North East India: Assam

After a few days getting reacquainted with Kolkata we flew to the capital of Assam, Guwahati. We met a tour guide whom we stayed with (www.jungleideas.com). And with Arunav Bora we visited Pobitora National Park, this is a great park for water birds and the extremely rare one horned rhinoceros.   We spotted 6 of the rhinoceros in our 3 hr game drive by open Jeep, and 20 different species of birds.  Nemeri National Park  was our next stop across the Brahmaputra River in upper Assam.  We stayed at the Eco camp for 4 nights and we started bird watching in the very early mornings.  To get to the park involved a 20 minute walk on a trail and then a river crossing by a wooden row boat.  On the river banks were tracks of wild elephants, tigers and wild buffaloes.  Spotting 145 species of birds in pristine forests through varied terrain (log walking and forest trail with some leeches) was great fun. This was where I drew the first blood of the trip by a leech.  The guide was good and he did have a bird book. We had to have an armed guard with us as well because of possible tiger or elephant attack, and possible poachers.  The resort was lovely with great food and large safari tents as rooms. ($23/ night).  It was fun to think about the various wild animals coming down to drink just some hours ago.   We also visited a village that was known for having black magic practioners.  An interesting museum reported various exploits of black magic from the past with pictures of recent healing too.  After we left the area the newspaper reported several poachers killed by the forest guards and 1 rhino killed by the poachers

Nameri NP Assam India

An early model Evenrude outboard.

Pobitora NP Assam India

An urban legend of a majically disappearing army.

NAMERI NP ASSAM INDIA

Indian Pond Heron

Nameri NP Assam India

White-throated kingfisher

Nameri NP Assam India

Black Dorango

Nameri NP Assam India

Open-billed stork

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Pobitora NP Assam India

Indian one-horned rhinoceros

Pobitora NP Assam India

Indian one-horned rhinoceros

Nameri NP Assam

Pat and our forest guide

Nameri NP Assam India

The snow covered Himalayas in the distance

Nameri NP Assam India

Show me your permit!

Nameri NP Assam India

Giant squirrel

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Nameri NP Assam India

Giant Bamboo sprouting

Nameri NP Assam India

Tiger footprint

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