March 14

We awoke with the alarm at 06, excited!! At 0630, we were out for Safari #3. Right off the bat, Mehsud saw Tiger prints, but no tiger 😢🐅!!! Where is that Hobbes??? We saw the common Kingfisher and the bigger Kingfisher; many Spotted Deer; and a Barking Deer (these small deer go solo, not in herds). Mehsud drove where he thought we would best see a tiger. At a common spot again, we waited around a site due to one sighting of the elusive Hobbs. But Nay-nay, as the Indians would say!

So we went back to the other end of the park, at Dhikala – saw the elephants in the river again. It was around 0830. Mehsud asked if we wanted breakfast. Sure. They did have an good looking buffet breakfast: toast with butter & jam, yogurt, porridge, semolina with frozen mix veg blend, and omelets, with the standard coffee and tea available. We both ate heartily but didn't overdo. Jeff had an appetite, that was good.

After this, we went to another place for potential sighting, but our “safari time” or “window” was close to ending, so we went back to our place, arriving at 1030. (Each safari time is allotted a four hour window.) Jeff had noticed our driver paying for our breakfast earlier, so he paid him back and tipped him. Mehsud said he leaves us and we will supposedly get someone else for our fourth and fifth safaris. Humph! (Questions??) I got us a water; me a Coke; and Jeff a Limca. Jeff is feeling better, thankfully. After absorbing some sun he went and laid down. We probably have 2.5 hrs till our next safari. I just sat and enjoyed nature and the birds. I was just ready to go in and check on Jeff, when Mamalaeeq showed up! He's to be our driver again. (At least it will be someone we know and he looks refreshed!)

At 1355 we went to the Jeep. We were joined by another man, a guide, Prakash (sp?) who will be joining us. (Did not think we needed one? Questions??) Anyway, we were loaded up and backed up to go when we were detained by someone yelling and holding up two fingers. It was 1:59 – one minute too early!  so we waited, really! At two we left.😂🤣 LOL!!! Questions????

We saw soo much – Prakash is super vigilantly looking for any and all things of interest, especially tigers!!! (He also talks with Mamalaeeq, which will help keep him awake!) We saw the usual – all three kinds of Deer, Kingfishers, Black Storks, and the baby Eagle-Owl. At our same first stopping place (I call it crocodile spot), we stopped to check for tigers. (We had been here twice yesterday – last night was also for potential sighting of Hobbs.) As we got out, Mamalaeeq started hammering on the under frame of the Jeep! Prakash showed us the crocodiles and kept looking for the tigers. But no Hobbes! He then said, “Sometimes there are River Otters.” Cool! This makes sense, it's a river. I looked back at Mamalaeeq and the status of our ride – our jeep was being jacked up and he was taking the back tire off! Oh me, oh my!! It's needing a major repair. Prakash left the binoculars with us and went to help.

So being stuck, we took time looking out with our guides binoculars. I then spied the River Otters! Then people showed up, like a call went out -“River Otters at the Crocodile Spot!” So a few people did see them, even one guy from our camp (he has a super-duper zoom camera). There were five otters and as always, fun to watch. One caught a fish and was running away to eat it all himself. Anyway, they swam out of view and the people left, too. Finally, the jeep was fixed! We loaded and moved on. I remembered the first shall be last… and chuckled. No reason to be upset, but still was not too happy.

Then we all noticed a jeep stopped and looking… Jeff exclaimed, “There, a TIGER 🐯🐅🐯!!!!” WOWZA! And the tiger was all dappled in sunlight, crossing the road!! I had been praying for an obvious sighting, and here it was. The tiger even stopped and looked at us for what seemed an eternity – as if to “say”– is this obvious enough, Paula!?!  Anyway, Mamalaeeq moved the jeep closer when the tiger had crossed the road and we saw him disappear into the bush!! Just like that, Poof he's gone. It was a male – Big, gorgeous, and powerfully scary looking!! This is for Jeff's sister, we named him Tony… as in 'Tony the Tiger.' 😆 Hahaha!!!😅   Praise be to God our great Creator!!! What an amazing creature to behold! So blessed and feel awed for God answering prayers!!!

Our driver and guide stopped and talked a bit with the other jeep driver that had also witnessed this special moment. Jeff and I were still in a state of processing what we saw. Then, we moved on again. Did the loop to the watering hole. Even if we don't see anything else today, we will be pleased and count ourselves blessed to see such an amazing creature.
Then we saw jeeps parked and that means a sighting. So Mamalaeeq pulled over and Prakash gets out his binoculars and we are standing on our seats in the Jeep – as the sighting was quite a distance from where we could park to see. (No one is allowed off road.) Suddenly people are stirring and pointing. Lo and behold, we saw at least two🐅🐅 tigers! Our guide said they are eight month old siblings and there are three🐅🐅🐅. (The guide knows this, but we never saw them all together. We'll take his word for it.) I'm naming them, Baagh (the Hindu word for tiger); Namur (Arabic for tiger); and Sheeba (a female name, cause I'm sure one has to be female.). We stayed here quite awhile.

Then we left, it was time to return back to our place already 😲!  On our way back we saw two turtles swimming in a little water puddle on the edge of the road. Then a jackal was running alongside the road with us (got nervous I guess?), crisscrossing in front our Jeep. Our driver stopped just as he crossed over again in a grassy area, panting – he was a little stressed.

We arrived back. WOWZA!!! What a day! We were first in, just before six, and were elated. Staff could see it and asked, of our adventure. I told of us seeing least three tigers. Prakash corrected me saying four, but he thanked me after, I acknowledged him and our driver. (Jeff went in as soon as we got back.) He is having more issues – as in the Delhi belly kind. We did had a cup of tea around seven and talked with our neighbors, which he did fine with, and was able to stay and talk the whole time. He went to supper with me at eight, but as soon as the smells of food hit him – he had to leave. No supper again tonight.

I had a veg mix of potatoes, mushrooms, and chopped cilantro; plain rice with a lentils/potato soup on it; and x2 roti. Then a dessert of kheer! It was good.

On my way back the night stars✨️ were fantastic viewing!! When I returned, Jeff was still up and down to bathroom! He did not sleep well. I was able to sleep some and turned in around 2300.