On the road again by 8.00, heading to Keoladeo Ghana National Park
It was a relatively uneventful journey if you discount the traffic in Agra! At one point we had to stop at a level crossing to wait for a goods train to pass. Of course traffic and people stacked up. When the barrier was raised it was each man for himself and such was the jam that we found ourselves at a standstill on the line. The question then was, what happens if another train is due? Fortunately we never discovered the answer to that one as the traffic slowly moved on!
It took 90 minutes to get to the National Park where we were met by our guide, an experienced birder who was equipped with the mandatory scope. There followed 3 hours of wandering along a paved road through the park with him pointing out a huge variety of birds.
White throated kingfisher
The scenery was quite open and scrubby, with some well established trees. As we walked further along there were areas of water suitable for ducks and waders. We were told that they manage the water levels to provide the optimum conditions for both local and migratory birds.
We saw at least 30 variety of birds, from kingfishers to storks, eagles to swallows, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our guide kindly took photos through the scope so we should have some decent photos to then try and work out which bird was what!!
Pink Tailed Stork
Spotted Owlet
Grey hornbill
We also saw deer, a turtle, jackal and wild boar.
Lunch was had at a local restaurant. Good food again! This restaurant is part of a hotel and spa complex and the owner proudly showed us around after lunch. Set in 40 acres, it is very peaceful and it has a very large kitchen garden where they grow many of their own vegetables organically. I think it was actually a bit of a sales pitch to encourage us to return but it had little effect on any of us!
The next part of our adventure was a tuk tuk ride to Bharatpur Junction station. We thought the rickshaw was bonkers but this topped it ten fold. Firstly tuks tuks travel much faster and secondly there were 4 of them carrying our group to the station, all trying to stick together. Add in that it was end of school day and so more people and traffic, plus the normal level of traffic, cows, people travelling the wrong way on your side of the road and it is a recipe for chaos and not a little anxiety! At one point there were 2 youngsters on a motorbike, the one driving it probably not much more than 11. They should wear helmets, but a lot don’t. You feel much more vulnerable in a tuk tuk and the noise is more intense, but we did notice our driver giving some hand signals which seemed to give him some sort of precedence over other vehicles.
20 minutes of drama and at times hysterical laughter and we were at the station, glad to be alive!!!
An Indian railway station turned out to be just as I expected. Loads of people, beggars and hawkers, and long, long trains crammed with people. There were 3 men working on the line!!! When a train arrives people get out both sides and think nothing of walking across however many sets of lines there are! Our train was pretty much on time but we are travelling in a comfortable carriage with air con! Nevertheless, there is still a regular stream of people coming through selling food and drink.
The train carriages are wider than British trains, with 5 seats across and a wide aisle. There is also more leg room. On the basis that some of these trains are travelling huge distances perhaps it is not surprising!
We pass through rural, farming landscape, similar to yesterday with crops mainly of wheat and mustard. As you go through villages there are groups of lads playing cricket.
On arrival at Sawai Madhopir Junction we had to wait for our minibus. The driver has had a 5 hour journey from Bharatpur and had had to contend with traffic and blocked roads. This, apparently, is why we came by train! Much more comfortable! Whilst we were waiting we had a little trouble with a local group of hooligans. A troop of monkeys surrounded us trying to see if we had anything interesting that they could pinch. Fortunately they soon got bored with playing spook the tourist and left us without incident.
It was a 25 minute journey to our hotel where we have tented style accommodation. Your bedroom looks like any other hotel room, but the walls and roof are canvas. The bathroom however does have solid walls but still a canvas roof.
Dinner was followed by an early night as tomorrow we get up even earlier!
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