Sawai Madhopur (the town) is all about Ranthambore national park, which is the reason people come here. It is also why this small town, out in the country, far from the nearest thriving metropolis has 500 hotels. 
This morning I had my first tiger safari which began pretty promptly at 630.
We drove through the town and then outskirts to reach zone 8. I think our guide spoke very little English because he and the driver barely said anything to us. The driver spent most of the safari using a very large match as a toothpick. This sticks in my mind because the land around was so dry. One match could equal less tigers. I think because of their silence, we, the 6 people on the tour also barely spoke. The other five people were German. As I climbed in one of the men said, "Look a gypsy full of optimists." (Gypsy is what they call the Jeeps for the safari. They seat 4-6 people. Canters are the bigger, look like people movers (fat open air trucks), and hold what looks like at least 20). This was his 4th safari and he had yet to see a tiger. There are anywhere between 60 and 66 tigers in the park depending on who you ask (the internet claims 100). The park is open from September through June and closed during the August and July rainy season.
Zone 8 was beautiful as was the drive through town and into the country. After being told we wouldn't stop for anything because we had to go for the tigers first, they immediately began stopping for everything. At the top of the hill, we saw and old tiger track and then proceeded to sit and wait in the silence for quite a while. At the 15 minute mark I asked what we were doing. I was told that the deer bark when they see a tiger. I responded that I didn't hear any noise at all let alone a bark. He just looked at me and we continued to sit in silence. I began questioning my gullibility as I stared down at what looked like a perfect paw print in the sand with a circle around it. I pictured a little man in a straw cap hopping from zone to zone stamping random lion paw prints in the road and then circling them. Maybe this whole thing was making fun of western tourists?
The other animals in the park are: the spotted deer, the bluebell (I think), the Indian version on the Thompson's Gazelle, sloth bears, leopards and the subtle antelope (real name somber deer but in my brain I keep thinking the other). and of course monkeys. We saw a lot of the deer-ish animals and monkeys. For no apparent reason, we were finally done sitting in silence and we began driving up and down the hills. At one point our drive almost drove us off of a cliff. Everyone in the car screamed but me. I couldn't grasp that it was actually happening. Despite this, I was the only one to ask if I could get out of the keep because we were continuing to roll forward. I was told no. I got out anyway and should not have gotten back in until he was farther from the edge than he was. At this stop we saw parakeets and hawks.
The safari ended tiger-less and what seemed like and turned out to be very quickly as we arrived back at 930 almost an hour before we were expected. My new friends also returned tiger-less from zone 2. After we had another great meal (Mmmm breakfast buffet, but really stop the madness. Mental note: must do 1 minute of planks for every round of buffet-age), they then packed up and headed to Jaipur. I worked out and got ready for the afternoon safari.
I had seen what looked like houses of cow patties on my drive the previous day, and today I saw large, solid mini houses that were decorated completely made of cow poop. The round cakes I had seen the day before are used for fuel in ovens. It allows for easy disposal of cow dung and is cheap and available. After it is burned the ashes are used to clean people's hands and also to spread on the fields as a pesticide of sorts. They are molded by hand and each cake is 2100 Kj of energy. I was hoping to be able to put something clever here but I can only find conversions to food calories which is not appropriate for the above subject matter (it is around 239 calories).
Some quick India facts: India has a population of 1.326 billion people as of 2016 (compared to the U.S.'s 325.8 million.). It is the world's second most populous country and is projected to pass China and become the most populous by 2022 (with 1.7 billion). It is also 1/5th of the world's population. In 2013 it was estimated that the median per capita income was $616. Life expectancy here is 66.2 years (compared to the U.S. 78.7 years). India has also been reported to have the most people without access to clean water with 5% (around 79 million) not having access to clean water. The government states that 96% of Indian villages have electricity but only 69% of homes have connections.
Back to thinking about the drive this morning and all of yesterday we passed brilliantly-colored sparkling women bearing sickles working in the fields. It seemed that there were many more women than men. The men all seemed to be in the local barbershops that we passed getting their hair cut.
