Weekend trip: Jim Corbett Park and Nainital

I am trying to muster some energy to put fingers on keyboard and explain my trip details to you miserable freaks. a f s 9 2 7 . j z q = -y o m w 6. You can see how randomly I've been typing. I am also sensitive like you and caught up with mild fever after the trip. Even though I say I do not need your sympathies, in reality you know it.

When man meets the wild


Grassland at Ramganga river

We took the train and went to Ramnagar. We were fortunate to get one day accommodation outside Dhikala. When the rooms were booked completely in the off season, what it would be like if someone attempts a dare devil attempt like we did in in the on season, which they claim May and June. Or the one who is allotting the rooms at the counter din't like my face? If you do not know how to approach Dhikala, which is not your problem, then you can check it here.

Elephant experience

After a safari at Jhirna in the morning and an evening safari at Dhikala, we were pretty sure that we are not going to see tigers, for which the park is very famous for. After the safari in the previous evening and we were returning to our Gairal hut at 7:00 pm. Being disappointed in not seeing much animals in the evening safari other than the elephants, we gave our hopes of any thrill happening event.


Tamed safari elephant

Just when we thought that way, our road was blocked by a tusker ( male elephant) and that dude we thought was in a playful mood. He did not give us way for 30 mins. And you are not supposed to do anything to scare the animals in the forest, like honking or flashing lights into its eyes.

It eventually moved from our path to some distance and all those gypsies that were lined up passed the elephant's group. Just when our gypsy was about to pass, the tusker turned back and started walking in our direction. Our driver flashed lights into its eyes to scare it. Fortunately there was only one gypsy behind us carrying foreigners and they too could sneak in and reached the hut.


Tamed safari elephant, not the one in the subject

We were discussing how dangerous it would have been had those elephants started coming in our direction where we were waiting to pass. After reaching the hut, my roommate went inside the room and came outside after 15 minutes to see the elephant standing right opposite to our room , across the electrical fencing. It stood there for few minutes and went back. He was standing opposite to it, putting his hands on the hips because he know that the elephant cannot cross the fencing.

Such is the memory of an elephant. Do not mess with it and its memory.

Tiger experience

We were approaching Dhikala for an early morning safari. Few kilometers outside the gate, we saw a alert hen (it looked like a big sized deer), was very alert. It raised its head and was not moving. If it is alert, that means, a tiger is in the vicinity. So we parked our gypsy to see if we can spot a tiger. After waiting for 10 minutes to try our luck, we moved ahead slowly. Few metres after we had passed, a huge tiger ran across the road. It went quickly from one side of thick trees to bushes on the other side. We stopped to spot it. But it disappeared in a flash. Later we went all round that square to see if we can spot it but we dint.

A feeling on anxiety, tension arose in me when the tiger ran across our jeep. We could immediately sense that it was a huge one. That was our quick tiger experience and the alert hen was right.

Deers and elephants were seen in plenty. I strongly feel there are very few tigers than what the statistics say. From hunters to punters, everyone eyes the big cat. Few years down the lane, the tree will grow a little bigger but the forest will be deprived of animals. Don't be surprised if you get a tad attached to the wild while leaving the forest.



Not me. My roommate washing hands at the river.

Now come back to reality. You freaks who have bad luck in your back pocket will not even see what we had seen. After having breakfast at Dhikala, we headed back to Ramnagar. We took a bus from there and went to Nainital.

Nainital was developed around the beautiful Naini lake. Not much to see in there. It is a good hang out place for newly married couples. A ropeway, a boat ride and Hanuman temple is all we visited. There is also a 4 km trek that people normally take on the hills, where you have a chance to reach the China border. From there, you can throw your China mobile which does not have a IMEI number, into its homeland.

If you liked any of my pictures from my previous post or this post, then you should buy me a new mobile camera with atleast 2 MP resolution. Those pictures were taken from a cheap 1.3 MP VGA mobile camera. Imagine what I would have done had I got a Nikon D90 SLR digital camera.

That was my trip experience. If you liked what you read and saw, then you can send your donations to my Swiss bank account. Oh you are worrying about the account number? I should be giving it to you when you meet me in person.