Sleep in required as a result of amplified festivities just across the road. Noise pollution rules yet obviously to be introduced here. Even if it was nice singing at 3am in the morning not appreciated, but this was hard to appreciate even yesterday afternoon.
Float around town after breakfast at one of the best sweet stores in India, guaranteed (where the buses stop on route to Falakata). We have been to many of varying external finish and polish. This one has some excellent almost meringue styled sweets, crisp and slightly dusty on the outside but soft and sweet inside. Many old favorites that also are solid buys also. Buy some more mangos from a guy set up with no stall and than settle in to catch up on some sleep back at the hotel.
Off on safari for the second time. Not all that pumped about it given our last outing in Bardia but maybe we will cover more ground and see more from a jeep. It was explained to us that two windows of opportunity one in the morning at 5.30-6am and the second 2.30 pm in the afternoon. In the morning the animals are expected to head to what is called the grasslands to visit and grazing by the river before returning to the highland for the evening. As we set out last time in the morning we decided to go in the afternoon for a change. If you aren't going to see anything you might as well do so when feeling good. Plus the weather has been so unpredictable that it could equally rain heavily in the morning or afternoon. Elephant rides available but only for an hour and a half, but I believe that some of this time is to get to the forest and then back again.
Out the front of the hotel was parked a small four door Suzuki with the owner telling us this was to get us to the forest. We both looked at the car skeptically and our hopes were already fading. I explained to the guy that we had agreed on a jeep as that was what he had described last night. A minute or so later and off he went in the forest vehicle, coming back a short while later with a four door Tata jeep and young driver. Another young guy turns up and walks across to the hotel, dressed all in dark green uniform he is introduced as our guide. (english speaking per same description last night)
Off in the jeep we start north along the National highway towards the park, the rain choses this moment to start falling and very soon the visibility out side the car decreases remarkably. Begin conversations with our guide regarding how far away the park is, how large is the park's boundary and what animals are we likely to see. Unfortunately the conversations do not get far beyond starting as our guide speaks very little english. He does explain that there are one horned rhinos, elephants and hippos in the park. Not sure about the hippos, maybe he used the wrong word.
Fifteen minutes later after a few head on indian driving moments we arrive at the parks forest check post and thankfully the rain has stopped. Not long after pulling over a small van carrying a Bengali family also arrive. Set schedule departures I guess so not suprising, again concerning with the vehicle style that can enter, our hopes of seeing wild high jungle again begin to evaporate.
From the check post the tarred road continues through the buffer land where villages border onto the forest, very little different from what we have experienced on the bikes. The roads remained tar as we swung through the edge of a forest across to a small forestry encampment (where the guide had to fill in another form) before continuing along a flat road to a viewing tower on the edge of the grasslands. The split was quite distinct between semi dense forest to our left and grassland with small creeks running through to our right.
On the way to the tower our guide had had one of the locals point out a rhino to him, and I must admit that it may have been, but without binoculars I couldn't tell you much about it. Then we passed an elephant cooling itself in one of the creeks. At the tower we were told to wait quietly to see if anything was around, via hand signals. I must admit to not being a huge fan of this system as though I believe I am relatively patient after ten minutes I feel like getting out the hammock.
After some time listening to the crickets in the forest we moved back to the car encouraging our guide we hoped to do the same. Off and back along the road to where the form filling was conducted. Passed the elephant again, but now it was lying in the stream with a person cleaning behind it's ears. Definitely not a wild elephant then. Our guide on questioning nodded his head and said "domestic".
The road then lead through the upper forest, which we had interpreted to be potentially interesting landscape but which in fact is just not river flats. Semi dense forest from the car it was hard to get an appreciation of as we meandered along the flat roads peering out both sides. Our most exciting sight a wild cock (rooster) who had quite impressive plumage, but was quickly passed.
For the next hour we crept along the flat access trails some tar some dirt appreciating the foliage but little else. The scenery around not much more exciting then that which we had previously cycled through.
The guys then drove into a spot with a red brick arched entrance gate sat surrounded in the jumble of the jungle. Time had seen the trees and vines reclaim all around it and sediment build to the extent that only pigmies could now use the gate in comfort. The wall on both sides slightly discernible from being a natural ridge line leading off into the forest.
Checked whether any further ruins or whether the Archaeological survey of India team had been here and we were given a no. Instead showed a tree whose sap was red. Checked whether medicinal and our guide did not know, apparently from what we mutually could communicate there are only six of these trees in the forest and maybe they have a spiritual connection.
From the ruins we did much as we had for the past little while before returning past the forest check post to the highway and then onto the hotel.
Went out to a different place for dinner, momo and chowmein but also not very exciting. Settled back into the hotel, semi packing in preparation for our trip north east tomorrow. No festivities across the way, but some clown with an amplifier strapped to his roof top appears to be lapping the whole village. Fortunately he eventually continues further north along the highway or at least the receding blare of his speaker system did. Settle in for hopefully a much better night then last night.
