Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Game Drives, Two and Three
A terrible night sleep in our luxury tent. Even with an extra blanket, I thought we were
going to freeze to death. (We'd ask for more blankets later.) My backpack has a small ther-
mometer which read 50 degrees F , and that was inside the tent. We slept in all our clothes,
buried under two covers, and still couldn't get warm. Besides the cold, it is difficult to sleep
soundly if you are a light sleeper. Guests snored in the adjacent tents, guards made all-night
rounds, footsteps on gravel paths, all contributing to a restless night!
The wake up call at 5:30 a.m. was a relief. Completely dressed since we slept in our
clothes, we made a beeline to the restaurant for hot coffee, schlepping blankets to use on the
game drive. Other guests entered, one by one, carrying their blankets.
If we thought the tent was cold, that was nothing compared to driving in an open jeep at
6:00a A fluff, rain jacket over that, and heavy blanket over everything did nothing to warm
me up. Niru, driver, and other tourists were also bundled to the hilt.
The naturalist/ranger selected Route #5 this morning. Another 2-1/2 hours of jolting,
with nothing to see but birds and hoofed animals: an owl, eagle, buzzard, pea hens; deer,
female Nilgai antelopes (blue bulls). Not one lion in sight anywhere on Route #5. The only
interesting part of the morning drive was a village in the heart of the sanctuary. These people
refused to be displaced, aren't afraid of lions, and just coexist with the animals. One man
walked his camel down the road behind a herd of domestic buffalo. They would make easy,
and yummy meals for the lions.
Disappointed, we returned to Lion Safari Camp for breakfast, cold and starving. Rapidly
snarfing down food and cups of hot coffee, talking to our tent neighbors from Mumbai who
saw four lions on Road #2. You win some, you lose some...
One last afternoon game drive. It's difficult to see game in a dense forest when drivers
aren't allowed to go off road. This drive, whichever route it was, skirted the edge of a dam,
and ended at a watchtower, before returning to the park entrance the same way. Nothing
could be seen from the watchtower. Dry season would be different. Animals would congreg-
ate by the dam then, but not now.
The sun was just beginning to set as we drove past sugar cane fields towards the exit.
Two lions quickly ran across the road and into the forest abutting the field. The driver
slammed on his brakes, and we sat patiently, listening to lions rustling through the under-
brush - hoping they'd venture out. Two young male lions had their eyes, and stomachs set,
on a tasty cow feast. Easy pickings for lions since the stupid cows just stand there.
Patience rewarded, one lion sauntered back out for a closer look at our jeep while the
other remained concealed behind the grass. We could hear a farmer yelling and banging pots
to chase the lions out of his fields, and away from the cows as we drove away.
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