25.02.2019
I had done some packing last night and got up this morning at 05:00 as usually. My tea awaited me in the lobby at 05:30 and off I was to my last Canter Bus Safari in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
The Jewel of Vidharbha – the Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra is also called. Among the Tiger Reserves in India, the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve boasts a booming population of Tigers. The Reserve contains some of the best forest tracks and is endowed with rich biodiversity. I have by now learnt that Tadoba is a mesmerizing place where people do not say – I saw a Tiger! – But it is a place where they say – I have seen Matkasur! – I saw Maya and her cubs! …
I was hoping for some big cat sighting this morning for my last safari ….
Monday morning was somewhat less busy than the weekend had been. And for the first time I was not the only foreigner waiting. There was a Canadian girl hoping for a seat on the Canter Bus as well. We chatted while waiting for the bus. She was backpacking and on a shoe string.
For my last safari I got Canter Bus #8160 again – the same one from the very first safari when we saw Matkasur, the Tiger King. Maybe that was a good omen? The morning sky for sure was special today!
The bus left at 07:00 as usual. I had my favorite seat in the front behind the driver again. Dana from Canada preferred the very last seat in the back. The bus was packed with Indian tourists. The driver was the best driver in the park – he was going slow and looking for everything. We did the same route as the other days along Telia Lake and then the main road towards the secondary gate. There were the usual Spotted Deer aplenty and also a couple Wild Boars.
Yesterday on the Gypsy I had been told, that one Gypsy had spotted a Tiger crossing the road in this section yesterday afternoon and of course I had seen the Leopard around here. So the guides and driver were adamant and wanted to spot a big cat … Some of the visitors started complaining – believe it! I do not understand Hindi, but since sometimes they drop some English words in, I did get what the loudest lady was going on about. She did not understand the concept of animal watching – be patient, be quiet, wait! She said, she booked a safari and Tiger sightings and not going along the paved road – should I tell her that just along this stretch of road we had spotted some of the coolest wildlife so far? But I am on vacation – let the guides sort it – and they did. I think the driver was a bit miffed after that debate, because he started speeding now. And that lady just would not shut up …
Just outside the secondary gate we saw a Wild Dog right next to the bus. In appearance, the Dhole has been variously described as combining the physical characteristics of the Gray Wolf and the Red Fox and as being cat-like on account of its long backbone and slender limbs. The general tone of the fur is reddish, with the brightest hues occurring in winter. The tail is very luxuriant and fluffy and is mainly of a reddish-ocherous colour with a dark brown tip. It was a perfectly cool sighting! That Wild Dog looked straight at us ….
While we got signed in at the secondary gate, we saw the entire Dhole pack crossing the road behind us. See, if we had gone slower as the driver was before, we would have maybe seen the puppies of the pack … That lady still did not shut up – but I think some others told her off, too, because they had realized that the driver and guides knew what they were doing and why. She annoyed not only me.
This morning the bus took yet another route passing a forest camp – the guides did some chatting with the officers there and then we turned off onto a red dirt track. There many Hanuman Langurs today basking in the morning sun and going about their … monkey business.
An interesting jungle dweller is also the Grey Jungle Fowl. We had seen one every now and then over the last few days, but they were always quick to run back into cover. Today we were luck and one was not scared and we could admire it for a while. The Grey Jungle Fowl (Gallus sonneratii) is one of the wild ancestors of domestic fowl together with the Red Jungle Fowl. A gene from it is responsible for the yellow pigment in the legs and different body parts of all the domesticated Chicken. This species is endemic to India and even today it is found mainly in peninsular India and towards the northern boundary.
And we came past a herd of Gaur. First we saw one big individual close to the road – the largest and tallest species of wild cattle, bigger even than the Water Buffalo and Bison. When we came to the open grassland there was a larger herd of Gaur. Gaur herds are in generally led by an old adult female, the matriarch. Adult males may be solitary. During the peak of the breeding season, unattached males wander widely in search of receptive females. No serious fighting between males has been recorded, with size being the major factor in determining dominance.
Just then the second Canter Bus came speeding towards us from another direction. Hmmm … the driver waved frantically at our driver and then we started speeding as well. We met other jeeps and there was much checking and waving going on between the drivers again. As our bus started to turn towards Matkasur’s waterhole, there was another frantic wave from a jeep driver speeding past in another direction and before we knew it our bus was turning and the driver stepped on the gas again. Most of these guides and drivers have the jungle in their veins – I think they know from experience where to look and instinctively if a sighting is possible.
