Spotting a Tiger

Recently I decided to avail of the long weekend and get out of my comfort zone and go to the heavenly abode of the Gods - Uttaranchal. An impromtu conversation with a friend led us to decide to go to Jim Corbett National Park in Nainitaal district and then to spend the remainder of our long weekend at Nainitaal - a place where none of us had been to.

Nothing was planned. I reached the earliest and spent the night at a guest house at Haldwani. My friends joined us later in the morning. Then we got the call that would change our life. Despite the fact that K M Chandrashekar, Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India and other very senior dignatories were visiting the park, we managed to get a room for 10th April 2009 at Sarapdulli Guest house, which was 12 kms from Dhikala. We rushed to Jim Corbett.

Jim Corbett National Park is located across 512 sq kms and is the oldest National Park in India. It is named after Jim Corbett, an Indian born British hunter/consevationist who did a lot of good work in the region and is famous for his kills of leopards and tigers. He's written a number of book as well on his adventures in the Kumaon region.

We visited the Jim Corbett museum on the way to Ramnagar; it was small but decently maintained. We bought matching green Jim Corbett T-shirts there which documented how the male tiger's pug mark is bigger than the female tiger's!!

We reached the sanctuary and after settling in set off for the safari. We were lucky enough to spot a tiger - though it was at a very very great distance - on the High Banks of the Ramganga river. We also got to experience the beauty of the forest and the next day too was memorable. We almost saw another tiger who had just made a kill and had dragged the barking deer behind a few bushes and trees. All in all, it was a beautiful trip. The Park is beautifully maintained and one should definitely make a trip there. We also went at a lovely time. April is a beautiful month to see the park.

Soon after we set off for Nainitaal. We were already excited and were in touch with our batchmate, who was so brilliant and made our trip to Kumaon even more memorable. I really didn't know too much about the Indian Forest Service, but after this trip, I admire the great work they do in keeping our forests and environment safe.

Nainitaal is beautiful, despite the tourists and all the touristy things to do. The areas around Nainitaal are untouched relatively, and have so much beauty it takes your breath away. We went to Maheshkhand, Vinayak and Kilbury (from Kill and bury - scary right?); we trekked up to Naina Peak (8622 feet); we did a bit of boating on the Lake; we ate at Machan with one of our favourite seniors; we walked on the very busy mall road and bought candles; we visited the gurudwara and Naina Devi Mandir on Baisakhi day; we saw a bit of the Tibetan market and the nakli maal from China; we saw the lovely Nainitaal Zoo.. and much much more...

Outlook Traveller for the month of April 2009 has done a very good piece on Nainitaal. Though I couldn't visit all the places that were recommended in that article, I must say one thing stood out for me:

How we are so fortunate in this country of ours to have such beautiful places like Uttaranchal -- It truly is the abode of the Gods!!

Dark as hell, strong as death, sweet as love

When I was very young, I came across a book by Alexander Dumas called "The Count of Monte Cristo".

For those who haven't read the book, the main protagonist is Edmont Dantes. It is set in the time of the mid 19th century in France; Napoleon has been exiled and political intrigue is at its height. At its core, the book is about love, betrayal, revenge and forgiveness.

I've always loved this book. It is complicated, and one that should be read again. It is not something that can be finished in one reading. Wikipedia in fact has a chart showing all the characters in the book and their relation to one another. Films made on this book have fallen short of the true genius that comprises this genre - but there is a good mini series made by the French starring Gerard Depardieu which does some justice to the novel.

Dark as hell, strong as death, sweet as love - Old Turkish Proverb

I came across this for the first time in my recent trip to Nainitaal, Uttaranchal (Devbhoomi) outside a coffee shop on Mall Road. I thought it was very profound, particularly since death was attributed to be "strong". A bit of research saw that it was actually an old Turkish proverb, though there is some dispute. However, whatever it may be, I thought that it best describes the range of emotions that one sees in the Count of Monte Cristo, which I would strongly recommend to anyone and everyone who has yet not read the book.