We were back in Delhi and the city was as polluted as ever. Rubbish everywhere and a smog that you could cut with a knife. I learned that the reported Air Quality Index (AQI) is capped at 500. So, officially, it can never be higher than 500. The morning we left, the AQI was just a shade under 500. Looking out across the city, the limited view was like a heavy and slightly yellowed fog had rolled in. It was a long drive to the Vanghat safari lodge but we were quite happy to put plenty of distance between us and the smog.
Early-afternoon we met Sumatha Ghosh, owner of Vanghat Lodge at a small village for lunch. He explained what we would be doing and drove with us for an hour or so until we arrived at a pedestrian suspension bridge. The car could go no further. We were prepared for this and had packed everything we needed for a few days into our two smallest cases. Fortunately, there were some young, strong men to carry them for us. One of the most remote wildlife lodges in Northern Indian forests, Vanghat is an internationally acclaimed eco-lodge located on a secluded bank of the Western Ramganga River deep inside Kalagarh Tiger Reserve division of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Crossing the bridge felt like the start of a small adventure. We had a bit of a hike to the lodge where were going to stay in a mud hut. We left the main track and descended down to the river on a small footpath. It was easy going and we took our time while Sumatha pointed out various birds. He clearly had a passion for birding.
After a steady walk of half an hour or so we got to the river crossing. This was a small raft attached to a rope stretched across the river. A little care was needed getting on and off the bamboo platform. In all other respects a perfectly effective way to cross a river. Each year the monsoon raises the river level by many metres making a more permanent bridge quite impractical. A little further beyond the raft brought us to a gate through a high electric fence. This was mostly to keep elephants out simply because they can inadvertently cause so much damage. Tigers on the other hand could easily leap over the fence. We were assured this was unlikely to happen. Finally, we arrived at the lodge just as it got dark.
Our room was quite nice. Mud was used in its construction but it was not the kind of circular thatched affair I had imagined. We had a nice bed and some of the usual facilities except for hot water. That arrived later in a large bucket. Dinner was made, in part, from plants found around the lodge. It was excellent. Then it was an early night ready for a start before sunrise in the morning.
A cup of masala chai and we were off at first light, literally. Soon as it was light enough to see we were trudging off along the riverbank. Further along the valley we came to another raft. We hopped onto this like old hands. From here the path looped quite steeply up away from the river. Like the previous day, we stopped frequently to look at birds and other things. There were termite mounds all over the place. A sign of a healthy forest apparently.
We came across some tiger tracks. Fresh from the day before. We also found elephant dung. This is easy to spot. It is enormous. No special skills required to identify where elephants have been. A couple of hours drifted past pleasantly and then we arrived at a waterfall. Time for breakfast. More masala tea, hard boiled eggs and wraps with curried vegetables. A variety of birds were flying around the waterfall. Sumatha pointed them out and I mostly failed to photograph them. It was dark in the gulley where the birds were flitting around. And they were very small. That is my excuse.
Breakfast done, we walked back the same way. We spotted a few more birds and an enormous spider. After a light lunch we grabbed a couple of hours sleep. Then it was another walk but this time staying quite close to the lodge. Back just as night was falling. We sat around a fire pit munching freshly cooked pakora and listened to the forest sounds. The alarm call of a Barking Deer alerted the guide to the presence of a tiger. It never came near the lodge but later on we heard its deep roar. Much more exciting than piped music while we were eating dinner.
The next day also started before sunrise. by first light we were crossing on the bamboo raft. This time we headed quite steeply up the side of the valley. The path became narrow and quite precipitous. A steep, loose slope to the river. To my surprise, we found elephant droppings. Despite their great size, elephants are extremely capable on steep mountainsides. An hour further down track we came across tiger prints. A mother with a cub we were assured. Shortly after this we stopped for breakfast.
A long steady climb uphill brought us to a village. We were met on the outskirts by an older villager who was going to show us around. First, he told us that a mother tiger with two cubs had been spotted very close to the village the night before. The village was quite interesting. Lots of kitchen gardens and an impressive spread of plants that can be grown. Everything from potatoes to mangoes. Our guide also showed us the village cannabis plants. Not for smoking but they did make little balls from the leaves that then went into the cooking. We sat around and drank some masala chai with biscuits. Finally, we walked down to the roadhead and met up with our car ready to take us to the next jungle lodge.