There was big gathering of jeeps and busses at the small waterhole where we waited yesterday for a long time. This waterhole is very difficult to see from the road. The solar water pump station was right by the roadside blocking the view. But there was a big commotion amongst the visitors and guides on all those vehicles. They all pointed and said there is a Tiger sleeping. – Yeah, right …
Our driver again proofed to be the best driver of Tadoba and he moved that bus along meter by meter through the vehicle crowd constantly checking with other drivers and guides what was going on. Then all of a sudden the visitors on the bus got all excited … the guides pointed behind a bamboo thicket to the water line – There! Sleeping Tiger! – Where? Where? – There by the water line! – What? Where? – Theeere!
Sure enough – after climbing on the rail of the bus – I spotted the sleeping big cat! It was really hard to see, though. It must have been sleeping almost in the water. I could just make out its belly and a hind leg – only through the long camera lens and only when positioned on the uppermost rail of the bus. – There was definitely a Tiger! Yeah!
The guides did know the Tigers name – they said it was one of Matkasur’s sons and 3 years old – I forgot the name, though. But they said, this one is a collarwala – a big cat with a radio collar fitted on its neck for the purpose of monitoring its movement. We could not see the collar, however. But it was cool to see him! And he did move! His tale swatted every now and again the insects away! He was alive! … Well, he had not been there yesterday!
We stayed in that spot for a very long time. That cat did not move more than his tail, though! I had to vacate my viewpoint on the rail so other visitors could try to see the Tiger. The advantage of being a tall Westerner is that I had the best vantage point in any case. I could look over the tall grass – while shorter people most probably saw more grass than Tiger … Since nothing was happening, I chatted with the Canadian girl and with some of the other visitors. In my opinion – we should have moved on by now! That Tiger was not moving … But you never know – maybe on the next waterhole there would be a Tiger, too! None of the jeeps that left here, had come back yet … The other Canter Bus had gone as well … My my my … We might be missing out ….
Once everybody had enough, the guides and driver did decide to move on. The complaining lady has had her Tiger sighting after all … The time was running anyway, as usual. So we drove on. From that small waterhole it was not far to the next bigger one. When we came out of the forest we already saw a gathering of jeeps at the waterhole – that was nothing new, though. There was always much to see on that waterhole at any time. But a jeep came barreling up the track from the waterhole towards us on the way out and the guide made big excited handsignals which made our driver screech around the corner and step on the gas again.
Sure enough – There was another Tiger at the pond shore! – It was far away but beautiful in the open! Damn! Another Tiger! – I told you there was one most probably!
They said it was Matkasur again. Well, he looked magnificent! He was lounging in the shade just sleeping. The morning was already hot. And sleeping is one of the favorite pastimes of cats anyway.
Everybody was totally excited – The big Tiger King! And I was hysterically happy – 2 Tigers in one safari and yesterday the Leopard and the coolest Tiger encounter on the first safari! And now Matkasur – in perfect sight some 200 m away – he lifted up his head and stared across the pond towards us – this time a loud gasp could be heard from all the people on the surrounding vehicles. Quickly exhilarated chatting started and the guides had to shush everybody again, trying unsuccessfully to calm everybody down. Matkasur was not bothered with the commotion on the other end of the pond, though, and lazily lay down again to take his mid-morning nap.
Unfortunately we could not stay long there. Time was running again – we had spend a long time searching and waiting in other places before. After maybe 10 min watching the Tiger sleep, we had to get going.
On the return trip we of course passed the other waterholes as well – and there was plenty to see there as well. For the first time here I spotted a Red-Naped Ibis. The Red-Naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa) – also known as the Indian Black Ibis – is found in the plains of the Indian Subcontinent. Unlike other Ibises in the region it is not very dependent on water and is often found in dry fields a good distance away from water. It is usually seen in loose groups and can be told by the nearly all dark body with a white patch on the shoulder and a bare dark head with a patch of crimson red warty skin on the crown and nape.
At the shore of Tadoba Lake a Mugger Crocodile was sunbathing. The Mugger Crocodile, like all crocodilians, is an excellent swimmer and uses his flat tail to propel himself forward in the water. They have webbed feet, however, these are not used for swimming. The body of the Mugger Crocodile is well armored by a scaly hide.
