Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/04/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Wonderful story, your writing is now beginning to outpace your photos. We laughed out loud. Cheers Alastair > Hi Luggers, > Shooting Tigers is accomplished with the help of a lot of people, > principally your driver and guide. > In Ranthambhore you could claim the same driver and guide for every > excursion. In Bandhavgarh > the driver came with the lodge and the guide was assigned by the park > authorities. Jayanand and I > were lucky to have quiet times alone with the tigers. The following > photo shows the more likely situation. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/TigerPeople/ > > http://tinyurl.com/ye94ynj > > Our driver in Bandhavgarh was Kunwar. He had a swagger about him, > like an Indian Omar Sharif, and clearly was a leader among the drivers. > He had great knowledge about the trails of the tigers and could drive > like Michael Schumacher when he had to when intercepting the tigers > - he was really magnificent > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/TigerPeople/Kunwarw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/ya288dt > > The guides in Bandhavgarh are assigned by the Park Authorities and > some are good - > some not. One day we had a drunk one who slept in the back of the jeep > all through the > safari. He didn't get a tip. Shankar was the opposite end of the > spectrum, 31, married with > one son, he has been a guide for 10 years and has obviously studied to > be knowledgeable > about the flora and fauna in the reserve and worked hard to have > excellent english. > > He also has a good sense of humour illustrated by this story. > > One afternoon it was very hot and I drank a lot of water. > There was no place to stop to go to the toilet and you are not allowed > to get off the jeep but I had to go. The jarring of the ride had > really dislodged my kidneys. > So Kunwar pulled up at one of the water holes - looked around and said > go for it. I hopped > down from the jeep and walked behind a tree and let fly! After a long > while I felt greatly > relieved and hopped back on the jeep. > > As I settled in Shankar turned to me very seriously and said " Now you > will have to be very careful. > You have marked a male tiger's territory and by the size of the mark > he is going to think you are > very big and he will be looking for you." > > I looked at him wide eyed. "Really?" I said. > > Shankar smiled > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/TigerPeople/Shankarw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/yl7rttl > > and then chuckled and then he and Kunwar burst out laughing as we > turned back into the > afternoon dust. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/TigerPeople/JeepDustw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/yatmmpq > > C&C always welcome > Cheers > Howard > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >