Day 12 – Eaglenest to Kaziranga
A 5.45am breakfast meeting again and after loading up and taking in the views for the last time we headed downhill to the site of the “Bugan” where we enjoyed a good hour of birding adding a couple of new species. Unfortunately the “Bugan” were not playing ball so the views from the other day would be our lot.
In an attempt to catch up with Ibisbill we took another route that took us west then south along the border with Bhutan. We searched, what looked like an ideal river for Ibisbill but it wasn’t to be. Driving in India is nerve racking experience at the best of times, but on these road perched above large drops it is especially scary. To make matter worse our driver missed the first bend, taking it way to fast, fortunately he just managed to keep it on the road. You would think he would have learnt his lesson, but no on the next bend he did exactly the same, only this time there was another car! Everyone let out a scream and through their arms into the air – quite how that would have helped I don’t know, but we all did it. Somehow, more through luck than judgement the cars didn’t collide – words were said!
The rest of the day was hard, the roads were good but it was hairpin bend after hairpin bend, as we descended out of the foothills onto the plains of Assam. We eventually stopped for lunch at @3.00pm, I for one was an emotional and physical wreck, lack of sleep and hard days in the field are not good preparations for meeting your maker!
We eventually got the the hotel in Kaziranga just as it was getting dark for a welcome coffee, then to our rooms where we all showered and shaved for the first time in six days. I had at this point a 7 day beard which looked better than I thought it would, I decided that I would only feel clean if it came off, part of me wishes I hadn’t.
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