The best thing about the guest house were the outdoor areas – the garden at the front and the dining area at the back (see picture). Little quiet havens away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi, a great place to relax, read, meet other travellers and have a few beers. I also met with a Delhi operator, Vikram, who took me out for lunch in the golf club (though I had to change into my golf shirt before they would let me in!!) while we discussed the arrangements for the Delhi tour and some tour add-on options that myself and Rahul hope to test drive in the next couple of months.
In the evening Vikram and his lovely wife took me out to his “club”, a colonial affair dating back to 1913, built by the Raj, and filled with the higher classes of Delhi. Exclusivity was the point, it seemed. I felt a little out of my depth but after a few beers began to enjoy myself and an excellent dinner finished off the night as was the tradition, as alcohol was not allowed in the dining areas!
The next morning I flew to Guwahati, the capital of Assam, where I spent two nights and two hot, dusty days. Having tied up some loose ends, I was happy to leave Guwahati behind and head again to Potasali Eco-camp, on the edge of Nameri National Park. It was lovely to be back, and a great place to relax, enjoy nature, good food and comfortable surroundings. I met a couple of Indian ecologists who were developing some land through which elephant routes pass, and Ronnie, the camp manager regaled us all with tall tales and kept the cold beer flowing! Yesterday, our North East partner, Komkar, came to visit the Eco-camp, and we started off for Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.