India 2004  -  continued                                                      

                                                                                                                                                               Thursday 05/02/04
I checked out on Wednesday, but left my bag at the hotel during the day, as the bus wasn't due to leave until the evening. I would say that it worked out in my favour in the end, because I got to watch the beginning of the Jaisalmer festival.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
I watched the camels and their colourfully dressed riders march through the streets from the roof of a restaurant, which was pretty cool, and then I went over to the stadium where they were all assembled. There was lots of displays, and although the festival lasted for several days, I had to catch a bus within a couple of hours of the official start. It was still good to see, hear and smell it all though!
The bus journey to Jaipur was certainly not as comfortable as a train ride, and when I arrived at six in the morning, all I had the energy to do, was check into a hotel and veg. It was a waste of a day, because i was due to leave again on the Friday, but I was so shattered, it was definately the right thing to do.

Friday 06/02/04
After stocking up with more bread, I caught a rickshaw to the station. In a break from form, this train actually departed and then arrived on time... Amazing!! Got another rickshaw to my hotel, and checked in. At 500Rs a night, it was quite pricey compared to what I had been paying, but all the hotels around Ranthambore National Park were pretty pricey. I gave in my clothes to be washed, as they REALLY needed it, and booked a tiger safari for the next evening and one more for the following morning. I talked to some people who had already been on it, and they had seen a tiger in the morning but not in the evening, so it filled me with high hopes. I also got talking to a couple who had been conned/persuaded into hiring a car and driver for eleven days from Delhi, and they weren't having a good time with it. Still, people learn by their mistakes, and they WERE students. Common sense just doesn't seem to go hand in hand with university types!

Saturday 07/02/04
After a lazy day, I went on the afternnon tiger safari at two, and here's what I saw...
Monkeys, pigeons, parrots, chipmunks, deer, antelope, crocodile (lethargic or dead?), leopard (well, it's arse as it ran away).
As you may notice, a distinct lack of tigers. Spoke to a guy in the evening who had been out at the same time, but in a different jeep. He saw one killing a deer. I didn't. End of day.

Sunday 08/02/04
Got up at 05.30 to go on the tiger safari, and here's what I saw.
Chipmunks, antelope, monkeys, deer.
As you can see, this list is exactly half the other one, and again, there is a distinct lack of tigers. In fact, a total absence of predators altogether. The scenary was quite nice, and I took a couple of photo's, all of which would have been better with a tiger in them!
The Great Tigerless Safari!!




                                                           

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