Sambar Deer; the food of choice for tigers

When we explored the reserve we saw many of the native species of deer. Shalik told us that the tigers preferred the Sambar deer as their  meal of choice. Although the Spotted deer is abundant, they are smaller and much faster apparently. The Four Horned Antelope are bigger and have lethal weapons on their heads. I guess this is why the poor Sambar deer get hunted. Oh well, its the circle of life. I am just glade we didn't witness a take down. At one point we did hear Sambar deer sounding a predator call. We laid low hoping that the tigers hunting the deer might cross our path. I guess they were too busy stalking their prey.

Sambar Deer

I couldn't help but notice how big their ears are. I am thinking it is to help them hear who is sneaking up on them. I read somewhere that if you hear a Sambar deer call, you know preditors are close. They also said that the calls of the other deers could mean many things.

Spotted Deer

It is not hard to see why these are called Spotted deer. We saw a lot of them throughout the reserve. Inconth also saw a crocodile in the lake just behind the deer in this picture. They would be a quick snack for a crocodile. Shalik said that this reserve was a crocodile protective habitat. They bred them and protected them here. The government then decided it was the perfect place for tigers so they relocated the crocs. I guess they didn't get them all.

Antelope

 

 

Indian comfort food after a day of chasing tigers

One of the best things about the "Serai Tiger Resort" was the staff that took care of us. Monica in the kitchen served us amazing Indian delights. Every meal we had a variety to choose from and there was always more food than we could possibly eat.  Mr. Kundanran seemed to be the man in charge on the site. He always made sure we had what we needed. In fact, when Paul developed a very bad cough while we were there and both Monica and Mr. Kundanran tried to nurse him back to health. They brought him ginger tea and fermented pieces of ginger to suck on to help sooth his shore throat. They even sent us off with some ginger the day we left. They were a lovely couple. I highly recommend letting them take care of you if you go to visit the tigers in Tadoba tigers@seraitiger.com

The Sunset over Tadoba Lake

As we drove back to the resort from the  safari, we were fortunate to witness this lovely sunset over the lake. The air was already starting to cool down from the 35 degree heat of the afternoon. Just after dark the staff came and asked if we wanted to see the wild boars that were roaming in the fields around the resort. We ran to see them because wild boars are crazy fast. We saw 20 in a procession heading towards a farmers field. Apparently they can be very destructive.  

Monica & Mr. Kundanran

Crunchy Appetiser

I do not know what this was called but it was delicious! I couldn't eat the chapattis because of the wheat in them but I did enjoy quite a number of these tasty morsels.

The Feast

When we arrived on the first day they asked us how spicy we would like our food to be. We told them that we liked spice. I think they are not use to pale faced tourist who are actually  able to handle some heat. The first meal was good but we did tell them it could be more spicy. With raised eyebrows, they obliged and brought us some of their homemade spicy pickle to try also.  We always enjoyed our meals.

Paul at the campfire

Who has more Patience; Tigers or Humans?

One of the things you learn when searching for tigers is that you have to have patience. There were so many vehicles filled with tourists just chomping at the bit to see the elusive tigers, I couldn't help but contemplate how strange this situation was. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to see the magnificent creatures as much as the next guy. We had just followed a tiger as she made her way along the bank of the lake. We were all hoping that she would come up to the road in front of our gypsy. We were too far back in the convoy of jeeps so she passed the road out of our sight. Ganesh did eventually shifted us into a prime position to capture a glimpse of her walking just twenty feet away in the cover of the bush. Her brilliant colouring gave her away as she passed by trying to hide from us. I laughed at the games the tigers seemed to be playing. If there was any question as to who has more patience, it is definitely the tigers.

Andhari Lake landscape

This is the tall grass that allowed the tigers to hide.

The Tease

This tiger sat in the grass between us and a row of jeeps on the other side of the grassy field. It was hilarious because she would stand up and stretch and everyone stood up, cameras at the ready. Then she would sit back down. I can't tell you how many times she did this.

Tiger Convoy

The tiger in the picture above in sitting in the field toying with  the twelve jeeps and about 75 tourists.

