LUNGS OF THE NATIONBY MONONITO GOSWAMI December, 2010, it was exactly 12:30 pm when we, minds full ofanticipation (to see a tiger) started our way to the Jim Corbett National Park. It took us no less than 7 hrs to reach our destination. Any voyages not complete without eating out, particularly in a Dhaba, so to satisfy our tummies we stopped beside a Dhaba. Hygiene was to our utmost concern so we ended up eating our homemade delicious Gobhi Parantha with some warm Adrak wali Chai. But how can a food enthusiast leave a Dhaba all alone without experiencing its food full of taste, love, affection and sweat, so I (keeping nutrition in my mind) chose to drinksome hot tomato soup, and I wasnt disappointed to drink a hot tomato soup full of over fried bread cubes and some fresh Malai; which tasted great. 19:00 and we are here, inside the gates of Jim Corbett. Dhelaa village amidst the jungle came first . To our leftwas the buffer zone and to our right was the Core area and... We saw some creature slowly moving in front of us fearless and proud with a healthy back. Our guide was a scientific assistant and claimed that it was a Great Bengal tiger. We really did not expecta tiger backso well in advance! Another 30 minutes and we reached Jhirna forest resthouse, our guest house for 24 hrs hardly! Cold enough, we were welcomed by some sizzling hotAloo and Pyaz Pakodas and we were really not ashamed to finish the whole plate before the poor server departed, shutting the door behind him. The Pakodas touched my heart before that of my abdomen, I must confess, they were tasty enough! Itwas 8hardly but I did not miss to visit the kitchen first. Then it was time for our more eagerly awaited dinner amidst wilderness and aroma!!! Some Shahi Paneer, Papad, Chawal, fulke, Arahar Ki Dal and Gobhi Ki Sabji made our tummies no less than packed up suitcases, leaving the country. We slept e arly at around 9o clock as th e generator was supposed to be switched off at 9:30. We were told that our Lullabiesshall be sung by some untamed elephants, (seems scary but the truth). Night passed, morning came and whoof! A cold gust of air welcomed us and worked like cold water which completely shattered my desire to sleep. At seven we were ready and rearing to go, to experience the presence of tigers (and also see them). Our guide was a forest ranger and bird watching was something he could do very well but who wants birds, at least not me! We asked him to show us a tiger. We started our safari hoping to find the animal when we noticed some tiger pug marks on the road. Exited enough we followed them until they ended. We turned left, where the last tiger was sighted, went ahead and asked some tourists returning back if they had seen a tiger or a wild elephant ahead, but the answer was no. We turned around went further and turned left, sometimes the pug mark was visible and sometimes not. But who wants to see a pug mark, we wanted a big cat, wild elephant too would work! We went twenty kms ahead, now following wild elephantsquats. But neither a squirrel nor a wild chicken paid us visits. So, we returned back to 17