A Grey-Headed Fish Eagle was perched up on the top of a tree this morning. As the common name suggests it is a specialist piscivore which preys upon live fish and scavenges dead fish and occasionally reptiles and terrestrial birds or small mammals. The most common method of foraging used is to catch fish from a hunting perch close to a water source with a short flight to snatch prey on the water surface or just below.
Once we passed the secondary gate on the way out again, we apparently crossed the territory of the Wild Dog pack again. One of the Dhole ran across the road just ahead of us. A beautiful sighting just before the end of my last safari!
At 10:30 the Canter Bus reached Moharli Gate. What an absolute awesome last safari that had been! I was so happy! That bus #8160 was my lucky charm – the best sightings of all safaris when on this bus! The Canadian girl and I had to pose with our fellow visitor for group photos and then I waved the friendly lady officer at the ticket window, the bus driver and the guides good bye – after 6 safaris I had obviously become known around here.
After stopping at the souvenir shop again to buy some more fridge magnets, I walked with the Canadian girl back to my hotel. She would be doing some more safaris, but I had to get going. The bus was supposed to leave at 11:30. I had packed already and quickly changed and got ready. I had to pay my restaurant bill before leaving. They called my room already to hurry – breakfast was also waiting. Coming down to reception I wanted to use the WIFI a bit before leaving, but the guy at reception said, the bus would come at 11:00. – What? Wait! You said 11:30! – No no, around 11:00! You sit on the porch and wait. You can see the bus coming down the road across the field in the distance and when you see it you take your bag and go to the bus stop 20 m to the left! – OK … Can I quickly have breakfast? – Yes, quickly! It is ready in the restaurant!
I basically inhaled my fried eggs and then paid my bill – it was next to nothing – Rs 665 for 2 dinners and some laundry. The food was cheap around here. Sitting at the porch I had no time to check WIFI – the boy from the hotel already started pointing out the arriving bus. – Jeez, what a rush! – I am going, I am going! … They carried my bag to the bus stop. There were a lot of locals coming from all corners all of a sudden, all waiting for that one bus. When it arrived, I had no chance – everybody stormed the door simultaneously. People were throwing their bag through the open windows to reserve seats and then pushed through to the door to get in. I could just stare and shook my head in smiling disbelieve. The boys from the hotel had tried to help me, but could do nothing and grinned apologetically. I did the only thing I could – I waited until the last person had squeezed into the bus and then lifted my suitcase in and pushed. Surprisingly, the bus was not as packed as I had imagined after experiencing the crowd at the bus stop. The bus must have been almost empty before. At least it was not like in a sardine tin … I waved the laughing hotel boys good-bye as the bus left. Iost probably had been the first foreigner they had seen squeeze into that bus ….
Nevertheless, I had no seat and was standing in the front with most everybody eying the tall foreigner suspiciously. I had my suitcase right next to me and just had to make sure to hold on constantly. That bus driver was a maniac. He speeded along the narrow country road and around curves without mercy. More than once I almost landed on the lap of the little old granny in the seat next to me.
It was approx 30 km to Chandrapur. The conductor had squeezed through and I paid the regular Rs 35 for the 1 hr trip. A lot of people got off as we reached the city limits and for the last few kilometer I had a seat.
The bus stand was terminus for the bus and everybody got off. No signs whatsoever around here – I had to ask around for the bus to Nagpur. Nagpur being the next bigger city, I hoped there would be frequent busses going. I ask a lady behind a dispatchers window and she said – Bus Nagpur at platform 11 and 12! – Where is platform 11 and 12, please? – Over there … in the end … she gestured to her right … No signs there either – how was I supposed to know which was platform 11 and 12? – I must have appeared lost, because a friendly man asked me if I wanted to go to Nagpur. – Yes sir. – This bus over there is going to Nagpur! … He pointed to a bus just leaving the bus stand … But the next bus will come here soon … maybe 10 min … right here! – He pointed to the next berth. I thanked him and settled in for a wait, but all of a sudden a bus arrived there. No recognizable sign on it. I asked the driver, if he is going to Nagpur and he said – Yes yes! … and did the Indian head bobble. Then the friendly man from before came back and told me to get on, that is the next bus to Nagpur! – Thank you very much for your help, sir!