The wait

The tiger just crossed the road and entered the jungle. Many jeeps eventually left because the tiger was not coming out. We had more patience and were able to move forward and catch a glimpse. The wait was worth it. How lucky are we to be able to see these tigers in the wild.

 

The Ghost Tree

Our first  safari was such a success being that we saw four tigers.  As we set out for the second safari that afternoon at 2:30pm, we were hopeful of seeing tigers again but we also wanted to explore the rest of this beautiful reserve. We ventured to the inner gates and drove through acres and acres of landscape very alien to the one we know. I was taken by a very strange tree that stuck out from the rest of the jungle greenery. The tree was white and looked like it had no bark or leaves. I actually thought it was perhaps dead. The thing was that I saw several of them so I had to ask. Shalik told me that it was not dead and that it was called a "Ghost Tree" or "Naked Lady Tree" but I think he was pulling my chain on that one. He told us that in the winter the trees trunk is white, in the monsoon it is green and has leaves and in the summer it is reddish brown. He also told us that because of it's white appearance, it glows under the moonlight. This is why they call it a ghost tree. Shalik was an amazing source of information concerning the Tadoba Andhari reserve so I asked many questions throughout our time in the reserve. Our park guide Inconth was very good at finding animals, tigers in particular but he did not speak English. We paid extra for Shalik to join us but it would not have been as special without all his knowledge and passion for the tigers.

The Ghost Tree

We saw many of these tree within the jungle. It would have been amazing to see them glow at night. Unfortunately there are no night safari's, I guess that could be a little dangerous considering  tigers have very good eye sight. We would be sitting duck perched up high in our Gypsy jeeps.

Scarred Ghost Tree

Shalik told us that this particular tree was scarred by a male tiger that use to like to mark out his territory. Apparently there are scratch marks from the tiger clawing at the bark.

 

Tranquil Killers

It's funny, when I described our tiger encounter, most people asked if I was scared. Considering we were in an open vehicle and an accomplished killer was walking right towards us,  you think one would be terrified. She was so beautiful and serene. She was just making her way out of the sun and lucky for us she happened to be walking by. She showed absolutely no sign of aggression so it never crossed my mind that we were in danger. I would not have wanted to be a sambar deer (the food of choice for tigers) besides, we probably smelled of diesel, who would want to eat something that smelled like that?

How lucky can you get!

 

The race for tigers:

February 7th was the day we had the privilege of seeing our first wild tigers. Paul and I awoke to the sound of the alarm at 4:30 am to prepare ourselves for the morning safari. Ganesh the driver arrived and drove us to the gates where we waited for the reserve to open at 6:30am. Did you know that the stars are still very bright at this time in the morning? We were there an hour early. I guess Shalik wanted us to be at the front of the line. We sat perched in our open air Gypsy patiently waiting and hoping that we would be lucky enough to see at least one tiger.

We were informed that we were heading for the Andhari Lake just inside the gate. This was the most likely spot to see tigers  because there was a female and her two year old cubs that live and feed at this spot. We drove off the main road  heading for the lake and made our way around to the other side when Inconth spotted a tiger deep in the brush. While we were straining to see her, behind us on the other side of the lake appeared two tigers.  We were so excited, they were about 150 yards away. The road/trail that followed along three quarters of the lake was designated as a one way road. This was to protect the tigers from injury. It could be dangerous if all these vehicles were allowed to turn around and jockey  for the best sightlines. Our guides told us to hang on, they were going to rush around and try and get back to the lake before the tigers disappeared  into the protection of the jungle.
We sped out the 'exit' onto the paved road away from the lake crossing our fingers that when we arrived back at the lake, our tigers would still be there. My heart lept into my throat when we spotted  one of the cubs sunning hersef in the long grass about 50 feet off the road. Inconth positioned us so that she would hopefully feel safe to walk infront of us. We only had to wait a few minutes when she stood up and walked directly at us. Paul and I were giggling like young school girls.  Inconth shooshed us. She sauntered through the grass and came out on the road about 20 feet in front of the gypsy. To our astonishment, she came to us and was within 3 feet from the gypsy. She didn't pause, she just slowly walked into the jungle and out of sight. We saw our tiger!



