Up and close with nature

One might think that the life of a retired person is drab and boring! Clearly, that is not the case for the members of ORBIK (Organisation of Retired Bankers in Kochi). They always find time to break the monotony by taking short leisure trips to unexplored locales. As part of their regular outings, this time they chose the picturesque Kaduthuruthy.  To add to their joy, the members decided to take along their spouses as well.

 “Seventy of our members travelled to the Mango Meadow, which is touted to be the first agricultural theme park in the world. It took us two buses and approximately 2.5 hours to get to the spot from Ernakulam,” says G.S. Sreenivasan, Joint Secretary, ORBIK.

 “We had a wonderful time at the park, which is lush and green. It has a section with over 1,950 medicinal plants, an organic farm, a lake and beautiful bridge over it. We can even feed fish there. The farm is wonderful. Apart from a few cows, including the Vechur breed, and hens, there was an Emu, which was quite a sight,” he recollects.

 “Unlike the parks that we are used to seeing in cities, the park and the  farm within it was calm, scenic and very welcoming. The best part was that we did not find it difficult to walk inside this place. It had a level ground. They even had bicycles, which can be rented out. Battery-run carts can also be availed for those who have difficulty in walking,” he says. One thing that most people found interesting was that none of the plants within the park are for sale. “They have a good collection of rare medicinal plants and trees in there. These are not for sale, we can observe and learn about them.”

 “We had our lunch and tea there. There is a country-style tea shop and toddy shop within the place. Fresh toddy will be available for those who stay overnight,” he says. The group spent an entire day there, filled with various group events and games. We wound up by 5 pm and returned to Ernakulam by 7 pm,” explains Sreenivasan, adding, “One wouldn’t realise how time flies.”