On An Enthralling Boat Ride in Pichavaram Mangrove Forest

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I packed my bag to an one day trip to Pichavaram mangrove forest from Chennai. Travelling along the East Coast Road, on a windy morning with the view of Bay-of –Bengal until Pondicherry and the green carpeted paddy fields with the pleasant smell emanating from the crops along Chidambaram road was a delight on the journey. From then on, it was a jostling ride until reaching Pichavaram, along a narrow road through the countryside.

As I was traveling alone, I paid three hundred rupees for two hours of boat ride. A frail looking boatman, Suresh, ushered me into his boat and soon we embarked on a fascinating journey. Spread around three thousand acres, the mangrove forest is a natural wonder, which protects this coastal region from any kind of sea calamities. With more than twenty types of woody trees and shrubs, the entire region is filled with numerous narrow canals.

Suresh demanded me a tip to venture into those narrow canals, without which the trip would have been worthless. I agreed to it, as I am always eager to explore new things. Soon, we were paddling through sun flecked canals, where knotty branches formed a cave like structure over us. It was a thrilling experience as the place was still and silent with only the occasional sound of the birds and paddling of the oars.

What made this trip more memorable to me was I got a chance to paddle for the first time. Suresh taught me, how to swing the oars and push the water to keep the boat moving. Though I stumbled in the beginning to keep up the flow, later it came handy and flawless. As I was getting more acquainted with the boatman, he was narrating various interesting stories in his work. Feeling happy to have visited this place, I bade goodbye to him and headed for the bumpy ride. 
                                               

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