Sunday 20th April 2025

It is time to leave the tigers behind.

For now.

We had two days of travel to look forward to, on Sunday back to Delhi via car then plane from Jabalpur, and on Monday by bus to the foothills of the Himalayas at Sat Tal.

Both days would be filled with travel and little else.

But first, we get a lay in to half six, then breakfast at eight before wheels at half nine, so not to get to the airport too early. As there's little else there other than the swanky new terminal building.

We had packed the night before, so it was a case of get up, get dressed and do the last few chores before meeting in the reception building for breakfast, which was mostly other forms of curry, but there was toast.

The cases were collected and placed in the cars, we climbed in and off we went along the main road through the park, one last time.

No motorways for us, but an incomplete State Road (SR), that it places bridges had not been completed, so temporary gravel roads paid in the meantime.

Time and time again this happened, but traffic just coped, and in a few hundred yards you were back on the concrete.

At the midway point, we stopped for a comfort break at the Halfway House, though it suggested they did food, no one made an attempt to sell us anything or provide a menu. But we had packed lunches, so munched in them as we drew near to Jabalpur.

As we entered the city limits, the driver took a sharp left, along narrow residential lanes, past feral cows and small shops, until we came to the base of a hill, where the "road", made of gravel, wound it's way up, more lumpy and bumpy than on any safari.

We were concerned, how could this be leading us to an airport?

For ten minutes the landcruisers struggled up the hill, then as we crested the hill, there was the grand entrance, with lots of new road and the gleaming new terminal building behind. Its just the approach road that wasn't finished.

The cars dumped us off, we went into the terminal, lined up to drop our cases off and get boarding passes, then up through security to sit beside gate four, the fourth and final gate at the airport.

One of four flights the rest of the day.

We had two hours to kill before the plane arrived, an hour delayed, then the rush for boarding. I had a window seat near the back, but toddlers in the seats in front and behind, I had a noisy journey with no sleep.

But in fairness, once in the air they did quieten down, so not too bad.

As we approached Delhi, I looked down and saw that the very air above and in the city was yellow with pollution, very much like I experienced in Beijing eleven years ago now.

We landed, taxied to to an air bridge, then came the scramble to get off, meaning I was one of the last off, miles behind the others, but dear Jools did wait.

We walked to baggage reclaim, got the cases, then out into the chaos outside of the terminal, where a million cars were collecting a million passengers, and all were sitting on their horns.

We had to find our bus, which took some time, we piled on for the short drive to the Lemon Tree again, but the driver missed the turning, so had to go all round again.

It was seven when we arrived, got our cases though security, our room keys and freshened up, so it was eight fifteen before we met in the restaurant for our final supper together.

Over half the tour was heading back to Blighty on Monday, and just Jools and I and another couple staying on the extension.

There were tears at the end of the meal when the reality that for most, the holiday adventure had come to an end, and they would be leaving.

Eleven, and time to go to bed, as there was another early morning on the morrow.