Ranthambhore & Keoladeo national parks

So much since my last entry. We got to Ranthambhore in the evening and went into too the fort. Unfortunately the park gates close at 5.45 so we didn’t have much time. By the time I got up to the fort (which is perched on top of a huge rock sticking out of the jungle) it was time to come down again. From what I saw on the map there’s about 10 temples and 3 big lakes up there. And the views were amazing, I could of easily spent the day exploring it but sadly 15mins had to do. On the way out of the park there was loads of jeeps parked up as there was a tiger in the bushes. We waited for a few mins but cars had to get out of the park or get fined so off we went. I found out later that a tiger strolled across the road between two jeeps just after we left. And there were two leopards in the trees we missed.

The next morning at 6 am i got picked up by a 20 seater jeap thing for a 4 hour tour. After picking up for lots of other hotels we only got into the park for 1.5 hours. Our group was about 50/50 westerners and a group of Indian women, some of whom just wouldn’t shut up even with guide and everyone else repeatedly shhing them. One of them even got quite indignant about being shh’d and had a go at the guide.

We saw a few crocs and dear, and there were some birds that would eat out of you had that were cool (well until one poo’d on me). It turned out none of the groups that morning saw anything much.

I was tempted to stay and try again on the evening trip but we pushed on to Keoldeo (a wetland bird sanctuary, that also has the odd tiger sighting).

Once we checked in Rana and Raju disappeared, I went for a wonder around the town (a real concrete dump btw) and picked up some rum.

Upon returning to the guest house I met a group of Swedes who were also enjoying some rum. After a few, we decided to go to the brightly lit guesthouse across the road for some food.

As it turned out it was a wedding, but they were very keen to invite us in and give us a delicious meal. They had people cooking stuff in big pots on every side of the place. Quite and experience really as lots of people wanted to talk to us. One kid had really good English and was telling us lots about the customs and traditions. He was very keen to hear what we honestly had to say about India and wanted me to repeat it to everyone when I said it was lovely but too polluted, particularly the litter. I think he was a bit of an environmentalist.

Eventually we escaped and polished off the rum back at the hotel.

This morning we hired bicycles and cycled around the park for a few hours there are some huge stalks and cranes (I liked the sign that said ‘be quiet, in the next life you might be a crane’) and an eagle was perched on a rotten tree that must have had a 6 foot wingspan when it took off.

I’m now in agra and saw the sunset on the Taj Mahal from a rooftop restaurant in Taj Ganj a really poor area around the Taj Mahal. I’m going to have a look around properly tomorrow as my trains not till 21:15

I’ve said goodbye to Rana and Raju this evening. We went out for a meal but even tho I offered to pay they still went and ate upstairs tho rana did come down for a beer. They are heading back to Delhi very early in the morning. It’s been an interesting 10 days with them but I’m now looking forward to setting my own pace and moving a bit slower.

Will tell you about the Taj tomoz

-Dan

The Bird which poo'd on me:

(left to right) Raju, Me and Rana (looking a bit scouse):