Trayaan Travel Comic - 03.
Okay, now here's our third travel comic. We hope it doesn't suck!
Un-leech the adventurer in yourself!
Ah, to go on a trek in this lovely monsoon, on the lush green western ghats. Why trekking, even a regular trip to a place full of lush greenery, in the jungles or the forest and plantations in the Sahyadri during the rainy season... Ah, what an adventure... But wait, what's this creeping on me? A leech! and... More leeches!
You may want to unleash the adventurer in you, but first, you may have to un-leech yourself! That's the topic of this Travel Comic.
That's what our traveller protagonist is thinking in this cartoon, to un-leech himself as he enjoys unleashing the adventurer in him. As he opens his arms wide and breathes in the fresh air of nature,while standing before a picturesque waterfall in the wilderness, his attention is suddenly drawn towards the bloody bloodsuckers!
And I couldn't find time to get it coloured too, so even this comic is published in glorious monochrome. Now, I don't yet have a name for our traveller guy here, but we'll think of something later.
As for the leeches, many of you would've already encountered these creepy bloodsuckers called the leech, during your travels or tours in the western ghats or any interior areas with lush greenery, especially during the monsoons.
I've written some detailed tips for how to avoid and get rid of leeches during your travels, along with the best practices while travelling to leech infested areas.
While leeches may horrify many, thanks to their inchworm-like creeping and their bloodsucking feats, they're actually way less dangerous than the other bloodsucking pests - the mosquitoes. Leeches usually don't carry any diseases and they suck your blood till their fill and then they fall off. Why, some species of them are even used to treat people and those are called medicinal leeches.
We've encountered leeches during our trips along the Western Ghats, like our trip to Coorg (Kodagu district) and in Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka, in Wayanad district of Kerala, to mention the ones that we've already published here.
Those who go on treks and those who live in forest areas or interior areas with plantations, etc., have told me how often they encounter leeches and how common they are in the wilderness. So, even though they're travel pests, and even though you may find them creepy or annoying, they're unlikely to give you much trouble beyond that.
For more about leeches, and tips and best practices to keep them away, see our Travel Tips post on avoiding and keeping away leeches. And while you're there, you may also see our tips on keeping mosquitoes away too.
Also See:
> How to avoid and get rid of leeches
> How to keep away mosquitoes and avoid their bites
I hope you liked this travel comic and don't think that it sucks. ;-)
For after all, what is travel without some pun and humour? Er... I mean fun and humour!
Until next time, bye bye, and happy travelling.