or, the temperature of the water? Or, the direction of the Sun? Would be grateful to any reader who can throw some light on this aspect.

Look at the pattern below-- like the headgear of an ancient Chieftain ! See the arcs and the symmetry.

 How does our tiny craftsman look like? It is so agile and alert that it is difficult to capture on the camera. Here is one picture. See nature's camouflage to deceive the predators.

Depending on the pattern made by the crab, it's burrow lies either in the centre or in one corner. See another pattern below with the burrow in the centre.

 The next pattern looked like the famous Palm-Jumeirah property in Dubai which has been created on land reclaimed from the sea. Notice the burrow in one corner of the pattern.

So much for the tiny crabs. We also saw its elder cousin with similar camouflage and agility. But the burrow is larger and the discarded sand is not in the shape of balls but as sand pellets. It makes it burrow on high ground. The burrows can be seen every morning. See the pictures below.

 Sand pellets produced by crabs larger than the sand bubbler crabs.

While observing the larger crabs, we saw them playing with the surf- much the same way we humans do. We captured this crabs-and-surf game on video. A short 30 seconds clip for you.

If you are unable to see the video, click here to browse it on youtube.

The sand bubbler crabs are found on the tropical beaches of India, Malaysia and Australia. But within India, we haven't seen clips or blogs of sightings on the west coast. Could a reader substantiate this please?

Hope you saw that sea beaches have so much to offer beyond the surf and the sand. Next time you are on a beach, look out for these tiny creatures and their sand galaxies.

Thanks for browsing

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 14th April 2016

Postscript: 21st April 2016--The mystery of creating varying patterns with season remains. However, a reader M Susree pursuing PhD at IIT, Hyderabad has sent an interesting link to Aquatic Ecology-- a scholarly journal. The article explains the Population Biology and Breeding Period of the Sand-Bubbler Crab from Southern Mozambique. So, see where did we find a match in this tiny creature? Thanks Susree.

Suryalanka Goa of the East

Scorching summer, sweltering heat. Only two options. Head to a hill station or hit a beach. When you have only four days to plan, you don't have much choice. We chose the second option.
Two cars, six people, three years to sixty-four years. One heading southeast from Hyderabad and the other moving north from Chennai. 
RV?
Suryalanka also called Goa of the East. Nearest town Bapatla 10 kms north of Suryalanka-- has both rail and road connectivity. This is Ghumakkad's account of a short vacation in Suryalanka during Ugadi weekend 8th-10th April 2016.

The beach goers, youngest first:

Hyderabad-Nalgonda-Miryalguda-Narsaraopet-Bapatla-Suryalanka route of 350 kms takes 6 hrs with an additional 30 minute breakfast halt. 

Road side eateries serve you piping hot idlis. Rural India has more wisdom as far as living with nature is concerned. Pictures:

The second car arrived with our son Ankush and family. It was a great reunion at Air Force Station Suryalanka. We stayed at Surya Kutir, the guest rooms of the Officer's Mess.

With her only grand daughter, Neeta-the-Granny was thrilled to the core.

The whole Ghumakkad family with their proud-to-be-Indian cars!

Evening was reserved for the beach. Suryalanka beach is special because it is exclusive (being an Air Force station), clean, litter free, not crowded, hawker-free, no blaring loudspeakers, no ponies and no prying eyes! You enjoy the surf, the breaking of the waves and an occasional bird call. Pictures.

 

Sunrise and Sunset at sea is always spectacular. Suryalanka gave us its fair share of glory.

 

We had posted a story on Sand-babbler Crabs during our last visit to Suryalanka in Dec 2014. This time we observed a different sand pattern made by the crabs. Look out for another story on the crabs.

Trust you enjoyed being at the beach. Our 'fauzi' friends can stay at the Air Force Station while civilian friends can use the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's Haritha Resort at the beach. And while at Suryalanka, don't miss the sea food including fresh prawns!

We close with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi who said 
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not enough for every man’s greed." We human beings, should only leave foot prints behind and not a trail of destruction, deforestation and litter. A PQ- picturesque quote on foot prints for you.

Thanks for browsing.

    -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Baisakhi, 13th April 2016

Postscript: On a suggestion from a reader who is Resident Editor of a leading national daily, am appending two pictures of the public beach at Suryalanka. It should dispel any doubts about the public beach being too dirty or over crowded. Thanks KN.

 The tiny mud mounds in the picture are crab holes seen early mornings.

So pack your bags if you have not been to Suryalanka!

45000 and Counting

Ghumakkad wishes to thank each one of you for crossing another milestone. Yes, your blog has reached the 45,000 mark in less than 4 years-- last 20,000 page views having come in just ten months! Credit goes to you and your constant encouragement.

What started off as a travelogue based on picture stories, now includes PQs- picturesque quotes, lessons from life and obituaries. Reader's comments enrich every post. Ghumakkad thanks each contributor.

Some of the posts which triggered reader maximum responses are linked below:
Chennai floods man made?
Sun's Magic
The Missile goes Silent - A tribute to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
Violin Mantis - An insect which resembles a violin
When seeing is not believing - Poem by a dog who can not see

We hope to receive your continued readership and support in the years to come.

Thanks for browsing

    Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 1st April 2016