A submerged forest in the Tunga River
On the road to Thirthahalli from Shimoga, the beautiful Tunga river meanders along, its green water rippling gently in the stillness. We stop a little way further from the Sakkarebayalu elephant camp to get a closer look at the trees that float in the calm waters. On the other side are dark woods that tower over us – true children of the rainforests around Agumbe. There is a path among these woods I want to explore, but we are short of time. It is dusk and all colors are merging into shades of violet, umber and grey. There is a little light reflected in the small clearing at the end of the path and the dense trees that surround it make it look like a halo. And from this clearing comes a man in a bicycle. It is a charming picture and one I hope to be able to put down on paper some day. The tangle of roots from the swamp makes for interesting shapes. There is one that looks like it is raising its arms to the sky. They may look spooky in the night. A bunch of swamp cre