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  India Wildlife and Medieval Tour for Mr. Aladdin
34 Nights – 35 Days Cut short to 30 days due to VISA issues
 Tuesday 12th of January 2016 and yeah, my alarm went off at 05:25 and they called from the reception a few minutes later. I was in the reception 10 minutes before 5 o'clock. I will go in a  big truck today with 16 seats in the back.
They told me this when I checked in and I told them that I had booked and paid for a private jeep for all my game drives. Well, I had to go in the big truck together with other passengers. I was a wee bit upset about this. But yesterday the English speaking guy in the reception explained that it was not allowed to drive in a jeep in the Dhikala Zone. So we had to go in a big truck,  Indian Government regulation.
OK, now I understand and it was OK. Boarding at 06:00 at the Ramnagar gate and we left the hotel @ 05:50 and when we arrived to the gate at 6 there were no sign of any truck or passengers. My driver asked where the truck was and they told him that the truck would not come until 6 thirty and the safari  was going to start then. Well, that means 7 o'clock.
Of course, I was not happy to hear this, I could have been in my room sleeping in stead of wasting my time here waiting. And it was cold, darn cold! And sleep is what I need, not much sleep since I arrived to India, adventure form early morning to late evening. They  guy from the hotel was soon coming, he told me that I had forgotten my breakfast and he brought it for me. Breakfast pick nick style.  This safari will last for about 5 hours so they had prepared breakfast for me. Well, I took the bottle of water and I gave the breakfast to my driver and he was very happy. It was not that I felt like picnicking in the jungle. I can manage until  we're back at the hotel.
The truck arrived at 7 thirty and by then the other passengers had arrived, turned out that we will be 8 passengers in total. I took a seat in the back row. This is the worst place to sit in the jeep, but as this truck looked big I took the chance I have experience from more than one game drive and the best place to sit is in the front row. The back is best for viewing, but the bouncing is terrible. But this is a big truck, and I was alone in the back row so I was happy. 3 guys from India in front of me and 2 old couples in the second row from the front. Of course, all people very friendly. I cannot remember having run in to any “NOT” nice people since arriving  to India. And the hotel staff have been outstanding, very friendly and helpful.
Sometimes even borderline annoying with all the service. But I just tell them that I'm 18 years old and I can take care of myself, but thank you very much. And same here in India as on the Philippines, just to throw in a few Madame and Sir every now and then and they really shine up. I have not met anyone that haven't gone the extra mile to help me and it is a perfect country if it wasn't for the food. And of course, a good scrubbing of the whole country would do a lot of good. Anyway, it was almost 7 o'clock before we could leave, a lot of paper work before we could leave and I was really about to jump off after 30 seconds. My worst game drive ever, the bouncing was terrible and I was flying around in the back. Impossible to sit and it was also impossible to enjoy the sights and to take any pictures. I was  really going crazy and it was so nice when we stopped to have a look at a termite house. Duck the darn termite house, but it was so nice to stop.
I just heard the Guide say that the termites was a sign of a healthy forest. We were soon moving again and jeez, this was a real nightmare. We stopped to look at a Spotted Deer and a stop to look at wild bores. The Guide and driver looked at me while giving me the internationally recognised sign for “why don't you take any pictures?” Of course, impossible for them to know that I have seen millions of the Spotted Deer. Driving along the track in the forest was a real torment and I wish we could turn around. The guy in the  front was leaning forward to the driver for the second time and I guessed that he was asking for a bathroom. And he seemed to be a wee bit desperate.
The driver pointed forward and I understood that we would be at a camp soon. I will move to the front row to make this game drive a little bit comfortable. Just before we reached the camp we had 5 or 6 elephants coming out from the forest crossing our track. I moved forward at the camp and the remaining game drive was much better. It was could though so I was wrapped in my blanket. Below are a few pictures from our morning game drive at the Dhikala Zone in Jim Corbett National Park.
