waved and smiled at us. It seems that they are as curious about us as we are about them. Conditions are primitive with humans and animals living in very close proximity. The cows and buffalo are tethered up at the front of the small dark, dirty looking houses and their dung is collected by the women, mixed with straw and mud then formed into pats which dry in a couple of days and are used to fuel the cooking fires. This is a hard life.
Eventually the River was in sight and we boarded a boat and headed downstream. There were all kinds of birds, mostly brownish, which you can read about in Norma's blog. The monitor lizard, snakes and tortoise were basking in the sun on the muddy banks. Further on down the shore were large gatherings of crocs & gharials (similar to a croc but with a long pointed snout) lying on the River bank with heads raised to allow the sun to warm the glands beneath the lower jaw. These reptiles are only found in India.
The Gangetic dolphins, showed only the tops of their backs as they passed in front of the boat and were difficult to see. We returned to the jetty and took photos of four women returning from foraging by the River. They carried wool and knitting needles and were impressed when I took the needles and did a few stitches for them. Lots of laughter and smiles all round.
Returning to the car Al changed seats and took mine as his window wouldn't open!
Back to the lodge for tasty lunch followed by an afternoon stroll in the reserve.
After dinner our guide took Norma & I for a short stroll and we had great views of the nocturnal Indian Palm Civet, a member of the mongoose family.
Writing this in the garden by the campfire with Norma. Al and Yvette have gone to bed and there are four or five stewards at our beck and call should we need anything.
Norma has to be up early so we're off to the damp bed and the hotties.
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