OUR ESCAPE FROM BODHGAYA’S HOLI FESTIVAL went smoothly and we spent a peaceful night near the Kolkata airport at Viceroy Boutique Hotel. It is only six months old and the perfect location for a quick “in-and-out” from Kolkata. We will return on the 26th so we left a satchel of odds and ends in storages so we could make the 15-kilo baggage limit.
The flight to Guwahti arrived early, our driver was waiting and whisked us to Bansbari Lodge at Manas National Park in a mere 3 ½ hours. Manas wasn’t Connie’s first choice but the logistics of getting to Kaziranga NP were a bit daunting. Besides, I am assured that the birding is better here; “here” being the part to the right of the “ice cream cone” of India, an ethnic area where trouble can flare up and travel is closely regulated. Assam is one of the few areas one can visit without a special permit.
Bansbari Lodge doesn’t look like it is worth $250/night but the cost includes full board, park and guide fees and two “safaris” a day. Besides, according to Lonely Planet Bansbari is the only game in town. The mostly concrete lodge resembles a neglected army barracks with chipping paint and sporadic electricity. The decidedly Indian food is actually pretty good, but you eat what they serve, when they serve it.
Leapin' languers
This morning we took the obligatory elephant ride. Everyone should ride an elephant once in his lifetime; this was our second time. In India you ride astride the animal, au cheval as it were. But elephants are girthier than horses, putting a strain on elderly thighs. While elephants may be able to approach wildlife more closely than a jeep, photography is next to impossible. When all the jostling loosened the lens-hood from my camera, our elephant stopped, reversed and ever so gently retrieved it in her trunk and passed it to the mahoot – the highlight of our ride.
Scarlet minivet
After the disappointing morning, Sanjib turned out to be a pretty good, if self-taught, birding guide. We added “lifers” pin-tailed green parrot, and rufous-necked laughing thrush to our list but my favorite was the scarlet minivet that we first saw in Vietnam. In addition to the birds we saw herds of elephants, wild boars and capped langeurs leaping from tree to tree, a few with babies clasped to their chests. We might have been more successful but season’s first “pre-monsoon” rains cut the trip short. We sat out the torrential thunderstorm under the tin roof of an anti-poaching tower, protected only by our karma.