I was one of the first passengers on the bus and secured the first row seats behind the driver. The bus left only a few minutes later and was literally empty. So I had 2 seats to myself – one for my suitcase and one for me. It seemed there were many busses to Nagpur and therefore they were not as packed as the first bus from Moharli, where only 2 busses a day service the route.
The bus ride took about 3 hrs for the 150 km along the main highway. The ticket was Rs 195 only. There were no more than 15 passengers on the bus for the trip. The bus stopped every now and then. At one bigger bus stand people came by selling snacks and water. I bought a bottle of water – it was very hot today again. Then a guy was selling Fresh Sugarcane Juice. First I was hesitant, but then I had a glass for Rs 10 as well. It was so refreshing. I love Sugarcane Juice!
The bus followed the main highway north to Nagpur. It was a pretty much straight road and rather uneventful. However, there was a lot of traffic and there were quite a few toll stations. Many of the red public busses – like the one I was on – were on the road as well.
Reaching Nagpur, I asked the conductor to let me off at the airport junction. He did not understand what I wanted, but a man behind me understood and translated. – Yes, I know the bus is not going to the Airport! But it is passing the turn off junction for the airport and that is where I wanted to get off! – Yes yes!
I had booked a hotel here on Cleartrip for one night, because my flight to Delhi was early tomorrow morning. The hotel was less than 500 m from the junction and I walked the last bit. I had chosen Travotel Suites and it looked cool! Definitely a good find!
The reception was nicely decorated and my room had a very cool decoration, too. Very modern, totally not Indian. I dropped everything off in the room and went in search for beer. It was 15:30 by now and I needed a cold one.
On the top floor of the hotel was Café Sky Mocha. It was packed when I checked and the roof top was not open yet, but they said after 17:00 it would be. Unfortunately they did not serve any alcohol … Damn, it would be the perfect location for a sundowner …
So I went in search of the beer shop. Google maps led me somewhere and there was nothing … Walking back to the hotel I did find a hidden beer shop instinctively and it was just opposite the hotel … I bought a couple of *Kingfisher and spotted a bottle of Sun Tiger Port Wine. It was only Rs 160 and I took one as souvenir. I have not tried it yet … By the way, it is still standing in my souvenir-alcohol-shelf at home … I did not dare opening it yet …
Back in the hotel I could not open my room door. It turned out the lock was totally broken. But they were flexible and had me moved 2 rooms over into an identical room. Fine with me. I had not unpacked yet and was quickly settled in. I had a celebratory cold Kingfisher – it had been an exciting few days! I had seen Tigers! – and sorted photos.
Around 17:15 I went upstairs to the roof top of Café Sky Mocha. I was the only guest at this time. The late lunch crowd had left and the evening crowd had not arrived yet. The restaurant was beautifully decorated. But I did not want to sit inside.
I preferred the roof top which was equally cool. The view over the city was great. The sunset view was somewhat blocked by the new Metro Line that was being built to connect the city with the airport, however.
But nevertheless, it was a fantastic spot to hang and have a drink. Mocktail time it was! I chose Miami Melon which was a melon and guava mix and very good – it would have been better with some Vodka in it, though …
The dinner menu was impressive as well and I had a hard time choosing. In the end I opted for Grilled Fish with Strawberry Mustard Chutney with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. It was exceptionally good and a great change after all the very spicy food of the last days.
I enjoyed the atmosphere on the roof top and the view with the sunset in my back. It was peaceful up there. After 4 days in the forest I was already not used to the noisy city anymore … and the bill came in the coolest box as well in this cool locality!
I went early to my nice room and did some photo sorting, writing, watching TV – they had English movie channels – yeah! – and slept early.
26.02.2019
Even though I had no safari this morning I still had to get up early. 05:30 my alarm went. I checked out by 06:00 and ordered a taxi via the ola app. It was only Rs 79 to the airport and the ride was less than 5 min. But it was too long to walk.
Since I had checked in online, I just had to have my suitcase security checked and then dropped it off. Jeez, my bag gets heavier and heavier … 24 kg … For now that was OK, though. I was at the airport way too early again, but better too early than too late … Hanging about I read the newspaper and somebody wished me a good voyage …
My flight to Delhi was right on time today. I saw my suitcase getting loaded before getting on the plane – I guess that is a lucky sign. I had a window seat and breakfast was OK – again I left over the spicy hot food – too early for that.
Hello Delhi! Here I come …. again!