Float around town after breakfast at one of the best sweet stores in India, guaranteed (where the buses stop on route to Falakata). We have been to many of varying external finish and polish. This one has some excellent almost meringue styled sweets, crisp and slightly dusty on the outside but soft and sweet inside. Many old favorites that also are solid buys also. Buy some more mangos from a guy set up with no stall and than settle in to catch up on some sleep back at the hotel.
Off on safari for the second time. Not all that pumped about it given our last outing in Bardia but maybe we will cover more ground and see more from a jeep. It was explained to us that two windows of opportunity one in the morning at 5.30-6am and the second 2.30 pm in the afternoon. In the morning the animals are expected to head to what is called the grasslands to visit and grazing by the river before returning to the highland for the evening. As we set out last time in the morning we decided to go in the afternoon for a change. If you aren't going to see anything you might as well do so when feeling good. Plus the weather has been so unpredictable that it could equally rain heavily in the morning or afternoon. Elephant rides available but only for an hour and a half, but I believe that some of this time is to get to the forest and then back again.
Out the front of the hotel was parked a small four door Suzuki with the owner telling us this was to get us to the forest. We both looked at the car skeptically and our hopes were already fading. I explained to the guy that we had agreed on a jeep as that was what he had described last night. A minute or so later and off he went in the forest vehicle, coming back a short while later with a four door Tata jeep and young driver. Another young guy turns up and walks across to the hotel, dressed all in dark green uniform he is introduced as our guide. (english speaking per same description last night)
Off in the jeep we start north along the National highway towards the park, the rain choses this moment to start falling and very soon the visibility out side the car decreases remarkably. Begin conversations with our guide regarding how far away the park is, how large is the park's boundary and what animals are we likely to see. Unfortunately the conversations do not get far beyond starting as our guide speaks very little english. He does explain that there are one horned rhinos, elephants and hippos in the park. Not sure about the hippos, maybe he used the wrong word.
Fifteen minutes later after a few head on indian driving moments we arrive at the parks forest check post and thankfully the rain has stopped. Not long after pulling over a small van carrying a Bengali family also arrive. Set schedule departures I guess so not suprising, again concerning with the vehicle style that can enter, our hopes of seeing wild high jungle again begin to evaporate.
From the check post the tarred road continues through the buffer land where villages border onto the forest, very little different from what we have experienced on the bikes. The roads remained tar as we swung through the edge of a forest across to a small forestry encampment (where the guide had to fill in another form) before continuing along a flat road to a viewing tower on the edge of the grasslands. The split was quite distinct between semi dense forest to our left and grassland with small creeks running through to our right.
On the way to the tower our guide had had one of the locals point out a rhino to him, and I must admit that it may have been, but without binoculars I couldn't tell you much about it. Then we passed an elephant cooling itself in one of the creeks. At the tower we were told to wait quietly to see if anything was around, via hand signals. I must admit to not being a huge fan of this system as though I believe I am relatively patient after ten minutes I feel like getting out the hammock.
After some time listening to the crickets in the forest we moved back to the car encouraging our guide we hoped to do the same. Off and back along the road to where the form filling was conducted. Passed the elephant again, but now it was lying in the stream with a person cleaning behind it's ears. Definitely not a wild elephant then. Our guide on questioning nodded his head and said "domestic".
The road then lead through the upper forest, which we had interpreted to be potentially interesting landscape but which in fact is just not river flats. Semi dense forest from the car it was hard to get an appreciation of as we meandered along the flat roads peering out both sides. Our most exciting sight a wild cock (rooster) who had quite impressive plumage, but was quickly passed.
For the next hour we crept along the flat access trails some tar some dirt appreciating the foliage but little else. The scenery around not much more exciting then that which we had previously cycled through.
The guys then drove into a spot with a red brick arched entrance gate sat surrounded in the jumble of the jungle. Time had seen the trees and vines reclaim all around it and sediment build to the extent that only pigmies could now use the gate in comfort. The wall on both sides slightly discernible from being a natural ridge line leading off into the forest.
Checked whether any further ruins or whether the Archaeological survey of India team had been here and we were given a no. Instead showed a tree whose sap was red. Checked whether medicinal and our guide did not know, apparently from what we mutually could communicate there are only six of these trees in the forest and maybe they have a spiritual connection.
From the ruins we did much as we had for the past little while before returning past the forest check post to the highway and then onto the hotel.
Went out to a different place for dinner, momo and chowmein but also not very exciting. Settled back into the hotel, semi packing in preparation for our trip north east tomorrow. No festivities across the way, but some clown with an amplifier strapped to his roof top appears to be lapping the whole village. Fortunately he eventually continues further north along the highway or at least the receding blare of his speaker system did. Settle in for hopefully a much better night then last night.
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