hello all! well since the last eipc blog we still have so much more to tell there is constantly so much going on and so much crazyness!

we stayed in jaiur just long enough to know that charlotte really didnt lie it! harvey didnt dislike too much but charlotte not a fan it is the dirtiest and most poluted city we have been to so far - one rickshaw ride back to the hotel and we had to get the eyedrops out because harveys eyes were streaming! we saw the fort (another one!) which was cool but other than that we cut the sightseeing a little short and opted for a relaxing lunch instead!

headed out of jaipur at 6am to ranthambore. on the way we stopped at a monkey temple - there were hudredes of them and loads of baby ones which were doing the funniest things - could have watched them for hours! arrived in ranthambore and managed to negotiate an upgrade into one of the garden cottages at our hotel - it was so nice and the hotel garden and restaurant was so tranquil, especially in relation to jaipur! it also had a really nice pool which we were so happy to see!

we went off for an afternoon safari in a canter - about 30 people in one big truck and although the park was very pretty, the exerience was not great - seriousy over touristy and we only saw a glimpse of a tigers foot. not exactly a successful tiger sighting in our minds! anyway we chilled at the hotel that evening and got up at 5 am the following morning - harvey went off to join the cue with the tour opperaters to try to negotiate a jeep safari - all are offically booked up but for some magical reason we managed to get one...and the experience could not have been more magical if we had tried. set out just as light was coming through and the sunrise we saw as we were entering the park. we went into a different zone this time and the low jee only had 3 other people in and a very enthusiatic female guide. we were the first poeple in the park - felt like we were the only poeple. we drove round the lake first, so beautiful - and then we came round a cornwer and there - facing us just off the side of the track in the trees was a huge tiger - was amazing we drove up to it and she waled past looked at us - it was so quiet we could hear her footsteps. she walked away from us up a side track and we thought this was the end of our sighting, but the jeep driver followed her up the track, she was just walking ahead of us, an then she quickened her pace, only slightly. we thought she was running away to start with but then saw what she had spotted - a mohter and bay dee grazig in the grases off to our left. stealth doesnt begin to describe how she pouned ver o it - she made it looks o easy. just couldnt believe it - we were sat there watching her hunt, tak and then kill the baby deer. was the most amazing thing ever.. was sad too ecause the mother deer just stood there calling out to the baby.. ut thats the way the cookie cumbles - the tiger is king of the jungle and we were the only ones that monring with enough indian luck to see a tiger kill. in fact talkng to people after we have been privilaged to have seen the hunting and killing. harvey has some great shots and one of the other guys in our jeep was a very keen photographer with an amzing camera so we have also stolen his!

we went out again that afternoon in another jeep but no sighting, we werent really worried about seeing another one though - just thought we may as well while we were there! when we got back to the hotel we noticed that all our eyes were watering and when we got in the hotel everyone was sitting with wet cloths on their faces - no one knew what was going on but we knew there was a gas bottling plant nearby so worried about this we headed away from the gas we came back about half an hour later. eyes eventually stopped watering and stinging and we found out later that evening that the police had been training, and set off tear gas in the jungle (yes we were pretty shocked about the environmental aspect of this too although no one else seemed to be!) and the wind had blown it ito the town which had been stinging our eyes anyway - all pretty unbelievable ut we can still see so all is good! had our last meal out with our diver that night, the follwing morning we headed to agra to see the world famous taj mahal. it was very pretty, quite incredible to seesometing so clean amongst all the dirt of india. we were expencting on of the wonders of the world to be located in somewhere a bit nicer but no - the dirt, poverty begging and hassle continues!