Chilling in the grass

The giggling starts

Inconth shooshes us

OMG 

I was talking to an Indian client yesterday and she said that she had been on several safari's and had never seen any tigers. I feel so privelged to have been so close to such a beautiful wild animal.

 

 

 

Camp Serai Tiger Resort

We stayed at Serai Tiger Resort in Tadoba. It was a little more expensive but it included food and the staff were fabulous. Every time we returned from a Safari, Mr. Kundanran greeted us with a tray of wet towels to wipe the Safari grime off our hands and faces. It was quite surprising how dirty the towels got. 

Serai Resort

These structures had cement sides and a canvas roof.  It had air conditioning and hot water showers. We were very comfortable.

Inside our room

We had a resident gecko that made me jump one day in the shower. she was pink, Bailey would have loved her. Oh yes, we also had a frog visit us. I almost accidentally flushed him down the toilet.



Night time at camp

Our patio

Every night we settled in to our little patio and had a few drinks before dinner. It was very civilised for being at a safari camp.

 

The Real Land of the Tigers

As the gate at the entrance to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve says, this is the real land of the tigers. When I looked it up on google, it told me the distance between Tadoba and Goa was 1,032.6km and 19 hours 1 minute. This calculation is  if you are travelling at 80 km/ hour the entire way, this is not the possible. It would have taken us days to get there. I think we would have lost our minds had we driven to Tadoba so we decided to fly from Goa to Mumbi to Nagpur and then drive 3 hours from Nagpur to Tadoba.
Before we left for India I contacted Shalik Jogwe who has a blog about Tadoba. He offered to come and pick us up in Nagpur and get us to the Serai Resort where we were staying. It was comforting to have a contact who spoke English.



Shalik, Paul and I at the Tadoba gates

This was in the morning when it was cold driving in an open gypsy jeep. Notice the layers we are wearing. The driver and the guides wore toques and Down filled jackets. We wore sweaters. Although our heads were cold. I laughed when I took a close look at this picture, notice the gate guards sneaking in to the picture directly behind us.



Our Gypsy

This is the gypsy jeep we rode around in during out four safari's.  We were in the reserve talking to a group of people in another gypsy when I asked the very well spoken Indian guide if he would take our picture. He happily obliged. This is the spot where Paul's glasses fell off his head and we ran over them. Oops!

Tadoba Ambassadors

We spent two days with these gentlemen. Their English was very minimal but their love of their jobs and their knowledge gave us the sense of being lucky to have them as our guiding team.. Ganesh on the right was our young driver  and Inconth on the left was our Tadoba safari guide. Inconth (I may be spelling it wrong) was a very good guide. He had an uncanny sense and an eagle eye for spotting tigers. On our first safari, three other jeeps sped by but Inconth spotted a tiger in the deep brush. We saw our first tiger after being in the park for only 15 minutes.

View from a Gypsy

This is the view of the Tadoba Andhari gates before our afternoon safari. The gates open at 2:30 pm and close at 6:30 pm. Ganesh made sure we were near the front.  

We were not alone

We had to share the tigers with everyone.This was the row of Gypsies behind us.

Birthday Cake

Today February 4th is my official 50th birthday and our 19th wedding anniversary. Life is flying by too fast! I don't feel fifty. Of course, what does fifty feel like?
We celebrated the event with our new Indian family. Leela Biri's lovely wife went to the trouble to make me a Gluten free cake. We had a tasty home cooked vegetarian Indian meal and devoured the cake. It was chocolate with strawberries in a heart shaped pattern. The only thing that would have made things more perfect is if Connor and Bailey were her to celebrate with us.
I wanted to have a memorable birthday and I sure did. Paul and I were blessed to be part of our Goan family even if it was only for 16 days.



