Ou est le tigre?

Trip Start Oct 10, 2006

Trip End Feb 10, 2007

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Flag of India Ranthambore National Park, India
Monday, November 6, 2006

If the Pushkar camel fair lived up to its billing as a place to see camels, Ranthambore Tiger National Park did not do nearly so well at providing a glimpse of its namesake. We spent 4 days in this corner of India, our eyes trained on jungle foliage for the merest sign of movement, our ears strained for the faintest rustle, bino's at the ready, camera in hand - but saw zero in the way of tigers.
Tigers, it seems, are pretty illusive creatures: the chaps-in-the-know are keen to stress that seeing tigger and friends stretched out under a leafy palm is not guaranteed. However, a combination of serious Indian bureaucracy, people coming on drives mit screaming baby, and guides who didn't seem to know their stuff and who insisted on hurtling through the bush a la Colin McRae didn't do much to improve our chances. That said it became quite comical by the end when our guide kept on saying "Alarm Call!" (the only English he seemed to know) whenever a monkey so much as swallowed, we all sat with baited breath, while the tiger probably sauntered off in the other direction.
But that said, the birds sang, the countryside looked wonderful, the place where we stayed prepared us really delicious food, we met some lovely people, and, tiger or no tiger, it beat going to a "wills and probate" lecture at BPP.

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