In the jungle the mighty jungle, the tiger sleeps tonight.....

If you want the tiger to find you.....
Sing as loud as you can
Wear bright colours
Use lots of perfume
Make sure you get out of the car and walk through the bush

If you don’t want the tiger to find you…
Make sure you do the opposite (see points mentioned above)

It is possible that it’s not the tiger that finds you, but a bear… good luck!

Thursday 17 May

Namashkar to you all!

I said that Ramrao was supposed to come back on Sunday in my last update. Well he didn’t He showed up yesterday afternoon. So yesterday he could cook me dinner again and this morning I had a cup of tea at the Chital Shed again, since a week.

The rest of the week has been busy. Sunday and Monday worked out which activities are good for the lesson programme. Now I have to put it all in the computer, so Claudia can have a first look at it, before I start training the guys.

Tuesday Sunil, Shanoo, Samir and I went to Nagpur. That’s about 2.5 hours drive from Tadoba and I can tell you, comfortable is a word not known in India when you go from place to place in any vehicle. The roads are full of holes, there is a true sound pollution when you meet other traffic, since everyone feels that they should let you know they are there…, the heat causes for the smog to hang about in the city, and so fresh air is something different… It is quite an experience going to the city when you stayed in quiet Tadoba for a week. It feels that I have already been there much longer than that. Next week I am gone only tree weeks, but if you would tell me it is 2 months I would also believe you.

In Nagpur, which the lonely planet states as a clean city, I found that there where some very smelly places. It’s true that it looks kind of clean when you compare it to Delhi (also had some very smelly streets). Besides going to the market, getting fabric for the handicraft project, visit someone Samir knows (and the wildlife photographer form Calcutta Mr. Nihili if I am correct, was there too) and visiting Mr. Majumdar (PCCF Maharashtra Forest Department), I didn’t see many interesting sites to visit.

Mr. Majumdar was very nice. He speaks English using sentences that flow.. So nice to be able to understand what someone is saying without having to put your brain in overdrive to work out what someone means. I must say that this is getting easier too, only I have to watch out that I don’t talk back in the same way.

It was a long day. Up at 5.30, back from Nagpur at 22.30 and the heat makes you so tired. The people here normally take a rest between 12 and 3 pm, but there was no time to do so.. The nice thing from coming back this late is that I had my 2nd night safari. Sitting in the back of the gypsy watching the sky full of stars.. it’s too bad we did only see Sambar and rabbits this time. We did see tiger tracks on the in the morning, but no tiger..

Today Samir, Ramrao and me went to Nagpur to pick up my gas cylinder. Finally I can cook a meal myself. Just didn’t fancy cooking on wood, because I can see myself burning the forest down… I look forward to cook a meal with more vegetables than rice…

In the evening, Sumera knocked on my door, to ask if I wanted to come with her and Samir on Jungle round. Not a problem!! So the 2nd official jungle round for me, with enough light to see animals….Beautiful pictures again and ….on the way back, all of a sudden Samir saw something in the grass….YES my 1st tiger!!!! I am sorry to say that, since it was sunset and al, my picture of the tiger is a bit of a black greenish blur.. Shame.. By the time I had my camera setting right the tiger had disappeared in the grass of course, so for my first tiger picture you will have to wait till I see my 2nd tiger..
Next on the list, the leopard or cheetah.

Indian Buffelo

You might be wondering what some of the animals are and what the park looks like and so on. I do have taken pictures, the problem is that it takes a long time to upload them. India internet is not as fast as I am used to. I will try to put some pictures in my web album, but no promises.

Tata!