Supplement to articles at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mankin/searching-for-tigers-in-india_b_1654136.html and http://www.vibrantlivingmagazine.com/2012/07/01/tiger-tiger-burning-bright/.
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| Bandhavgarh NP |
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| Kanha NP |
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| Kanha NP |
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| Kanha NP |
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| Kanha NP |
India is not an easy place to visit. Aside from the almost
impossibly long flight to get there, the crowds, noise, and chaos are the very
antithesis of a relaxing vacation in a beach resort. Add in the almost constant
vigilance over what you eat and drink to avoid getting sick, and you might
wonder “why bother?” Because it’s also the most interesting, complex, and
diverse place I have ever visited. If you judge a trip by how long the memory
lingers and how profound its impact – the mark of true adventure travel – then a
trip to India is likely to be at or near the top of your list.
Our trip was organized by Encounters Asia (
http://www.encountersasia.com/), a
sister company to the tour operator that hosted our visit to the jungle lodges near
Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks (see the links at the beginning of this post for the story of our trip to the National Parks). I only had time for a two week trip so for
the rest of our visit we focused on cities and regions reasonably close to the
parks. Fortunately that included the must-see cities of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra
(the site of the Taj Mahal) and Varanasi. All but Varanasi are within a day’s
drive of each other. Except for two internal flights and an overnight train
ride, we had a car, driver, and guide throughout our trip.
Delhi, Jaipur and Agra form the “Golden Triangle” where the
most famous historical sites of India are located. The Taj Mahal lives up to
its hype, especially if you arrive shortly before dawn to beat the crowds and
to watch the Taj change colors, from rosy pink to blazing white, as the sun rises.
Almost as impressive were the Amber Fort
in Jaipur, a vast fort and palace built in the late 16
th Century; the
Jantar Mantar, also in Jaipur, an 18
th
Century astronomical observatory comprised of “instruments” the size of
buildings; the Fatehpur Sikri, a red sandstone city just outside of Agra built
in the late 16
th Century; and the Agra Fort which provides an
opportunity to see the Taj from a distance and different perspective . The
strangeness of the architecture, the unique history, and in the case of the
Amber Fort, the majestic setting add to the allure and the beauty of these
sites.
From Agra, we took an overnight train to Jabalpur where we
were met by a driver for the 4.5 hour drive to Kanha. I was expecting the
Orient Express, what we got was Amtrak on a bad day. No luxurious wood
paneling, elegant dining car, and mysterious strangers (well, maybe that). Just
a bouncing, narrow seat to sleep on, two communal bathrooms (one, western
style; the other, the ubiquitous squat toilet found throughout Asia); and a
takeout meal we had the foresight to bring on board with us. We survived without
incident, but didn’t get a lot of sleep. Good thing we were heading to the
tranquility of the tiger reserves.
There is an alternative – return to Delhi and fly to
Jabalpur. If you’re a bit adventurous and the kind of person who can sleep
anywhere, or can at least tolerate the occasional sleepless night, I recommend
the train. Just don’t forget to bring your meal on board with you. I also
recommend a light meal that won’t gurgle all night in your intestines as you
bounce in time with the train.
As much as I enjoyed the Golden Triangle, our destinations
after the National Parks were our second favorite segments of the trip,
surpassed only by our experiences in the parks. From Bandhavgarh, it was a
day’s drive to Khajuraho, the site of the famous Hindu temples with the erotic
carvings. The temples are beautiful and well preserved and the carvings are
indeed amazing – they are everywhere and depict the entire range of human
experience, not just the erotic – but what impressed me most is how leafy green
and peaceful the city is. It’s a small
town and has little of the congestion and chaos of India’s major cities, unless
you count the many young backpackers from all over the world.
And that wasn’t the best part. Our one night visit came
during the middle of the annual Khajuraho Festival of Dance, held every year
during the first week of February. This year it was free – it hasn’t been in
the past – but I would have been happy to pay for some of the best classical Indian
music and dancing I have ever seen or heard, which was nothing like the pelvic thrusts and
tacky dance routines seen in most Bollywood movies. The shows are presented after
sunset and feature the best dancers from around the world on a stage in front
of the brightly lit Hindu temples. The sights and sounds made for one of the
most ecstatic one and half hours of our trip.
I would have been happy to stay for another night in
Khajuraho just to see more dancing, but our trip was coming to an end and our
last stop, Varanasi, promised to be a highlight of our visit. The only way to
describe Varanasi – one of the holiest cities in Hinduism and one of the oldest
cities in the world – is surreal, even hallucinogenic. Hindus make pilgrimages
to Varanasi to bath in the Ganges to absolve themselves of their sins. They
also come to die. Hindus believe that if they die in Varanasi they will be liberated
from the cycle of reincarnation and go directly to Nirvana.
The streets of Varanasi make downtown Manhattan at rush hour
look like Mayberry. We walked several blocks from our parked van to the river in the early evening (we
couldn’t drive any closer), took a boat ride to see the
flaming funeral pyres lining the river, then observed the colorful Hindu
services for the deceased on the banks of the river, marked by swirling incense
and other worldly chanting. Afterwards, back at our hotel Katherine needed two vodkas and remarked (harkening
back to her younger days), “I feel like I should take acid just to get to the same
level.”
Early the next morning we were back on the river to watch
people bathe away their sins, then took a walk through the narrow alleyways of
the funeral district where most of the pyres are located. The morning was just
slightly less psychedelic than the evening before.
I have visited some of the most exotic sites and cities in
the world, but none compare with Varanasi. That one night left me breathless,
unsettled and excited. It may not have been the same as being hissed at by a
tiger just a few feet away or glared at by an angry cobra, but it was a close
second.
India is a must see destination for adventurous
travelers. Expect to be stimulated and at times, overwhelmed. I do recommend that you make sure to include a
few days in at least one tiger reserve, not just for the unforgettable
experience of seeing a tiger up close, but also to recharge your batteries
before venturing out again into the maelstrom of India’s cities.
I also recommend that you book your trip through a tour
operator, like Encounters Asia, rather than doing it on your own, at least for
your first visit. Let them take care of hotels, internal flights and other
arrangements so that you have plenty of time and focus to deal with the sensory
and cognitive challenges and attractions of this amazing country.
