Corbett at last

The main reception for the Jim Corbitt National park in Ramnigar opens at 8.30 am. Sue and I where there at 8 and there was already a que. Like everywhere here its paper work, paper work, paper work. They say "The British invented bureaucracy but the Indians perfected it". Everywhere you go you have to fill out forms in triplicate. Sue does a great job of sorting it all out at the counter (women are allowed to que barge) and we even pick up 2 Germans to help spread the cost. We only manage to get one night in the park as it is high season and the place is packed.
Grab a stoned Juan and stick him in the jeep and we're off to find some tigers.
Its 10.30am and the heat is sweltering but our spirits our high as we actually made it to the park against all odds.
The park is vast and the jeep bounces along into the heart where we're to stay for the night.
We stop every now and then to view deer and birds. The jungle here is dense.
When we get to Dikala where we are staying it's more paper work in triplicate then onto our log cabin with bunk beds 3 high.
The elephants are out doing a census of the wild elephants and they have a day off tomorrow so we will not get a chance to go along on an elephant which is a bit disappointing but we get to go by jeep safari instead.
After a good siesta we head off in the jeep in search of a big cat. The park is really beautiful with amazing views of mountains and jungle.We spot wild deer and dozens of species of birds and a few elephant. We see the tiger tracks but no tigers.
Its back to the camp where they show an old nature movie on a reel to reel projector, the whirring of the reels and the speckled picture sends me back in time.
Then to bed.