Day 2, April 13th, Jim's Jungle Retreat, Walking Safari

One of the activities on offer at Jim's was a walking safari. Having read several newspaper reports this year of villagers being killed by tigers in the Corbett region we were a little uneasy about it. Trip advisor didn't help when we read about the tourists returning from a walking safari at dusk and seeing a tiger, they were clearly thrilled, I'd be a little less impressed.
Another visitor had been out the day before, just him and a guide, and they'd seen a herd of elephants, unfortunately even that didn't seem too enticing to me. This was feeling like a safari where I'd be pleased if I didn't see animals.
Anyway I decided that we might regret it if we didn't do it so off we set at 5pm, me, my teenage daughter, my mother and a very tiny guide carrying a bird book for protection!
We left the resort and walked into the adjoining eucalyptus forest. I was unsettled to realise that our guide, although charming and enthusiastic, spoke very little English. We were anxious as hell and a little relieved to exit the forest and walk out onto the broad dried up river bed.
We saw jungle fowl running into some shrubbery and realised that they were being chased by jackal. I felt that having seen animals we could turn back satisfied at that point but our guide had other ideas! We strolled further along the river and then he disappeared into deep undergrowth beckoning us to follow, by this point I was scared stiff but sheepishly followed. We came out into another forested area and the guide proudly took us to a tree to show us tiger scratch marks, that was enough excitement for me and we persuaded him that it looked very much like rain and we should be heading back. On our return we saw a large herd of blue bull and more jackals.

Later, lounging in the machan and drinking Baileys I reflected on what an absolutely brilliant experience it had been, fear and all, our hour walking in the jungle.

Day 2-4, April 13-15th, Jim's Jungle Retreat

Having been to Corbett several times before we weren't quite sure where to stay. We left it very late to book and couldn't get in to Dhikala at all which was disappointing. We looked at various options and were offered a package including an overnight at Bijrani Forest Rest House but in the end decided on Jim's as it had such good reviews on Trip Advisor.
It really is a lovely place. Well away from the big resorts at Dhikuli. If you come by train they'll pick you up in a jeep but then you're pretty much stuck in the resort, there's nowhere within walking distance, unless you go on the walking safari, more on that later.
There are several different room options. We took a jungle cottage which had a large double bed and a single mattress in the living area. All very comfortable, clean and relaxing. There was a covered verandah all around the cottage.
The gardens were great, cultivated in a more natural way than the bigger resorts. Lots of places to relax, read, sleep. Our favourites were the machan overlooking the dried up river and the elevated lounging area by the pool. Whilst lounging we saw many types of birds and some animals - jackals, monkeys and blue bull on the opposite bank of the river.
All meals were included, food was good and plentiful. The best was the Indian vegetarian selection although the English style puddings were a treat. One night there was a barbecue, Tandoori chicken was fabulous but cost extra, although very cheap.
The swimming pool was gorgeous and usually very quiet. The whole resort was peaceful and lovely, I'd go back tomorrow.
An ideal Corbett trip would be 3 or 4 days at Jim's Jungle Retreat and 2 or 3 days at Dhikala. It was the most expensive place we stayed in India but worthwhile.

Day 2, April 13th, Bijrani, Corbett

Woken by 5.45am early morning call. Had slept like a dream post flight and train journey.
Tea and cheese sandwiches available to stop any pre safari hunger pangs. We were shown to a jeep with another British traveller and mabe the 20 min journey to Bijrani Gate.
I always try not to get my hopes up re seeing a tiger but the morning safari was one of those occasions where you feel pretty convinced you're not going to see one. I had heard that Bijrani was good for tiger sightings, maybe better than Dhikala but no luck this morning. The zone, though stunning, is not as beautiful as Dhikala with the added disadvantage that you don't see wild elephants. It was still a glorious morning, the highlight was seeing Great Indian Hornbills in the trees, wonderful birds and I'd never seen them before.
Other than that, lots of deer, and monkeys....
And of course the fresh tiger pugmarks, I have this vision of someone with a pugmark stamp rushing out before the first jeeps to place tantalising tiger evidence so that you feel like you've been near one even if you don't see one!

