We got up at 6 AM in preparation for a man coming to the hotel to take us to the safari jeep which would take us to the Ranthambore Park. It was bitterly cold until the sun rose while we were being driven to the heart of the park. The open-top jeeps hold about 30 people surrounded by high bars; there are frequent signs warning visitors not to climb out of the vehicle as tigers are dangerous. Not so long ago, people could walk through the forest until an occasion when an old grandmother and a little boy got separated from the rest of their group. A tiger pouned and dragged the boy into the forest before eating him. At least he saw a tiger which is more than we did. I suggested chaining a small boy to a tree to attract tigers but nobody else agreed. The Indian Government passed a law requiring everyone to travel by jeep. We spent a long time watching a lake, hoping to see some crocodiles but they weren’t cooperating. There were numerous storks, peacocks and spotted deer but no tigers. However we saw this glorious black bear which ambled past the jeep completely ignoring us.
On returning to the hotel we had a really nice breakfast of omelette, some little pies full of potato and chopped vegetables, melon, a fruit which looks like a cross between an apple and a pear, toast and jam and very nice coffee. Mr Mukesh came at 11.30 and drove us to Jaipur where, before arriving at the hotel, we went to see the monkey temple. There are hundreds of monkeys but, unlike our previous encounters with monkeys, they don’t steal or bite. However they do climb onto you and expect to be carried. We are now in the very nice Mahal Khandela hotel in the new part of Jaipur, preparing to go for dinner.
Monkey Temple
Royal palace, 13th century
Us at the hotel. They made us put these hats and garlands on