Ranthambhore National Park

---

We waited for a while but expected Iqbal to be late or not turn up so we just got a rickshaw to the station which turned out to be really close but we wouldn't have known the way. Maps only seem to show the major roads. We fought our way to the train and into our more upmarket 'ac chair' class seats which were ok but we had more room on our last train in third class. We got a rickshaw to our hotel which we'd already booked. We were squeezed in with a Canadian couple going to a different hotel who'd also been to Jaipur and apparently went specifically for the kite festival. The hotel is pretty nice with some gardens and a dirty looking swimming pool but it's not really hot enough to persuade me to risk leprosy. We asked for an ATM to pay for the hotel and one of the hotel guys offered to drive us which he probably regretted after the first four we tried didn't work with our cards. We were very relieved when the fifth one finally worked. In one of them we witnessed one of the most blatant queue jumping attempts I've ever seen. We'd waited for a few people infront, meanwhile an Indian guy came in and squeezed to the side of us and got his card out and reached out to put it in. Luckily we'd clocked him and Hayley got her card in first. He spouted something in Hindi but we just looked at him then ignored him. How rude! We got some ridiculously expensive laundry done and had some lunch where we talked to the waiter about how he was off to a four day wedding the next day. Apparently it's here where Katy perry and Russell brand got married a while ago. Managed to find tottenham v man on the tv in our room although wish I hadn't bothered staying up to watch a nil nil game as we were up at six for our first safari. The safari was fairly good although we didn't see any tigers which is the main draw for tourists. We got to sit in the front of the open top bus thing so (in the tour guides words) the Indian people wouldn't bother us. We still saw lots of deer, a crocodile, monkeys, parrots, kingfisher and an owl sleeping in a tree and some nice scenery. After talking to our waiter mate all the staff seemed to now know my name and like to say it whenever they get the chance. And yes, everyone says 'Michael, like Michael Jackson'. After a 24 hour illness session, the next day we had our second safari which was just as unsuccessful in terms of tigers but at least we went a different route and it was a lot warmer and more comfortable in the afternoon. The next day our train didn't leave for Agra until late so we went to ranthambore fort, driven by one of the hotel guys brothers in his open top jeep. He drove mega fast and didn't speak or turn around the whole way, or at least that's my excuse. We arrived and fended off the hundreds of people trying to be our guides. After 10 minutes, halfway up the fort, a man seemed to be following us and trying to tell us things but not with the usual aggressiveness of the other guides. After trying to slyly walk away and then tell him we didn't need a guide Hayley pointed out that she thought he was the driver...awkward! Once we introduced ourselves properly he took us to a Ganesh temple which we went in. It was full of people doing Hindu stuff like spreading seeds around and praying to the big Ganesh statue. We pushed our way to the front of the crowd, realised we didn't know what we were doing and so pushed back out again. Outside I gave my first 10 rupees to a little beggar boy, not sure why, but when I did the crowd of groaning women that you find all over any slightly touristy area descended. With a bit of shooing and power walking we lost them and went back to the hotel.

---