Recording of ‘Indian Jungle Dawn’, pt.4
Mar 1st, 2008 by andrew skeoch
Shiva sleeps in the vehicle, and we often feel embarrassed to wake him predawn. but this morning he is up at 4.30 knocking on our door. The air is still, and stars shine through the branches overhead, so conditions are good. Half an hour later we are off, heading out of the guesthouse compound and onto the riverbank track, with hopes high of a good morning recording.
A few hundred meters on, and are hopes are dashed. At the edge of the compound is a fence and gate. For the first time since we have been here, the gate is closed, a heavy chain and padlock looped through the metal bars. What the…? We stare at it bleary-eyed, illuminated in the headlights. There is no getting past this without a key.
There is a small walking track we remember that may go around the gate. A few minutes later, and that has proved to be untrafficable. The only chance is to find the nightwatchman and get the key. We double back a few kilometres to the village.
Shiva walks up the steps of the ranger’s quarters, and eventually we can hear sleepy voices in the dark. A lantern is lit, and shadowy figures wrapped in blankets are seen moving about. As Shiva’s voice continues, we get the sense things may not be straightforward. Now he is returning, and gets silently into the vehicle. The nightwatchman has not slept there last night, he might be in another building. A few minutes later, another discussion in the dark. Once again, Shiva returns, I don’t know whether I imagine it, but there seems a dogged stomp in his walk. The nightwatchman has been found, drunk, but he does not have the key anyway, another man has it. We move on to a smaller hut, and Shiva again disappears into the dark.
By this time, we have wasted nearly an hour. We can hear the first stirrings of dawn birdsong. So we have already blown our chance of getting to our favoured location on time. When Shiva returns still unable to find the mysterious custodian of the key, we decide to give up. There is another location, not as far away, that we had checked out a day earlier. Whilst it is not ideal, it is our only option for the morning now. Feeling a bit slumped and silent, we follow the village roads north and west.
This could easily be the end of our Satkosia adventures, for the morning is a washout. The forest, whilst it looks good, is quite silent. It is curious how one can be in what appears to be rich and undisturbed habitat, but find it subdued and deserted of birdlife. So it is here. In the distance we can hear vehicle traffic, maybe a tractor in the fields. Sarah at least finds a picturesque stream flowing through the forest, and gets some nice shots of the first light hanging in the misty air.
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