Birthday Tiger Safari - Ranthambore

I awoke on the slightly chilly side maybe having over done it on the a/c, i had never seen one that went as low as 15°C before! I treated myself to another hour in bed then decided I was hungry enough to justify emerging from my cosy cocoon. I wandered to reception to check my afternoon safari was all good and I was greeted with big smiles and a bouquet of flowers. I went for breakfast where I met the Kiwis from the night before who had returned from their, fruitless, tiger safari . We had breakfast and soon enough ended up lounging by the pool, where I was to spend the rest of my day, well till 3 o'clock anyway.

I wasn't too sure what to wear for my safari, having seen a very eager looking couple return earlier that day in full camoflage gear i felt a bit of a novice in my cargo shorts and tshirt, however I think it was Ray Mears and his wife who looked the odd balls out of the groups. I was called forward and pointed in the direction of my jeep, they hold 6 and I was the fourth to board, I got sat next to a Swiss guy and the rest of the tiger hunting contingency being nationals happily chatted away between us until we reached the final pick up, two rather large Indians climbed in making it a tight fit in the back. We were all handed disclaimers and next of kin forms to sign incase we got eaten whilst on the safari and we were soon speeding off to the park entrance.

We got alocated zone 1 when we arrived, something the guide didn't look to happy about, it was the smallest of the zones and as I can imagine happy tourists with numerous tiger sightings tip better he was maybe worried for his pocket more than anything. We bee lined for the watering holes in hope that a tiger was cooling off on what was a particularly hot day and whilst there was plentiful deer, wild boar and monkeys (the tigers certainly weren't going hungry anytime soon) there was not a tiger to be seen. We drove around for the next hour or so passing similarly disappointed tour groups before coming to a stop at a particular tiger hot spot, but not today. As a large cobra slithered passed we were provided with a little excitment alas it was a tiger we came to see and it seemed we would remain disappointed. Exiting the park we encountered a group of crocodiles basking in the sun, oblivious to the overly exited Indians filling memory cards with their slumbering state.

When we got dropped off, no tip, on hearing of the luxury of my hotel my Swiss companion came in for the use of the pool, we had a couple of extremely over priced beers and he snuck into the buffet restraunt for a bite. No sooner had we finished, the naan man came running up towards us with not a bread but a cake, accompanied by that universal of songs Happy Birthday. To my surprise he ran right passed me to the table next door to us where a group of 8 middle aged, slightly drunk, brits sat. The song had just finished when it started up again and running naan man, afted a quick lap around the room, brought me a personalised birthday cake. We joined forces with the other group and had an impromptu joint birthday party indulging in yet more over priced beer, but hey its my birthday!

After a few to many, more in the respect of my wallet than my head, I retreated to my ice box and had one of my emergancy whiskies my sister and gifted me on leaving Scotland (these for one of those 'I need a drink' moments however so far so good so I tempted fate by cracking one now). I sank into bed glass in hand and despite the lack of a tiger sighting decided it had been a different, but successful birthday.