Our jeep from Cherrapunjee turned into an unanticipated, eventful journey. Firstly our driver was slapped around the face by a traffic officer for not obeying the traffic laws. Another swift reminder that this is NOT England, but India, where apparently being b**** slapped is completely normal for running a red light. The next turn of events leads us to a hold up on the motorway. Finding out, (through translated Hindi from another passenger) that the civilians in the next town were stopping trucks, checking for goods, taxing as they see appropriate and burning the ones that didn't pay. It could have gone on all night if it wasn't for our intuitive driver adamant to find a short cut, back to Guwahati.

After a nights stay and some long over due family Skype sessions we jump on a bus to Kohora, for the national park. The sky blanketed with stars and mastered by a brilliantly orange moon replaces the sun as we meander the streets of this moon lit village. We stumble across a music festival and enjoy the revelry, the Assamese once again proving chivalrous and asking if we 'need seating' or 'tea sister?'. On our way back, we nestle ourselves into a restaurant and enjoy some traditional Assamese food of mutton and chicken curry with fresh charred roti. Quite possibly one of the best curries I've ever eaten. After dinner we settle into our guesthouse ready for an early start.

We wake before dawn as the nebulous sky engulfs the flat plaines on the Kaziranga. We roam on elephant back around the grasslands in search of some wildlife. We spot deer, the infamous one horned rhino, wild buffalo and an array of migratory and domestic birds. After an hour journey we alight the placid mammal. Replacing it with the ruggedness of a jeep. We cruise down the dirt tracks of the central plaines stopping often to appreciate scenery and the animals that roam here. As well as spotting animals aforementioned, we encounter a plethora of others. From wild elephants, to the endangered great hornbill, a family of playful otters, the vibrantly coloured Alexandrian parquet and the nesting minor birds with their congruous songs filling the jungle. These are just to name a few. Unfortunately the closet we came to the illusive and secretive tiger was a few footprints in the sand, claw marks on the trees and a roar that Charlie heard when watching the sun go down that night. A jeep that was two in front of us got to see this predator in action as it races in front of their car in pursuit of its prey. Two in front man! And we could have seen a tiger!
After a long day we thought we deserved a movie night, with a film, red wine and snacks.

Green specks light the fields at night. Fire flies, natures very own light. The trees, the teas and the Assamese. The birds, the herds and the endangered.
Thali's in which we feast, all this so far in the nonchalant north east.