Steady on Jumbo

We are on the road again leaving the lovely Kazaranga National Park but we will be back this way for Christmas.

The drive is not quite as arduous but still as picturesque. We pass some boys fishing who are using many different methods to catch small fish in very shallow water. It’s amazing they catch any fish at all

Using nets

baskets

and bowls!

We enter the town of Tezpur which is bustling with activity. We visit a small temple where lots of people are getting ready to go and make their offerings

Who are you looking at?

Holy man on the cadge

Everyone wears their finest for the temple

As we move in to the town we come to Agnigarh, the fort of fire.  It has a view point which is reached easily through  a flight of steps but progress is easier said than done as we attain celebrity status. The Indian tourists throng to us asking for selfies and posing with us.  Most of the young people are on a day trip from schools and colleges celebrating finishing their exams. They are all dressed brightly and are very excited as they do not meet Westerners very often.  They don't seem put off by our being old enough to be their parents.

It's not only the kids that want to be snapped with me

John draws a crowd

Getting down with the kids

At the top of the hill we see black kites flying around and a view of the Brahmaputra sand banks - this must look spectacular in the monsoon but to be honest it isn't much of a view on a misty day.

Black kite

The Brahmaputra stretches into the distance

We are staying in a tea planters bungalow in the grounds of a conservation site and the tea bushes go on as far as the eye can see.

Assam Tea Estate

We are shown around and have a pleasant walk taking in the peaceful surroundings.

The Wild Mahseer is a lovely place but the food just keeps coming - they must cater for Hobbits with three meals, elevenses, and between elevenses if you get peckish. If we stayed here too long we would be huge

Our modest bungalow

All set for a  day in Nameri National Park.  Our guide stops to buy oranges while we sit in the car - whir and John is beckoned into the barbers.  Before we know it he is looking like Santa Claus with a big white foam beard.  The barber fits a new blade in the cut throat razor and 15 minutes later John emerges looking spruce and clean shaven and nick free. The only down side is the generous application of a rather strange aftershave which lingers for the day!

Looking a bit nervous

Getting down to business

When we get to the national park where we pick up an armed guide to escort us into the jungle. Whilst waiting we visit the Pygmy Hogs who have been rescued from the jungle.  These are an endangered species and we learn about the breeding programme. They are tiny buy unfortunately these little chaps are a little camera shy

There's only about 500 of the critters left

and they wouldn't make one decent bacon butty!

The trek starts by taking a wooden boat across the fast flowing river to the sand bank on the edge of the jungle

Ready to cast off

Sanders of the River

We set of with our guide Mr Minera passing the domestic elephants who are used to help police the land from poachers and keep the forestry paths clear.  He tells us that last night one of the wild elephants left the park and raided a local shop - they are drawn by salty things and all the crisps have gone!

Keeping an elephant eye on you

A couple of big lads

Once in the forest the birds are abundant John is in his element

A red bird

A yellow necked flameback

A blue bird

The path way is not to hard but does get a bit muddy in places and we use logs to cross the stick bits

It's hardly the Zambesie

Our guide hears the call of a wild elephant and gets us to a viewing platform and safety but the elephant doesn’t materialise and we come back to earth.  We're walking through the tall grass on a gentle path in file behind Mr Minera.  Mr Minera is an expert guide, he has worked here for years and knows the ways of elephants.  He knows Nameri like the back of his hand and can sense danger.  He is armed with a double barrelled shotgun but that is surely just for show.

We walk on - Mr Minera doesn't see the single elephant standing about 25 yards away!  I spot it and point out the large tusker to Mr Minera.  His expert knowledge  comes to the fore - he looks in panic and shouts "Run" - we move a step back and Mr M raises his shotgun to fire a volley over the elephant's head.  There's a deafening roar as the shotgun explodes and the elephant which is surprisingly quick and nimble belts off in the opposite direction into the dense undergrowth.

The elephant is right in the middle of this shot

Jumbo heads off into the long grass

After a release of nervous energy we walk on - John's nervous energy had a very funny smell.  Nearing the Rangers' Centre our nerves calm a little.  We are shown a tree full of different coloured ghekos

One gecko

Two geckos

A flock of cormorants fly past

After lunch we head up river so that we can take a gentle two hour raft ride back to Nameri.

Two hours - sitting on that plank - you work it out!

At first, the wooden planks we sit on don’t seem too bad but they soon start to feel hard and make for a bum-numbing trip.  However, the birds and ducks we see as we travel down the river make up for it

Himalayas in the background

Cormorant

Ruddy ducks

A Pied Kingfisher

A Grey-Headed Fish Eagle

Cormorants and heron negotiate the rapids

Eventually we land on the shore just as dusk is falling.  We're driving back to our bungalow when we come across lots of people screaming and shouting.  We understand that a rogue elephant has come back to raid the little sweet shop again, then legged it off through the village taking down fences and and anything it is path. The rangers on the domestic elephants have been called and all calms down.  I will always have the image of a massive elephant leaving behind a trail of empty crisp packets and sweet wrappers in my mind.

Bigger than a panda car!

On arrival back we are invited to have drinks with the owner of the tea plantation in the big bungalow.  We went past yesterday but the inside is more impressive.  We're served large G&Ts and when our host leaves to go to a meeting he kindly allows us and the other guests to remain in his lovely house and have another drink.  "It's unlucky to offer a guest one drink" he says. A perfect end to a perfect day.

The 'Big' Bungalow

Saying goodbye to our good friends at Wild Mahseer - A most hospitable group who made us feel right at home

We are off to Eagles Nest tomorrow for extreme bird watching.