Skinny trees gone almost brown in the dryness of summer, just waiting for the monsoons. Meadows with tall golden grass and valleys shaded by their own walls, and towering sheer cliffs, upon which one enormous 11th-century fort remains. As if all this wasn't fodder for National Geographic, the park is also dotted with the ruins of mosques and temples and the 16 villages that were relocated when Ranthambore became a national park in 1973. And there were animals, everywhere. If my guide hadn't pointed out the sheer granite cliffs and the black rubble of an ancient volcano, I'd have missed most of the topography, simply searching through the trees and the dust for the many animals who call it home.
Tigers are the stars, but are really just the tip of the tale.
It was time to go. We had seen our tiger, and were content. And then our driver slammed on the brakes, and we looked up to see two more young male tigers, on a hillside not far from the park exit. The eyes of one of the cubs met mine, and his steady, cool stare blew the haze completely away. Record Leisure Editor Jill Schensul is writing a daily diary for The Record Online during her trip to India and Nepal.