2016 - JIM CORBETT PARK to see the tigers

IT IS JANUARY & I AM ON THE WAY TO MYANMAR TO SEE SOPHY, WE WILL SPEND A LOT OF DAYS AT NGAPALI BEACH.

ITS JANUARY IN OTTAWA - NO SURPRISE HERE - WINTER HAS BARELY STARTED & I ALREADY LONG TO BE SOMEWHERE HOT.

I AM GOING TO SPEND 6 DAYS IN INDIA ON THE WAY. IF I HAD KNOWN THE VISA WAS GOING TO COST OVER $200 I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER ROUTE, BUT THERE IS ALSO THE LURE OF THE JIM CORBETT NATIONAL PARK WHERE I MIGHT SEE A TIGER IN THE WILD.

I SHOULD ALSO HAVE REALISED THAT INDIA IS NOT THAT HOT IN JANUARY EITHER.

NEW DELHI IS THE FIRST STOP - ATROCIOUS AIR POLLUTION & LOTS OF TRAFFIC BUT I AM ONLY HERE FOR A DAY BEFORE HEADING TO THE PARK, SOME 10 HOURS AWAY TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS. MOST OF MY TIME IN DELHI WAS SPENT SLEEPING AFTER THE 14 HOUR FLIGHT FROM TORONTO. I HAD ARRIVED IN THE MIDST OF A TRAFFIC EXPERIMENT WHERE ONLY CARS WITH ODD OR EVEN NUMBER PLATES WERE ALLOWED ON THE ROAD. IT WAS TO SEE IF POLLUTION WOULD DECREASE. IF IT HAD I DID NOT NOTICE & THERE SEEMED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT MANAGED TO KEEP MOVING QUITE FAST. SO MAYBE THINGS IMPROVED A BIT - HARD TO TELL

THE FLIGHT WAS A PAIN IN THE BUTT, SO THE PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE MIGHT COME IN HANDY.

LOTS OF INTERESTING SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY ..

MY DRIVER HAD TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HOUSE COWS & WE STOPPED AT HIS PLACE SO HE COULD SAY HELLO TO HIS FAMILY, & HIS COWS ... HE HAS THREE & NOW I KNOW WHY THEY ARE CALLED HOUSE COWS - THEY LIVE IN HIS HOUSE, WELL, THE YARD OF HIS HOUSE ...

HE HAS A NICE OLD ENGLISH BIKE - A ROYAL ENFIELD IF MEMORY SERVES ..

HERE ARE TWO FRIENDS OF THE GUIDE & A SON & DAUGHTER ..

HIS SISTER & MOTHER ...

I WAS GIVEN SOME SNACKS TO EAT BY HIS WIFE, HERE DOING THE COOKING ..

SOME NEIGHBOURS PASSING ...

AND THIS IS FUEL COOK-HOUSES .. COW DUNG FORMED INTO CAKES & COOKED.

ANOTHER NEIGHBOUR ..

WIFE & SISTER STILL COOKING ... THE COWS ARE JUST THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL.

MY GUIDE - WITH THE HAT ..

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE FAMILY & HIT THE ROAD ..

THE OVERTURNED TRUCK COMPLETELY BLOCKED ONE SIDE OF A DIVIDED HIGHWAY - SO OF COURSE WE TOOK THE OTHER SIDE & DROVE DOWN THE WRONG SIDE WITH TRAFFIC & ANIMALS & PEOPLE - WHITE KNUCKLE TIME FOR ME - THE DRIVER JUST KEPT HONKING THE HORN ..

SUGAR CANE BEING LOADED I THINK ..

DON'T WANT TO GET TO CLOSE TO THIS LOAD ..

NOW ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL, JUST OUTSIDE THE PARK. NO TIGERS YET - TIME FOR AN EVENING STROLL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOTEL.

HAD A CUP OF TEA WITH THE YOUNG FELLA WHO TOOK ME FOR THE WALK ..

NEXT DAY I AM TO GO SEE A TEMPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIVER ..

NICE BIRDS TO LOOK AT WHILE I AM WAITING FOR THE DRIVER ..

THESE CROWS ARE CLEANING THE BONES OF A MONKEY ..

HERE IS THE TEMPLE ..

I EXPECT IT LOOKS A LOT BETTER WHEN THE RIVER HAS SOME WATER IN IT BUT IT WAS A NICE DRIVE ..

HAD TO CROSS THIS SMALL STREAM TO GET TO & FROM THE HOTEL ..

A REALLY EARLY START TO GET TO THE PARK & WE MANAGE TO GET OVER THE STREAM OK IN THE DARK

NOW IN JIM CORBETT PARK - THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A BIG CAT'S PAW PRINT HERE - DO YOU SEE IT, ME NEITHER, WELL MAYBE ..

TERMITE MOUND

NICE EARLY MORNING SCENERY & I WAS ON THE BACK OF AN OPEN JEEP - WITH 3 BLANKETS, HAT, SCARF & GLOVES I WAS NOT TOO COLD ...

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEER ..

& THAT'S IT FOR THE PARK - A LONG WAY TO GO TO SEE NOT TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING. NO TIGERS - NO ELEPHANTS .. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE LAST WEEK ..

BACK ACROSS THE STREAM & I THOUGHT THE BUS HAD GOT STUCK BUT IT WAS JUST GETTING A WASH ..

A BIT OF ROAD SIDE ENTERTAINMENT .. NO ONE SEEMED VERY PLEASED TO SEE ME & I LEFT PRETTY SMARTISH ..

BACK TO THE DRIVERS HOUSE ..

AND IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT I WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH A VIOLENT BOUT OF DELHI BELLY - ONLY JUST MAKING IT TO THE HOTEL WHERE I STAYED AT DEATHS DOOR FOR TWO NIGHTS.

EN ROUTE TO MY OWN HOTEL, THE DRIVER MANAGED TO FIND ME A WESTERN TOILET AT ANOTHER HOTEL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THERE WAS AN INTERESTING EPISODE WHERE THE DRIVER PAID FOR A 'TOLL' ON THE ROAD - HE TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT IN ANY WAY OFFICIAL, PEOPLE SET UP THEIR OWN 'TOLL' - HIGHWAY ROBBERY, NEW DELHI STYLE.

AFTER WHICH I MANAGED TO FLY TO YANGON TO MEET SOPHY & WAS STILL ILL TWO DAYS LATER WHEN WE LEFT TO FLY TO THE BEACH,