Thursday 9th october - day 48
ranthambore
Wake up buzzer call from the hostel staff at 5.20..which is abit annoying as its 20mins earlier than our alarm. at 6.30am we are picked up in a huge open top safari bus.
After a few pick ups from other hotels we arrive at gate 5 where we are entering from. with about 40 odd safari buses and jeeps, they are all allocated a specific gates to control traffic.
The park lies in the shaddow of the aravalli and vindhya mountain ranges and covers 275sq. The valley, jungle and lake is home to tigers, panthers, jackal, hyena, deer, crocodiles and numerous birds. There is also an ancient fort that stands at the top of one on the cliffs.
Pretty as soon as we arrive in the park, we see tiger tracks in the sand and the monkeys calling to each other to warn that the tiger is on the move.
We hang around there for a while but theres no sign of the tiger. We spot deer, loads of peacocks and monkeys swinging from the huge banyan trees. More deer and a few elk later and we get a tip off about another tiger in a different area so we speed off in that direction being whacked with branches along the way. We drive around like maniacs until we stop at the supposed spot - but no luck, we cant see him and by then its time to head back.
Back at the hostel for 9.30 we have breakfast, I help gopal with some emails and we book onto the afternoon safari. Picked up at 2.30, the bus is full this time so we are shovved in some crap seats at the back.
We enter at gate 3 this time and this safari is much slower, stopping, waiting for long periods of time and circling around where a female and her 3 cubs are known to be. We see more monkeys, deer, elk and even some crocs in the lakes. We wait at sunset for ages hoping she comes down to the lake for her evening drink.. but she doesnt.
A dissapointing safari day, gopal drives us back to jaipur and sorts us a cheap hostel room for the night.