ranthambhore
Taxi from Bundi to Ranthambhore (1050+100)
Morning Tiger Safari: The experience was like a crowded Indian bus. Our guide was missing (broken alarm clock?) but we still paid the guide fee. The suicidal driver drove the bus like a crazy autorickshaw driver on the narrow dusty road of the park. It was a miracle that we didn't road kill a peacock or a wild boar. The canter bus was full of tourists, local and oversea. We see more dust than wild life. And it was noisy. The driver repeated monotonously: spotted deer, male and female; somber deer, male and female; peacock, male and female; tourist, male and female... It was total nonsense. Once a while, the tourists at the back shouted stop, wasn't sure if they saw some wild life or they were simply scared. Anyway the driver mostly ignored those pleadings.
After the morning safari, I was determined to get the hell out of Ranthambhore. The train was full but I didn't care. 518R for AC2 waiting to Bharatpur leave 12:40pm
The afternoon safari in Ranthambhore was surprisingly pleasant. It was like night and day difference. The driver drove in a mellow pace. The guide was sharp. He saw the impossible owl and some birds with obscure names. I was really suspicious at his calling, but when I zoom in my camera, those birds did exist. Incredible. He didn't even have a binocular. We didn't see any tiger, nor anyone else. But I don't care.
The eight year old Indian girl sitting beside me seemed to know as much about the animals as a guide. She lived close to the park and once a tiger broke in to her backyard. Only now when so many tourists are around, then the tigers are hiding. The trip was very pleasant and made me thought twice about returning my train ticket. But I didn't want to meet the mad morning driver again so...
