While we were on our beautiful little vacation-within-a-vacation (a 2 by 2 bed, a stack of all time favourite DVD’s, warm showers, simple meals.), we decided to really hoof it back to Corbett for some wild fun! The idea was that since we couldn't go to Vaishnodevi (as per the original plan), we might as well be somewhere pretty. Yeah! 2007 is such a year for us, it must be a Year of the Pig for some and for others ‘a year in which we got married’ but for us it is the beginning of our life long friendship, a year of boisterous fun and budgeting, of cat fights and puppy love, of wheels, fresh air and a combined interest to take in the beauty of our blooming landscape!Jim Corbett National Park, is our second excursion. We are so bohemian that ‘spur of the moment’ decision, no prior reservation coupled with a watertight schedule was no deterrent. We set off on an evening train (Ranikhet Express) to Ramnagar, zipping through the Delhi outskirts, which was shrouded in a suffocating haze of vehicle smoke, we couldn’t wait to get off the train and smell the fresh forest air.A shared auto began the journey up the Corbett reserve.
Our first destination was the bus stop, from where we decided to take a ride to the National park, only to discover later the ‘surprises’ waiting for us! Well well, once we reached the national park we realized that we can’t enter it unless we have a Permit, and that can be obtained only from the city (Ramnagar) . Unable to dodge catastrophically inept drivers and unthinkably narrow roads, we had to hitch hike our way back in a lorry and landed in front of the Forest Reservation Centre. The reservation centre was a strange place. It sort of resembled a waiting room with a long queue of hopeful travelers longing to begin their journey into the jungle as fast as possible while the officials behind the desk were taking their own sweet time in catering to their ‘demands’. Government formalities are strictly ‘one at a time’ as me and my husband haplessly discovered, after being herded through a series of form filling sessions and hours of waiting! Eventually we managed to get the ‘Permit’, a night stay in ‘Bijrani’, and an added luxury (of course at a price)of having a driver and a gypsy at our disposal for a day. Once we reached Bijrani, A quick bath and few moments of quiet prepared us for the big Jungle Safari. We took off in our gypsy with a guide in tow.’ Tiger tiger burning bright’…ah! My mind was singing and I kept our fingers crossed. The ride was slow and excruciatingly boring, we tried to distract ourselves with nibbles and small talk , but were soon silenced by our guide. I was feeling a bit edgy…my sixth trip to a national park and still I didn’t have had the luck of watching a tiger even once! After what seemed like an eternity the driver hushed us to remain quiet and pointed his fingers towards the bushes saying that it’s a tiger.Oh my gawd- a tiger! As much as I strained my eyes to see the regal beast, my power of location failed me. Having sat through what had to be one of the most uninspiring safaris in my life, the sight of those bushes and the probability of a tiger lurking behind just seemed hoax! Huh! I didn’t even believe in it till my husband decided to show me actually where the tiger was. Lo and behold! The sight of the tiger walking across was almighty. We were awestruck! And I owe my tiger luck to my hubby—who else:?We return triumphed. Clicked some happy pictures, had dinner and called it a day.
In our utter excitement we almost forgot that we were staying in a jungle. That night we went off to sleep peacefully, but were soon woke up jarred to some scratching and thumping noise at the door. "Oh no. What next?" I snuggled into the brave and secure arms of my husband. The potential for trouble was knocking at the door. We could look forward to an aggravated monkey at the very least."I will take care," pat came the reply from my husband. "We’ve got this." Managing a composed look, he nodded meaningfully at me. A hanger. A rum bottle and a spiked bangle discreetly emerged from different corners of the room. Ha! And he flicked them up threateningly and held by his side."Oh...well then..." My husband does make me feel secure and closely guards me at all times , but our weapons of self defence didn't look hardy enough to hold off much of a challenge. Undeterred, my husband waited for the calamity to strike , while I huddled into him and slept cozily clutching his arm.In the morning we discovered that we had an over energetic rat as our night guest.Ahem!
Day 2:It was nearly eight o’clock in the morning when we woke up. Clicked pictures of the 230 years old guest house (the place where we were staying) and bid adieus to the forest. Back into the city Ramnagar, we took refuge in a government guesthouse, had a heavy lunch of fried rice, mutar paneer, fried dal and roti with thirst quenching Pepsi. Keen for some adventure we headed off to a nearby adventure site. Adventure eluded us that day but what we gained was priceless--blessings of the hill goddess ‘Girja Devi’, an insight of the daily life and an uninterrupted romantic walk in the woods! Later that night we took the train back to Delhi. It was four forty five in the morning when the train from the sleepy little town of Ramnagar finally pulled into Delhi. After two nights onboard we were happy to be back, yet sad to leave each other once again and get into the daily humdrum.But that’s life.
We were home.
for more information click:http://www.jimcorbettnationalpark.com/
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