Our Goan family

This picture was taken at a nice restaurant on the beach in Goa called Sublime. The owner was a young fellow whose father was a famous Indian actor and his mother was from California. He was a very cool kind of a guy. Right next door to his lovely restaurant was a small Russian outdoor movie theatre. The noise conflicted with the ambiance of the restaurant but Chris explained that he has only been in this location for a year and the owner of the theatre was a big well connect Russian guy. Chris said "what are you going to do" and shrugged his shoulders. The food was sublime.

Biri

Paul and Biri met when Biri lived in Canada . He moved back to India and settled in Goa and for years has been telling us to come and visit. We finally took him up on it. Biri went well beyond what could have been dreamed of and helped to make our trip one that we will never forget. 

Leela

Paul and I have been hearing about Leela for years but we had never met. She took us in and made us feel so welcomed. Leela is a beautiful girl inside and out. She is a gentle sole and her face shines the most when she if looking at her boys.



Ramka

Ramka is Leela's son from her first husband. He has a presence about his that draws you to him. He has a special twinkle in his eyes. I think he is wise beyond his years. Although, he is the typical boy when he is playing with his little brothers.

 Angad

Angad is the shy sensitive one. It took more to draw him out but when he flashed that beautiful smile, it made you happy.  When asked what his favourite part of our visit was, he said when we listened to him. He is so shy, he didn't say much but I am happy that we took the time with him. I see both Biri and Leela inhis personality.

 Tejas

Tejas is two years old and can be both shy and playful  depending on his comfort level. He is definitely mama's boy but he has that mischevious smile like his dad. When we were on the beach in the water and he finely wanted to hold my hand to steady himself, my heart melted.

Back in Hippie Heaven

We drove the seven hours back to Goa from Hampi today without incident. Although we saw more post-accident carnage. There was a bus with the windshield shattered and a big working truck that lost its undercarriage to  a roadside barrier. We think maybe the bus hit a cow and it rolled up and smashed the windshield. We didn't see the cow though.
We loved our trip to Badami and Hampi but it was nice to be finished with the long road trips. We had to spend one night at Emma's Yoga & Healing Centre Retreat because Annie's rooms beside Biri's house where full. This is the second English women offering rooms for rent in her homes. 

Yoga & Healing Centre Retreat in Goa

This was a beautiful place. Apparently Emma is highly praised in her field. The email address  is www.yogahealinggoa.com If you are ever in Goa, go relax with Emma in this idyllic setting.



Outdoor Yoga

This seems like a picturesque spot to do yoga. We met an Italian women living in England who came to do her yoga training and after she was done she said she had to come and meet Emma.



A place where hippies like to hang.

On the night we got back to Goa, Biri took us to this place which was one of his favourite bars. It is funny to call it a bar because it was a room maybe ten feet by six feet. We sat on the 'patio'. We were practically sitting on the road. An old hippie friend of Biri's sat beside me and had some interesting tales to tell. He came to Goa forty years ago and never left much like a lot of the other hippies in Goa.  If you are not an Indian resident, you have to leave the country I believe it is every 180 days.

A colourful place

There was a lot to see hanging out at this bar. I never did get over the random cow sauntering by. Apparently the reason why you see these cows roaming without an owner is because of the whole sacred cow thing.  They are not allowed to kill the cows so when they do not serve their purpose anymore, the owners just send them off to fend for themselves. This is why you see them eating garbage at the side of the road. Poor things.

 

Lunch in a Cave

Biri was worried we were eating to much hotel food so he asked his buddy Murthie where we could get more traditional home cooked meals. Murthie told us we had to come and his mother would cook for us. He also told us we would be eating in a cave. I wondered what eating in a cave meant.
When we arrived, Murthie's sister was sweeping out the cave and laying down the mats for us to sit on. The cave was right beside the store I showed you in a previous picture. We removed our shoes and walked into the cave and nestled into the angled rocks. It was actually quite cool and comfortable. It was nice because we were getting quite hot as we waited outside. The difference in temperature was remarkable.
The food was delicious. When Biri says  it was a little spices, you know it had some heat. They were surprised I had seconds. It was fabulous, I think my system was getting use to all this Indian food.  

Cave Food:

Indian food is so colourful. This was the best meal in Hampi and it was made just for us.