We crossed a few bridges and I was, well, not happy. Planks on a frame and when we crossed it sounded like all of them were lose. But I was quite happy with the game drive of this morning, elephants, crocodile and the Hoopoe bird. We crossed a few bridges and I was, well, not happy. Planks on a frame and when we crossed it sounded like all of them were lose. But I was quite happy with the game drive of this morning, elephants, crocodile and the Hoopoe bird. There are 4 different deer in Jim Corbett National Park. And today we saw 4 of them. I had seen 3 of them before: 1) Spotted Deer 2) Sambar Deer 3) Barking Deer And today I can add the fourth and last one, the Hog Deer No tigers, well, there will be another chance tonight. Back at the hotel and I went for breakfast/ lunch. Onion omelette and tea. And as they had not started the tandoori or whatever they call it there was no naan available. But tonight they will have naan. So toast it was. I went out to check the river for birds while waiting for the food. No little Egrets today, but one of the Pied Kingfisher were fishing in the river. A little too far away for any good pictures.  Pied Kingfisher in the river outside my hotel
It was almost time to leave for the afternoon safari when I was ready with the breakfast/ lunch. I had time to check my pictures from the morning and that was pretty much it. I went down to the reception and my jeep was waiting. Before leaving I asked about my Vodaphone SIM card. They had called customer service and there was something wrong with my SIM card and they would get it back online tomorrow. Well, that is  nothing I bring to the bank and I asked the managed if we could buy a new SIM card.
I need to be on line at the remaining camps. I have borrowed a mobil WIFI here at the Corbett Riverside Resort. And I'm not sure the other places have the same service. So I need to get my SIM stuff sorted out. Anyway, today’s afternoon safari will be at Bijrani Zone - Entry Gate Amdanda some 10 to 15 minutes’ drive from the hotel.  On the way to the afternoon safari
 On the way to the afternoon safari
 On the way to the afternoon safari
 On the way to the afternoon safari
 On the way to the afternoon safari
 On the way to the afternoon safari
There were already a few jeeps waiting outside the Entry Gate Amdanda when we arrived. I handed my passport to the driver and he took off to register us at the gate with my safari permit  for the Bijrani Zone. So I'm doing six safaris here in Jim Corbett National Park and thus I have 6 permits.
He was back in a few minutes with my passport and our Guide. I was surprised, it was the same Guide we had have yesterday afternoon. Well, that’s how they operate around here. In Gir they had some rotation for Drivers and Guides so I had different drivers and Guides at every tour. Here in Corbett my Driver and jeep is provided by my hotel, Corbett Riverside Resort.  So I use the same jeep on all my game drives, or safari as they call it here in India.
We entered the park 3 minutes past 2 o'clock in the afternoon. And below are some of the pictures I took in the park during the afternoon safari in the Bijrani Zone. May pictures goes straight to the garbage as I forget the settings going from sun to shadow etc. But I'm lucky with some of the pictures, or VERY LUCKY a little bit!
We left the Guide at the gate and we will meet him here at the gate at 6 thirty tomorrow morning again. Me and my Driver waved good bye and we took off for a new safari. A night safari in town looking for Diet Pepsi. We didn’t have any luck and we decided to go back to the hotel. We stopped to fill up the jeep so we are prepared for tomorrow. We saw the hullabaloo outside a wine shop. People were buying liquor and when they left the put them in their trousers trying to hide the bottles. Well, there are some people that will get drunk tonight.  English Wine Shop
I will not get drunk and I will not suffer any hangover tomorrow as they will wake me up at 5 thirty for the morning safari. It is a pain in the arse, every day! I'm too old for this, never time to relax even for an hour. My last trip ever? Well, it is hard, but as soon as I'm in the jeep for the game drive it is fantastic. It is something of the best you can do, beautiful nature and amazing animals. Not a boring moment. Tomorrow morning, I'm not looking forward to get out of bed, but I can't wait to get in to the park again. And as we have got used to by now, just click HERE to find out if we see any tigers. 
    
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and scratch marks on trees but no tigers.
safari turned in to a foocking OK Corral.
Disneyland. I told my Guide and Driver that I didn't wanted any part of this.
He was embarrassed and he told me that Indian people just knew the nature from pick nicks in the parks.
- INDIANS!!! I said. It is the same for people from all over the world, the reason why I want to go alone
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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
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