Bison, Tigers and Elephants... oh my!
Tracking animals in Mudumalai National Park
2/14/13
It is technically illegal to do trekking in Mudumalai National Park but we knew a guy that knew a guy that had hired a guide...etc... and we made it happen. Masinagudi is the name of the town... what a great place. Quiet, dusty little town with very little tourists. Natural and beautiful, still ruged and raw, wild and less influenced by the west. We loved it. We were there only for a week, but spent our days walking through the forest with native tribesmen, tracking and spotting wild animals. It was peaceful, meditative and yet exhilarating, because we were tracking wild elephants and Bengal tigers. I felt like we were trekking through the woods with the indian version of Tom Brown. We were walking quietly and intentionally, avoiding stepping on leaves or twigs, scanning the area for animals or movement, being conscious of wind direction for scent, learning the difference between scat, and looking for paw prints. It was awesome. We saw lots of wild elephants, 4 kinds of deer, rabbits, giant flying squirrels (those were my favorite), 2 different kinds of monkeys, chipmunks, bison, lots of birds including the peacock, eagle, and parrot.... and last but not least... we saw 2 Bengal tigers!! What an incredible week! I really needed a better lens for my camera to take great pictures of the animals... but I got a few. We are already plotting our return to Masinagudi... we'll see what happens 
excitement after seeing the tiger
washing clothes
Colin playing cricket with the local bad new bears
termite hill
Sanjai... our favorite guide. Being a former poacher... he knew his stuff, yet was so sweet and humble.
Ha! Colin preparing to fight off the tiger
Posted by kristinandcolin 20:09 Archived in India
You guys are so awesome. I love seeing your photos and it seems like you are having a great time. I have to admit I am a little/lot jealous when I hear your stories and see the adventure that you both have embarked on. Makes me want to go back to India even more. I hope your travels are blessed, they seem to be and that your are able to explore a India few see. Thanks for keeping us to date. Durango and Open Sky is still going well. The dust has cleared and life is beginning to feel good and Kara and I are more grounded after our time of being on the run. Work has been giving me quite a nice little spanking, oh boy but I am catching on-I hope. Last Sunday I skied a 17-20" day at my favorite hill around here with a crew of 10 good buddies. This weekend has been full with watching a Tom Brown Philosophy course and making my sweetie a cedar self bow. It it funny how you are tracking elephants in India and I am learning meditation techniques from a tracker in Colorado. I love seeing the happiness on your faces, you are in our thoughts often and lets send some love to one another via the cosmic communication lines. Keep the dream alive we love you and watch yer top knot.... XOXO
-Kyle
2/17/13 by yoga Kyle