Shankar in central Africa

After Shankar meets Diego Alvarez and sets out to find the diamond mine, the author takes him through some parts of central Africa on their way to the Richtersveldt Mountains.

I have drawn a very rough map covering his journey south towards Rhodesia, South Africa, and finally South-West Africa (I am using the older names of these areas). Quite a walk those two intrepid gentlemen managed to accomplish!

The book's available online

Finally figured that the book is available in stores! My friends told me, not my publisher.

Anyway, it is available, that's the main thing. If you wish to buy online, here you go:

FLIPKART: http://www.flipkart.com/books/8129118246?_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=ZHHXFteGk_Vk4EhW5XocZg--&ref=7b04bf8d-4206-4245-bbbb-a07619d18f7c&pid=ru23fqyppf

INFIBEAM: http://www.infibeam.com/Books/mountain-moon-rupa/9788129118240.html?utm_term=the+mountain+of+the+moon_1_1

BOOKADDA: http://www.bookadda.com/product/mountain-moon-jayanta-sengupta/p-9788129118240-8129118246

CROSSWORD: http://www.crossword.in/books/mountain-moon/p-books-9788129118240.html

Am also in LINUXBAZAR (!): http://www.linuxbazar.com/the-mountain-of-the-moon-p-41442.html

Not on Landmark yet though! 

The black mamba

One the scariest moments in Shankar's days in the grasslands of East Africa was his night-time encounter with the black mamba.

According to Wikipedia, its name is derived from the black colouration inside the mouth rather than the actual colour of the skin which varies from dull yellowish-green to a gun-metal grey. It is the fastest snake in the world, capable of moving at 4.32 to 5.4 metres per second (16–20 km/h, 10–12 mph).

This is a really really dangerous creature. How danger can be appreciated when you read this post by Wade Nolan. "On a recent safari to Africa, I hand-caught a wild nine-foot Black Mamba. It was a calculated risk...involving bad calculation.

The Mamba's head is coffin-shaped and the inside of his mouth is an ominous black...he would raise up to near eye level, look aggressively at us then loose his balance... and tip over...only to raise up again..hissing. I thought that maybe he had gotten hold of a bad mouse and was woozy.

I made a hasty and misguided decision to lay hands on the most poisonous snake in the world. Most mamba bites are fatal.  This aggressive cobra has a nasty habit of biting it's victims 4 and 5 times in the face and neck.

The third time he raised up and tipped, I pinned his head, and without a lot of thinking...(I bet that surprises you), I had a very angry Black Mamba in my hand.

From the roof of his gaping open mouth I could see the curved extended fangs. Dripping from those fangs was the deadliest venom in the reptile kingdom... mamba venom is yellow. The slippery venom ran out of the corner of his mouth and into my hand..." 

There's a pretty hairy video of this episode here.

And here's a vid of a black mamba hunting a mouse. A friend said that this is the first time she felt sympathy for a mouse.

Explorers of East Africa

While reading 'Chander Pahar', I was as fascinated by East Africa as Bibhutibhushan and Shankar. I started reading about explorers of Africa, thanks to the excellent collection at the British Council Library in Kolkata during my school and college days. Their names - James Bruce (here's a picture of him), René-Auguste Caillié, Samuel Baker, Sir Richard Burton (no, not the actor), Speke, David Livingstone, Henry Stanley, Paul du Chaillu, and many others - were magical to me as a child, and still more magical to me as an adult, now that I have some kind of appreciation of their efforts, trials, and achievements.

As a tiny tribute, I have put together a gallery of these gallant men:

There are two short but fine articles here and here. You might enjoy them. 

I have always imagined Diego Alvarez to be one such intrepid traveler, always drawn to the unknown and the dangerous, as were these men. 

Some more listings and reviews

This one from Afternoon, and this one from Deccan Herald – you’ll have to scroll down a bit

Some listings of the book

Some listings and reviews

Some reviews of the book have been published. Here are some of them:

http://www.flipkart.com/books/8129118246

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/lifestyle/books/mountain-moon-call-wild-706

http://www.7sisters.in/the_mountain_of_the_moon.html

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review_book-review-mountain-of-the-moon-chander-pahar-_1577223