Ranthambore Day 2

Day 2 morning we got Zone 1 i.e. low tiger chances and hope of a leopard.  As it turned out no tigers or leopards.  Despite the guide's best efforts we did not see much wildlife. I managed to get a few nice shots of a peacock admiring itself at a pond.

We headed back even before the park timings forced us as to get out as we got no signal of wildlife in zone 1 that morning. 

We again did a repeat of Day 1 i.e. lots of food and sleep! By the way the IRRITANT after fighting with the staff at the booking centre had managed to get Zone 4. But couldn't see a tiger!!

All three of us decided to go for the evening safari on day 2. And after following the magical cure of the hot Indian summer sun, we were more or less in shape.  We had for company this time a family who was on a Rajasthan tour from Pune.  They were clearly very excited especially the kid. This time around we went to we wandered around till five o clock with no hope! Our driver and guide were an enterprising lot and travelled a lot more than the other cars who decided that it wasnt worth the effort and waited at the waterhole.  The driver took us through a rocky road to a place where there was another jeep standing! Seeing another jeep standing and the passesngers peering to one side could only mean that a tiger was in the vicinity.  I managed to catch a glimpse of the tiger also, but it was a bit far away and was very well hidden by the undergrowth.  However, I was really happy that my new binoculars had finally come to good use! 

We came back to where the other cars were waiting by around 5:30 and no-one had heard any alarm calls or seen any sign of any animal movement.  The driver and the guide decided that we would go to another part of the zone which was under the dominion of another tiger.  And as soon as we reversed out and started moving towards the next destination, who should be walking towards us but the KING!  The tiger started moving towards us as we were in between him and his watering hole!  As the tiger started moving towards us we started reversing and reached the place we were waiting earlier.  Now the other jeeps were informed that the tiger was on its way and there was a mad scramble between the jeeps to get into the best position at the watering hole while waiting for the tiger! The photographers (me included) starting checking camera settings, took blank pictures to ensure that when the KING arrived, there would be no screw ups in taking the pictures! However, even after 15 minutes, the tiger did not arrive! Our guide whispered something in our drivers ears and the driver started reversing the car! This was met by vociferous protests from my side that we will loose the nice position we had got ourselves to for photographing the tiger! The guide waived away my protests and the driver started driving the jeep back on the road on which we had met the tiger.  

And guess what there is no beating experience.  The guide was spot on! The tiger had spotted the commotion at the waterring hole and had decided to take a break right on the side of the road.  I got umpteen shots of the tiger before any of the other jeeps came in! 

Finally after ten minutes, the other jeeps must have realised that something was afoot and came to where we were standing! However after the great photo ops on the Day 2 evening, we were back on the way back to the hotel.  

If we thought that was the end of the excitement for Day 2, it was not.  Near the gate there was a huge number of jeeps which had stopped.  These jeeps had spotted a leopard on the side of the road drinking water but by the time we got there it was on the higher side of the cliff.  I still managed to see its silhouette climbing the cliff. 

We made our way back to the hotel to great food and chilled beer at the end of an amazing safari!! 

 

Ranthambore Trip - Day 1 Anex!

In my last post I forgot to mention THE IRRITANT! The unsatisfiable tourist. At dinner, people were exchanging stories of what each of us had seen and there was this couple with a kid who kept grumbling that they had not seen the tiger. Out of courtesy, I asked them which zone they had been to. They said they had been to zone 1 and the only saw sanbars, leopards, spotted dear and peacocks. My head reeled and I asked them they saw a leopard? They said yes, and they had followed the leopard on the road for ten minutes! But to them it does not compare to a tiger! This I could not understand at all!!! I have been searching for a sighting of sloth bear and leopard in multiple parks and never had I caught sight of them. Meeting such people who do not respect what they see is appalling. Especially when leopards are getting extinct in India at a very fast pace. We need to have a system for educating the people to nature at large and not just to the majestic tiger.

Heres to me seeing leopard (hopefully) soon!

Ranthambore Trip - Day 1 Report

I went to Ranthambore during the fourth weekend of May.  With a two day weekend and a permission for a monday holiday, Ranthambore makes for a perfect getaway even in the HOT summer months.

