Keoladeo Ghana National Park near Baratpur, Rajasthan
We arrived in the afternoon light of Bharatpur and settled in the Birder's Inn. An American family (we have met very few Americans anywhere we've been!) travelling with four daughters 12 through 26 chatted to us about their trip so far and had many questions for us. We felt like such experienced travellers answering questions like "How do you get around? "Where do you put your valuables" "How do you find hotels", etc.
Outside the hotel is one bicycle rickshaw with a willing turbaned driver. We are told that only hikers, bicycles, or rickshaws are allowed into the park. Mann Singh of rickshaw #5 assures us that he is a wonderful guide - and indeed he is!
Perched on our rickshaw we went into the Bird Sanctuary expecting no vehicular traffic as we were promised -but, as always in India, there are loopholes, compromises, and individualists (notice I did not use the word cheaters). Automobiles and small trucks are permitted to drive to service the hotel which is about 800 metres from the gate. Beyond that, there were no motorized vehicles. Did I also mention the cows are let loose to graze in this national sanctuary?
In any case, our rickshaw took us to a little shop where I bought my invaluable Guide to the Birds of Northern India. Thus armed, we cycled on as Man Singh pointed out two types of owls, a green beeater, numerous lapwings, large and medium egrets, herons, and water birds of all sizes. Other birds we saw included black drongos, Indian robins, and lots of parakeets. There were also several antelope, one very friendly and tame who liked to lick the salt off our sweaty arms as
well as several spotted deer. As dusk descended we saw evening storks and pelicans and rare cranes.
Man Singh made certain that before we left we went to the small temple far into the park. It is necessary to honour this beautiful space and to pray for good luck and good health. In all we spent 3 hours in this peaceful sanctuary admiring the setting and the wildlife. We returned at dusk after seeing the evening storks, a rare crane, and pelicans reflected in the lake water. Keoladeo Ghana Park was certainly a highlight of our visit to India.
Rathambhore National Park
Early in the morning (6 a.m.) Arieh and I joined one Spanish couple and one French couple to view the tigers of this National Park in eastern Rajasthan. We bounced across rocky, treed terrain in our jeep, cameras (quite an array thanks to our travel companions) and binoculars at the ready. First, we saw a group of antelope which look like large deer with lovely striped ears, then some spotted deer, a lone bluebull in the clearing (a large elk-like creature who wanders all alone eating leaves and grass). Another vegetarian in a country of vegetarians.
Enough excitement! We settled down to park under some trees with some other tourist jeeps near a hill - and - if you scrunched your eyes, you could make out the profile of a tiger. Believe me - the camouflage of a tiger's stripes is very effective (though not effective enough to save it from becoming endangered by poachers - including in India). So - we scrunched our eyes, focused our telelenses or binoculars and determined that yes, there were two tigers (though our guide insisted there were three) - large and lovely animals up on the craggy hill just above us. We waited about 40 minutes for movement. In that time we got a yawn and a paw lick viewed through thick grasses - and then the tigers resumed their immobile rest. The jeeps moved away a few metres in the hope that Mrs. Tiger and her cubs would walk in front of us across a path she sometimes chose. No such luck.
But all was not lost - at least for me. On our return trip the guide pointed out the beautiful Indian Kingfisher perched over a stream, a crimson parakeet, and a stunningly green beeater.
Ranakpur
Our third sanctuary was near the town of Ranakpur. All these parks are in Rajasthan, southwest of Delhi. First, we went with some new found American friends to see some interesting wildlife on our walk to the nearby lake. Here we saw a lazy crocodile on its shore as well as many (brave?) shorebirds. Nontheless we battled the powers that be to go to the local national park: it's too wet, too early, the jeep isn't available, etc. Off we went despite the excuses and there was little new to see - some antelope, a bluebull a long-eared hare loping over the dry, rocky terrain (apparently their long ears cool them in the dry, desert habitat). We went through some villages - saw women and girls in replendent colours working on the farms, carrying firewood and water on their heads. The young boys, we could only assume, were at school, the men - not sure!
The best part of the park was the top of a 200 stair climb where we could look over the cultivated, hilly landscape to the mountains and watch the parakeets cavort at eye level. Then - to our lovely hotel.
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We met a lovely couple in our comfortable hotel in Ranakpur. They were sitting by us having dinner - outgoing Arieh invites them to join us. What a lovely evening we had with them. Charmi and Tushar are a young couple who are from Mumbai, but live in Dubai. He works in the diamond industry, she in human resources. We spent the next morning with them - they were soon to be off to visit family in Mumbai - and went to a gorgeous Jain temple near Ranakpur. This 14th Century stone temple was large and gorgeous - well, words can't desribe its beauty, you'll have to go there! What was extra special is that Charmi is a Jain and described the ceremonies with such enthusiasm. She has such appreciation for her religion as well as Hinduism, her husband's religion. Thanks to Charmi and Tushar, the experience of visiting the Jain temple was much enhanced. We were invited to visit them in Dubai - and, if you'll read later - we did indeed go to Dubai to visit them and share their enthusiasm for their adopted city.
Another interesting couple we met were Cindy and Harry Recht from Newport Beach, California. We met them in Ranakpur and later in Jodpur and so very much enjoyed hearing of their past and present journeys.
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