After working out and lunch I wandered into the gift shop and bought a bigger shoulder bag that would hold my camera for $2.50. Within 15 min of using it the next day I learned a lesson: You should always check the seams especially when it is 2.50 or you will be carrying all of your things as individual pieces or in a weird wrapped up awkward way. Anyways the bag as beautiful as it was, pretty much shredded like tissue paper. As I was leaving the store the man I had bought the bag from gave me a lucky Ganesh and told me I would definitely see a tiger.
My second safari driver also arrived promptly and again I was last to be picked up. This time there were 3 French chicks and a couple from Madrid. I liked the guide a lot from the beginning. He gave us a brief history of the park and assured us that we would definitely see a tiger. He also pointed things out on the drive. This time we went to zone 7. As we entered the reserve we went up and down and turned a bend and saw all of the vehicles ahead of us stopped. Our guide announced that there was a tiger sleeping. We were 6 vehicles back. We slowly waited our turn (which caused the first round of yelling from the guides), and eventually there he was. After passing the tiger our guide told us we should park at the top of the hill and wait because tigers usually moved around 430 PM (it was 315). We agreed and were in a good spot to drive by him again first.
We waited patiently as more cars parked behind us and the line advanced. All was going well until a canter stopped directly in front of the tiger and refused to move even though there were 2 gypsies behind it. Now the yelling really began with hand gestures. When it became clear that the canter was not going to move (or at least it seemed to become clear). The jeeps behind us advanced forward now blocking the canter in. When they did this, they all tried to pass each other at once. One jeep was up teetering on three wheels. The American women in this car started squealing and asking about insurance. I laughed. They asked me not to laugh. I said I was pretty sure there was no insurance in the jungle. One jeep then side-swiped another, while still another drove its passengers into a bush of thorns. All the while loud yelling continued. In my car the French women began singing the opening to The Lion King (wrong country, wrong animal). They were told to be quiet by every driver and guide in yelling distance. The canter wasn't moving (likely now because it couldn't). And how was the tiger not awake??
Enter National Park warden with big stick. He got out of his gypsy and walked to directly in front of the tiger (with his back towards him) and also began yelling. He used his stick to hit the canter. This got a response and everyone moved. Immediately. He sauntered away and we went past the tiger for a 2nd time.
He had changed positions but was snoozing quite peacefully. We then again pulled to the side of the road in hopes that we would still see him move (at this point an hour and a half has passed since we initially passed). We are waiting patiently when one jeep decided to surge ahead, again creating a traffic jam. Then the canter rushed up behind it. This caused a chain reaction where were now 3 in line.
But then louder yelling, more intense hand gestures, and more people being driven into thorn bushes. All of the sudden we were number 6. How did that happen? And why can't I yell in Hindi? I now have the hand gesture down. The French humans had now turned on their phones and were snap chatting away. More yelling. Louder. More emphatic. Maybe I can yell in Hindi? Wouldn't it be fun to be a full on participant. They were saying mostly the same thing which I am sure was at best impolite. I asked my guide. He said not to try and gave me a look that could only mean to please lower my hand (it was inching up towards the hand gesture).
The game warden was back this time with two others. Even more and louder yelling. More sticks. All of the sudden everyone was moving. 3rd time of tiger passing. He had moved again but was still asleep. This left us 30 min to drive into the park and see what the deer and antelope were up to which we did at top speed. At the end we passed the tiger a 4th time at 5:58 PM (you have to be out of the park at 6 PM or the guide gets fined 5000 rupees which is a ton of money and suspended from driving for 2 weeks). We raced out of the park just making it (we were two minutes late but there had been a gypsy collision so it distracted them and we were free and clear).
I was deposited at my hotel in time for post safari tea which consisted of merchants, dancers, a singer, and a sitar player. Dinner followed quickly after and then I was off to bed to get ready for my early wake up call.
In Sum: I saw a tiger in the wild!!! And it was awesome!!!
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