There's only one thing I love more than writing: Traveling. And I've been lucky enough to do so constantly.
There's no hierarchy or actual order to these fragments - they are simply bits and pieces of places that have stirred words within me. This...
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The first few days were very disappointing.
A common enough occurrence, we were told. A tiger safari is a whole other monster. This isn't Africa, where you might miss out on the lions but will still get your fair share of giraffes, elephants, and what else. This is India. Regulations are tighter (no off-road driving), unbendable schedules, the safari equivalent of a crowd...
And tigers are elusive. Since you can't sweep the terrain searching for them, you're best bet is that one will decide to take a stroll on the road. Are they prone to doing this? Apparently (and luckily) yes.
Many people spend a week in the jungle without the smallest glimpse of a tiger. Some can only spot them in the distance, a speck in the binoculars. The first few rides, it seemed we were destined to share that ill fortune. We had seen a mother and cubs frolicking in the water - far, far away.
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Yes, this isn't Africa. Tigers are probably the wildest animals in the world. You need patience. You need time. But it's all worth it.
The first tiger we spotted close up was in Bandhavgarh National Park, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A female was cooling off in the shade. Look at that beauty:
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And that's when the waiting game began. We took times with the camera as the temperature dropped. Our talented guide told us he was certain the tigress would move in just a couple of minutes - she was only waiting for somewhat cooler weather. We were already incredibly close, but our view was slightly obstructed by vegetation. Then, true to prediction, she got up to take a short stroll in the road.