Me and two of my friends were booked on the Dehradun Expess to Sawai Madhopur (SWM) which leaves from Hazrat Nizamuddin at arnd 9:30 pm on the Friday. The scheduled time of arrival in SWM is 5 am and with this in mind I booked my safaris for saturday morning.

I am one of those unfortunate souls who cant sleep on a train (even when there is no wailing kid or a snoring uncleji next to your berth).  After giving a couple of hours of company, both my friends drifted of to their slumber wonderland. Leaving me to  my dog earred copy of Feluda stories (by Satyajit Ray).  Which by way is absolutely great train read I realized.

The train also decided to call it a night and stalled just before Mathura.  They also stopped the air conditioning as apparently the units were not charged enough!!   So imagine now a cramped room full of people with no outlets - at least the second class sleeper had windows which opened. I have a lot of pent up rant and angst against the Indian railways! I think the next post is going to be on the great Indian railways.


Anyways the train finally gathered speed around two thirty in the morning by which time it was clear that there was no way we were going to make it to Ranthambore in time for the morning safari.  Another point for my next anti railway post!

We reached SWM at around 6:15 am.  We were booked at the Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge.  I had stayed last year also.  It is a very nice place - open and green with low bunglow type accomodation and absolutely fantastic staff.  The staff here are really helpful and courteous (a big thank you to both the Gajendras there!!).

We had a car waiting for us at the station and with the morning safari plan shot (thank you Indian railways), we decided to go to the fort and the famous ganesh mandir.  After a quick chai, we were on our way to the fort.  The fort is actually inside the park itself - further down from the gates 1,2 and 3 and opposite 4 and 5.

The Fort looks on to the vast expanse of the Ranthambore National Park and though the ledges and windows of the fort ones gets outstanding photo ops.   It takes amost 45 mins to get to the top of the fort and the Ganesh Mandir.  On route to the ganesh mandir you have langurs lined up on the sides of the roads for ay food which you may have.  Langur unlike macaque monkeys are very well behaved and genetlemanly creatures! They will not get after you or trouble you unless you steadfast refuse to give them food or   pull their tails!!

Anyways we came back from the safari and went straight in for breakfast! Breakfast at the lodge is a nice buffet - with both Indian and continental options.  The walk to the fort and built up a nice appetite. After devouring the food, all of us went to sleep!!

I barely managed to wake up for lunch! We had a very heavy lunch and came back and snooze off once more! One of my friends 'retired hut' and refused to go for the after noon safari.  But the remaining of of us, armed with a ice cooler, wet towels and bottles of water braved the heat for the after noon safari.

Let me make no bones about it - It is VERY HOT.  It is imperative if you want to go for afternoon safaris in summer, the following are essentials:

(a) very high spf sunscreen (40 + at least)
(b) wet towels to tie at the back of you neck and wipe face;
(c) hats (not caps) - you'll need all round protection;
(d) ice bucket (your hotel should provide you). This serves two purposes - keeps drinks cold and also you can wet your towels during a break in the safari in the ice cold water!

The benefit of an afternoon safari during summer is that you most probably WILL see a tiger.  As you feel hot, so do the tigers.  They  come down to the water among 5 in the evening when the sun's energy sapping heat reduces a bit.

For the pains taken by me and my friend, we had a great sighting! It was his first boy wasnt he happy!

We went and waited at a man made water reservoir for the tigers and the king made his presence felt! It was a nice big male numbered T-7 offspring of the famous T-2.

 T-7 is a truly regal animal.  It just sat there and lapped up the water in peace fully ignoring the jeeps around and the continuous camera clicks.

As the park gates were about to shut, we rushed back out back to the comforts of the hotels! A long refreshing shower to take out all the dust which got thrown onto me during the safari! A bathrooms in the Lodge were massive!! they are twice the size of my room in Delhi!!

After the bath and a long dinner, my friends and me got together for some UNO!  We played till we were too tired to carry on and went to sleep with the promise of the morning safari when we woke up!

Oh! I also got a lovey pic of a neelgai!