 

The Cave Restaurant:

We were so lucky to have Biri as our guide in India. Our trip  would not have been quite as special without having an insider like him. Indian people are very gracious. We had never met Murthie's family but we were friends of Biri's so we were part of their family.  It was humbling.

Old Friends 

Our host Murthie:

Murthie was quiet spoken but he drives an Indian equivalent to a Harley around Hampi. He has a lot of pull in these parts. 

 

King of the Swingers:

When you think of Indian weather, you think of heat. At this time in India it is winter and although it is still 35 degrees in the afternoon, it gets 'cold' in the morning. I say  'cold' because it is not like the cold we left back in Canada. When you are on a scooter in the evening and in the early morning you need to have a jacket or you will be cold. We arrived at our vehicles and started back to the hotel. Biri lead us along and turned off the road. We were heading up hill again towards the Monkey Temple. We stopped at the base beside a "corner store". I call it this  for lack of a better word. Biri knew the family and he knew we could get a warm cup of Chai tea. It was the best tea I have ever had. 
There is a family of monkeys who live in the trees close to the store. It was quite entertaining watching the monkeys biding their time, waiting for the store owners to look away when they would then swiftly swoop in and grab a few bananas. I think that it is actually team work on the part of the monkeys and the store owners. These funny creatures drew quite a crowd who just happen to buy bananas to feed the monkeys. It was a win win situation really.

Monkey or human?



"Corner Store"

If you look behind Paul and Biri you can see the tempting stack of bananas. You can also see the monkey feeding tourists.

Motherly love:

I couldn't stop watching how this mama monkey protected her little one. I think I was missing my little monkeys.

 

 

What goes up must come down:

As you may have figured out we are back in Canada and have lived to tell the tale. I am writing the blog as if I were on the trip so the dates are not correct. I am telling you this so you do not get confused with this entry.

Today is our last official full day in Hampi because we start back to Goa tomorrow. I am officially celebrating my 50th birthday a day early because we will be travelling 7 hours in the car on the 4th (my birthday). I think getting up to watch the sunrise was a good way to start. Due to the effects of jet lag, we have been waking up at this time anyway.
The sun had finally shown up so it was time to start our descent. I marvelled at the rock formations as we passed by them in the car but that was nothing compared to walking among them. It seems not probable that these rocks could have just ended up so precariously placed. Some higher beings or alien must have had something to do with it.

Aliens among us.

I was stunned when I came upon this. How is this possible?

Where is the path?

I cannot believe we made it up here without insident.



It's like a giant Inukshuk.

 

When is the safest time to be on the roads in India?

The answer would be never but hey, you have to get around. Biri asked Paul and I if we wanted to watch the sunrise over the Hampi river. We said "sure". He told us later that he was hoping we would say no. We woke up at 4:30 am so that we could make it up to the lookout point before the sun came up. We hopped on our scooters and blindly followed Biri through the dark streets. Believe it or not, we were not the only ones on the road. However, it is definitely safer to be on the streets at this time.
We pulled off the road, got our flashlights out and started the steep upward climb to the top of the hill.  Even though the morning was cool, I worked up a sweat as I manoeuvred around boulders  and makeshift steps. We made it to the top quite a bit before the sun came up. Because of the time change, we decided to make some phone calls home. Yes, we were at the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere in India and Paul was talking to him mom. At the same time we witnessed all the lights / power going out in the town below. Cell service yes, electricity no.



Bird Sanctuary

We could tell that the sun was coming because the birds were singing and emerging from the trees below.




So this is where rice comes from:

It was very interesting to see part of the process of how rice is grown. I had no idea.

 



Is there cell phone service in India?

Absolutely! Paul is at the top of this rock talking to his mother in Canada. Now, it occasionally kicks out and is frustrating but considering where we are, it is crazy. You have to sit by the window at my sisters house up near Algonquin park in Ontario but you can talk on the top of a rock here. I guess you are closer to the satellites her. Ha ha 

What a view:

When the sun finally came out I was startled by all the things we had missed on the way up. It was so dark and I think you probably have tunnel vision when you are trying not to tumble to your death.