Enjoyable drive back through Ramnagar, a colourful lively small town with a busy market that everyone bypasses on their way to Corbett.

India 2011 - a belated holiday diary - Day 1 Delhi to Corbett April 12th

Arrived at the newly updated Delhi Airport, a vast improvement but very long corridors from the planes to the terminals. There are banks inside the airport to change money on arrival.
We didn't try the new airport metro as we were hot and tired and it's so easy to get a pre-pay cab and just fab to get into an old black Ambassador.
It was hot, very hot, which was just what I wanted. Delhi post Commonwealth Games did appear to have been spruced up and the main roads from the airport into town were smarter than I remembered. We arrived in Old Delhi station with plenty of time for our train to Ramnagar and shamefully passed most of our waiting time in McDonalds although I did a bit of strolling around the station. We were all hot and tired after the overnight flight.
The evening train journey to Ramnagar was uneventful and we were relieved to find a jeep waiting for us at the airport. The driver took us to Jim's Jungle Retreat, I'm always relieved when an internet booking works out. The resort is about half an hour out of Ramnagar and it was dark on the journey, the last 5 mins were through the forest and over a dried up river bed, fabulous and already felt a million miles from the city.
We had a booked a 'jungle cottage', quite spacious and very comfortable. Dinner was buffet style, very good food, particularly the vegetarian options.
Went to bed as soon as possible, shattered and anticipating our 5.30am wake up call for a morning safari to Bijrani zone.

Old Delhi Station

Outside Old Delhi Station

The slightly scary monkeys of Old Delhi Station

Third class a/c Old Delhi - Ramnagar

Peacocks...

... really are the most extraordinary looking birds.  Strolled around our local animal centre, Brent Lodge Park aka the Bunny Park, and one of them decided to follow me. I was there to take some pictures of one of several wonderful new social enterprise projects that are starting up locally, this one involving adult artists with learning difficulties, it was moving and inspiring.

The Wonders of Shiply

Shiply Courier Services - Matches you with rated delivery firms going there anyway.

After the Luton ebay chaos I realised that I had to find a better way to actually get the things  I was stockpiling from Ebay. Someone suggested Shiply - what a brilliant idea. You tell them your postcode and the postcode of the item and then people start to send you quotes to deliver it, simple and brilliant. You can even put in an Ebay code for something you're thinking about bidding on and get back quotes for possible delivery if you decide to buy it - a world of new Ebay items suddenly possible to me...

The Middle Bedroom - Before

More shiny wood, more pine cladding, another green carpet. One wall completely full of fitted cupboards created a sense of excitement as I thought the original fireplace might be hidden behind. But no, gone, destroyed, vanished. The only thrill came from buying another Ebay fireplace - from Luton £135 and 20+ times around a one way system to find it- and then finding, after ripping up the carpets, that not only did the hearth tiles remain but that they exactly matched the tiles on the fireplace - little pleasures

Is it Spring?

It's not warm, it's not sunny but nevertheless there's something Springlike in the air.
Planted out my Columbia Rd primula instead of adopting my usual strategy of letting them dry     up and die in the plastic pots I bought them in.
The antique pots are ones I rescued when the factory they were made in was demolished in the 90s to build flats. It was on Grosvenor Rd in Hanwell.

The new room

Not finished but starting to come together

And it starts to come together

Lots of filler, lots of plaster, used modelling clay to make a mould of the cornice and ceiling rose and set plaster in it to fill in the missing places.

And finally, a beautiful ceiling.

Couldn't decide what ceiling light would be perfect so used matt white spray paint to cover the plastic, brass effect chandelier and felt vaguely pleased with the result.

That ceiling

Time for the ceiling decision, and the need to shake off the vague anxiety that the massive wooden beam was somehow holding the house up. We made four more holes to look at it from all angles, jumped a lot on the ceiling above and then just went for it and pulled the whole lot down. The wooden beam had been well cemented into the wall but 8 hours later it was all gone.
And the house was still standing.