Chris and I

Me, Bhavesh and Chris

When we finally arrived in Secunderbad Bhavesh was there waiting for us at the station ready to take us for something to eat at midnight and back to his home for our second couch surfing experience! He was so friendly and stayed up watching films till almost Sunrise.

written by  chrischarly on January 7, 2011 from Gondia, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Loads and loads of bats

A bat

3 monkeys by the side of the road

Caves

Monkey

A 1000 year old temple at the park

In the jungle

A pretty bird

A wild boar

A pretty butterfly

Another Lesser-educated stork

not to mention a 14 year old tiger named B2, the oldest and biggest tiger in the park just a few feet away from us!

The first spotting! A close up tiger walking straight at us from out the jungle!!

Walking straight in front of us

The most amazing animal

B2

The gorgeous tiger

At 14 years old- an elderly male he still looks beautiful

Just after B2 walked straight passed us!

B2 walking infornt of us just after sunrise

B2 walking around

Almost thought he was going to slip

B2 climbing down rocks for a rest

Safari Round 6 - Chris and Charly 3 vs Tigers 3

Well this was our last safari and to be honest it was equally as amazing as this morning's.

Almost sunset

The beautiful landscape at Bandhavgarh National Park

A spotted dear and a stork

A male sambar deer

This time almost straight away our guide, Mukesh spotted a female tigress coming out of the jungle heading straight towards us!

Gorgeous animal

Tigress having a rest

JUst got up after a rest

The beautiful tigress we saw

She was so beautiful it was amazing!

walking straight toward us!!!

coming out into the field

Beautiful tiger

The tiger looking around

Walking down a dried up river

We then spent the remaining 3 hours tracking her every move and following her path through the forest in the search of B2, the male tiger we saw this morning for a mate.

Coming right up close to our jeep

Tigress

Walking towards us

Walking away

We knew this as she walked straight towards where we saw him resting this morning and marking the territory by urinating and stratching at trees apparently so he knows she is there as well!

The scratch marks made by a tiger to mark it's territory

The tigress looking at us whilst I am coughing

Clever animals...

written by  chrischarly on January 6, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Our first tiger!!!

Our first tiger!!!

Our first tiger!!!

Our first tiger!!!

Our first tiger!!!

Our first tiger!!!

Granted it ws Miles away but at least we know they're real now!!!

written by  chrischarly on January 5, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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As snug as a bug in a rug

Our safari Jeep

A Lesser Educated Stork- apparently

Little elephant

Mother and 2 babies

An Elephant family

Elephant

A kingfisher

A happy Indian family

Pug Prints, yet still no tiger

Cheeky Bastards

Do they really exist ???

written by  chrischarly on January 5, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Jackal

It all started with a knock on our door at 05.30am. After a terrible nights sleep - due to insanely cold weather they are having here - we dragged ourselves out of bed, both feeling rotten, and prepared for our first morning safari. To protect ourselves from the bitter cold amplified by the open top jeep our attire went as follows:-

- trousers - CJ x 2, CP x 3
- t-shirts - CJ x 2, CP x 2
- shirt - CJ x 1 (lucky safari shirt), CP x 1
- fleece - both x 1
- cardigan CP x 1
- the big double blanket from our bed
- and of course Chris' lucky'ish Tilley Hat

After all of this prep we still froze to death; there was ice on the ground and we were driving through the park with the full force of the icy wind in our faces.

Elephant rides in Bandhavgarh NP

We had a new guide who was determined to find tigers, and so once we heard of a sighting he directed our driver (now called Colin McRae) to head there top speed. Now let me explain that there are 6 of us in an open top small jeep, driving on pretty rough tracks, all of us holding on for fear of leaving the vehicle at the next bump. It warmed us up slightly at least.

To summarise, we froze, got scared to death and didn't see any tigers. Oh well, 3 more to go, fingers crossed!

The pics in this entry are from our limited sightings, plus it was too cold to operate the camera. We did see a Jackal, and some of the elephants they use to hunt for tigers within the forest, plus the usual Sambar and Spotted deer, and some Warthogs (too quick to take pics of).

Scary spider in our bathroom

Last but not least was the spider Charly found in the bathroom that she promptly decided was going to eat her and went off to get help from the staff (whilst I laid in bed). When they finally came they brought a heater (her hysterical English not getting through), so I stepped out of bed and used my size 10 to dispatch the poor fellow.
Until next time...................CJ

written by  chrischarly on January 4, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Ready to go see the tigers

Lucky hat, or not so it seems

Tala Zone 1 entrance at Bandhavgarh NP

More amazing views at Bandhavgarh NP

In the back of our Gypsy Jeep

Amazing views in Bandhavgarh NP

Chris and Charly on the hunt for Tigers

Saw plenty of deer,

Sambar deer

More tiger food

Male spotted deer taking a break

Spotted deer eating

Spotted deer looking out for tigers

Spotted deer

monkeys,

Monkey arse

Cheeky monkey

tiger footprints

Pugmarks, they do exist !

and an owl though.

1 of 2 owls hidding in a tree

Yet not as exciting...

written by  chrischarly on January 3, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Chris with his new Inida friends

After waking up bright and early we caught a train from Katni to Umaria and shared a jeep with 2 friendly Canadians we met to Bandhavgarh National Park.

After a mamouth climb, Charly on train top bunk !

We are staying in a lovely hotel and now ready for our first safari tomorrow afternoon; fingers crossed we see a tiger!

written by  chrischarly on January 2, 2011 from Umaria, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Charly with a big smile

This morning we left Varanasi and the strong smells behind us and headed to Katni where we stayed over night before going to Bandhavgarh National Park tomorrow.

Charly chilling on the train

Unsurpringly the train was late arriving by 4 hours which meant we arrived at 11:15pm!

The train, 2A, easy to get lost

Not exactly ideal in a huge town!

Chris and his dot

We found the hotel that was supposedly booked for us fairly easily only to discover that The National Park hadn't made a booking for us!

Some bloke stuck red dots on our head

So we wandered aimlessly around the town until we finaly found somewhere that wasn't fully booked to sleep... Long day...

written by  chrischarly on January 1, 2011 from Katni, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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Armed guards after bombing in December

Nice hairstyle

This evening we went for a walk once again along the Ganges River but this time at night to watch a celebration happening on the Main Ghat.

This little guy shocked by Puja

Puja on main ghat

Puja on Varanasi main ghat

Although we are still unsure what it was for, it was pretty nice.

Puja on main ghat

Puja on main ghat

Then, in the evening we celebrated the New Year with the Indian family we were staying with. Our first tee-total New Year!!!

Varanasi hotel family and Yoda

New Years Eve celebration, with NO BEER !

A strange evening; yet certainly memorable!

written by  chrischarly on December 31, 2010 from Varanasi, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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More ghats

Hand painting by girl selling

View along ghats

Hindu God painting on the Ghats

Hindu God painting on the Ghats

Buffalo on the river Ganges

Poo cakes collected from ghats

We saw many burning bodies that we couldn’t take any photos of; out of respect for the families which we understood.

Some of the many cows

Old temple on the piss in Ganges

Lookingh along the ghats

Near Main ghat

Water fountain or bust water main ?

Sunset from the roof of our hotel

The locals here must have fantastic immune systems as many were bathing in the river here and considering the pollution, dead body parts and rotting animals in the river, you wouldn’t see us copying them!

written by  chrischarly on December 30, 2010 from Varanasi, India
from the travel blog: Chris and Charly's Indian Odyssey
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