A trip in the jungles of Jim Corbett National Park

We left from our friend's home in New Delhi at 6.25 in the morning on 21st of April, to reach Ramnagar, the basetown of Jim Corbett National Park (JCNP), from where we have to collect our reservation and booking receipts. We reached there around 12ish and after the formalities were over we had lunch at the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) guesthouse in the vicintiy before we started our journey in the hired gypsy which was to be our mode of transport inside the jungle reserve for the next 2 days. It was our first experience of travelling in an open car. And while it was an expensive option as against the Tata Indica that we were travelling in from New Delhi, we opted foro it and we soon realised tat it was worth every penny that we were paying for it. Because one cannot have the feel of the jungle from a closed car. Also the fact that you are not allowed to step out of your car during the safari also makes it an added disadvantage. And no small car is going to be able to withstand the jungle ride, thanks th the stones and bumps and undergrowth on the jungle paths. So the best bet is nothing but a gypsy.

That said, we reached Gairal, our alloted forest guesthouse around 4ish. Since we were all pooped, we decided to do the safari the next day early morning. Well, the guesthouse can best be described as a 2 or 3 star accomodation, but it was neat and clean. And the ambience, ah, truly awesome. From the room one steps out into a huge lawn strewn with cane chairs. A few yards away you climb down a steep flight of steps to land onto a verandah overlooking the Ramganga river that flows through the entire jungle reserve. And Gairal is considered to be its starting point. One sees fish and also someone spotted a crocodile. The only words that can truly describe the setting was peaceful and serene.

It was a much-needed, welcome change from the daily grind of reality. Nothing worked here, no cell phone, no internet, so how much ever one may have wanted to go online, as had been the habit, this was an excellent way to get de-addicted. And as my luck was to have it, my camera also failed me and there I was left with a dysfunctional camera in my hands. Nothing can make a tourist and a camera happy person like me feel so helpless and handicapped. I was extremely upset. This was my dream holiday, meticulously planned and executed, and here I was in the midst of beauty with no way to capture it for posterity and sharing with my friends, except to see it with my own eyes and capture it in my mind. I had never felt so handicapped in my life before. If there was a camera shop around I would have bought one, but well that was not to be. So I decided that I would not pine for it any more and would imagine that I had gone there without my camera.

There is no power supply in Gairal, they power is switched on from 7 upto 10 in the evening, thanks to a generator. So, after having dinner we decided to stroll around on the lawns and enjoy the clear sky with so many twinkling stars. This is one beauty of nature that we city folks can no longer enjoy, thanks to the pollution. And after ten once the lights were off and the guesthouse was thrown in pitch darkness except for some light being cast by the fat moving crescent moon. On such a night, we started loking for constellations in the clear sky. We spotted the Saptarishi or The Great Bear, the North Star, my husband and daughter tried to spot the Orion and by 11 we decided to sleep because we had planned a safari in the early morning.

We woke up around 5.00 am and after having tea we left by 5.45 am for the safari in the hired gypsy. Can you believe the whole day we were supposed to spend the day in the esteemed company of Mahendra and Mahendra? Unbelievable, right? Well, our guide and our driver were both Mahendras, so well so much for the esteemed company on the safari.

As we trundled along the jungle, Mahendra the guide regaled us with the jungle lore. He pointed out three kinds of deers, peacocks, peahens, some rare jungle birds and wild elephants. We spotted elephant dung on the road and stoppped. The guides try to follow the sound to spot animals in the vicinity. He realised at one place that there were elephants in the area and we waited patiently. We were asked to keep absolutely quiet so as not to disturb the animals, lest they get scared and run away. And our patience paid us rich dividends and within a short time we saw a small herd of elephants coming towards us from the dense forest. And when they came out on the road and they stood in a majestic way facing us, as if telling us, "Welcome to our jungle". One mother elephant, a baby, an elder sibling, another baby and finally another mother  --- M m M m M this was the formation. And after giving us a glance they once again retreated into another part of the forest.

As we proceeded further we saw a hog deer and a barking deer. A barking deer warns others if a tiger is nearby. We tried to spot a tiger but we could not. We went around the forest and saw different kinds of vegetations. From a lush dense forest we went to the grasslands. And wow what a site!! Wide open vistas, and a clear view of the meandering Ramganga river was completely breathtaking. We felt that we were part of a National Geographic programme. We were taken close to the river and what do we see there, but four gharials, rare species of Indian reptiles, that look like a alligator. They were sunbathing and what a sight to see!

At around 10.30 we reached the Dhikala camp where we were supposed to wait till three in the afternoon before we could go for another safari. So we had some breakfast, hired a room for resting and later went for the afternoon safari at sharp 3 in the afternoon. This time we once again went to the riverside but at a different place in search of a tiger but instead we got to see another herds of elephants and five tuskers, which are again a rarity.

While we could not spot the tiger, we were treated to elephant lovemaking, which our guide said was a rarity to spot. We tried to understand their behaviour, we watched thru' our binoculars. And what a rumbling orgasmic sound they made while making love. It would put any self respecting human beings to shame. This, of course lasted for only a few minutes, owing to the heavyweight of the elephant, I suppose.

We also spotted a jackal disbursing a stag party besides the river by trying to chase a deer who ran for his life, but was lucky, and the formation split like a starburst, Wow, what a sight to behold! Later, we still tried to spot the tiger, that is basically what all tourist try to spot, but for us, these two sightings had made our day. Maybe we will come ONCE AGAIN to spot the tiger. After going around some more we went to a three storey high watch tower to see the jungle. And finally reached Gairal around 6.45 pm.

We all then had a cold water bath, and some hot tea and coffee on the lawns and discussed our experience of the day. Post dinner, hubby and I decided to take a walk on the lawns in moonlight because the lights go off at 10 sharp. Once again we sat staring at the sky because we knew that this was a sight we were not going to be able to see soon. Meanwhile the kids were inside watching Hanuman movie on the laptop. Hubby and I decided to sit by ourselves on the cane chairs wrapped around in the blankets while holding our hands. It was such a tender romantic moment for us. Just the two of us all alone amidst the jungle, another rare experience for us.

Next day morning we left for our onward journey, back to Ramnagar, to collect our car and proceeded towards Kausani, our next destination in the mountains for the next two nights.