Exploring a National Park - I. Prologue

The large brown bear ambled amidst the pine trees, within thirty feet from the edge of the road, where we had parked our car. The distance between us and the creature was much less than recommended but that had not prevented us from stepping out. As my friend, Soura, clicked one photo after another with his camera, I gaped at the bear through the binoculars; till, at last, it seemed to take notice of us and moved a couple of steps forward. We scampered back to our car, slammed the door shut, and raised the windows and Soura, in the driver’s seat, turned on the ignition. To our horror, the car seemed stuck in the gravel and skidded as he pressed the accelerator. I stared outside to see if the bear had come close but could not spot it in the faint glow of dusk. Luckily for us, Soura managed to heave the car back on the road after a few attempts. The car moved on and soon we were cruising past in semi-darkness. I drew a deep breath and reclined back on my seat. I glanced at the vast expanse of forests, mountains and valleys, all around us and the realization that I was, finally, in their midst flooded over me for the first time.

Continued