Kabini

While Jake & Bridgette were here we planned a last minute trip to Kabini India and BOY am I glad we did!  Going forward this will be our "official" spot to take guests when they come to visit!  We had such a good time!

We determined we were going to need some bigger wheels to accommodate the four adults and four children that would be travelling on this little excursion.  Depending on the traffic it's about a six hour drive to Kabini.

Bright and early our rented "Mystery Machine" and driver arrived!

Woot!  Check out that Party Wagon!

We hadn't even driven outside of Palm Meadows and the "fun" began.  The kids started bellowing about putting in a DVD and we were getting dive bombed by random wasps!?  Matt must have killed 3-4 within in the first five minutes!  They did NOT want to vacate the vehicle but he caught up to them & they found their demise between his fingers and a piece of toilet tissue.  Then we were on to figuring out the DVD player.  Luckily, Uncle Jake is one of the "techiest" people we know!  He was able to establish that the player was set to the wrong "region" and so NONE of the DVDs we brought along were going to work.  The driver however popped in one of his bootlegged Bollywood movies and that worked with no problems!  Figures, right?!

What a shame we wouldn't be actually WATCHING any
movies on that HUGE screen!  DRAT!

 Rachel's already settled in and comfy!

 Since the DVD player didn't work the driver turned on some of his tunes for us.

Whoa!  Wait a second...Is this guy giving us The Bird?!  ;0)

We pulled over for a pit stop & we caused quite a scene!  Lots of people asking us for pictures.

Rachel & Erica's turn.

Uh Oh.  Little Bear fell down!

Watch out Beibs!  David's the next big thing!

Um.  Could I have your attention please?  Would the Fatties on the left side of the bus kindly shift to the right?!  We've got a seriously uneven load here!

Somebody is getting sleepy!

The closer we got to Kabini the more "Amby's" we saw.

Sun-Dried Chili's!

Laundry Day!

How's the t.v. reception!?

 Hadn't seen BROWN dirt since leaving the US!  Everything is RED clay-mud!

The roof makes a great drying rack!

 I think he was delivering water.  Far cry from the "Aqua Fina" home delivery service, now isn't it?!

WOOT!  We made it!

Flowers on the Floor

Well, isn't that just so nice of them!? ;0)

Bindi Time

We were greeted with a warm towel and a bindi was placed on our foreheads.

Hadn't been there but five minutes and the kids were already splashing in the jacuzzi off of our room.

After we drug the kids out of the jacuzzi, we hit the ground running...time for the boat safari!

Life jackets.  Check!  Binoculars.  Check!  Camera.  Check!  Let's GooooOOoooo!

"Uncle Jake are you sure this boat is safe?"

Here Animals, Animals, Animals!!!  We are ready for you!

David quickly became "Good Buddies" with our Tour Guide

We are looking for elephants, right David?!

OH BOY!  There's a whole BUNCH of them!

Look at that Tusker!!

Time for a Drink!

They were absolutely amazing!!

TUNZ of wild deer!

Looks like a good shot to me but I'm no hunter!? 

While we were spotting all kinds of deer there was a rustling in the woods and out came this big dude!!

Wild Boar

Crikey!  Look at that Croc!

Peek-A-Boo!

Back just in time to catch the sunset

So fun sharing this experience with Jake & Bridgette!

Just enough time to take a quick dip before dinner

The Pool Princess

Competition!

Local-Tribal Dance before dinner

Everybody joining in on the tribal dancing!

Hidey-Ho and Around We Go!

After the tribal dancing we all ate a traditional Indian meal.  GREAT food in Kabini!  We all LOVED it and then we were up bright and early the next morning.  In fact, we beat the sun!

They're all up - But the REAL question is, "Are they all HAPPY!?"  ;0)

That's MUCH better! ;0)

Woo-Hoo!  Bring on the WILD animals!

Pretty Peacock!

She was so close to the safari truck and we got to watch her FLY up into this tree!  WOW! 

Good Morning Sunshine!
That's a wild boar at the waters edge.

A little Monkey Business?!

Momma & Baby
This was a very intense part of the safari.  We came to an abrupt halt because the deer were making warning cries.  Our guide told us this often means there is a tiger nearby!!  Every once in awhile we could hear sticks snapping in the forest and the deer continued to call out to each other.  MY EYES WERE ABOUT READY TO POP-OUTTA-MY-SKULL....I was on HIGH ALERT, BABY!  If someone was going to spot a tiger or leopard on this trip - Darn Tootin' - You KNOW it was gonna be me!  (Well, at least that's what I was thinking!)  So, everyone had their head's on periscope swivel...but the alarm calls stopped.  Drat.  I was so bummed but then we began to hear sticks breaking and rustling in the woods and then....cue the creepy HIGHLY suspenseful music......out of the forest came....

A BIG ole' elephant!

I was really REALLY hoping for a tiger but seeing this elephant in the wild far surpassed what I could have imagined.  We just sat there watching the elephant eat, stomp its foot and flap those gigantic ears! 

Everyone kept really still so we didn't "Spook It"

Checkin' Out that "Tusker" in her peripheral vision!

You're Missin' Part of Your Ivory There, Sweethaht!

More "Mommy & Me" Time

There is a reason people use the phrase, "Proud as a Peacock" when referring to someone that really thinks they are "all that" because I tell ya' what this Bad Boy was strutting his stuff like nobodies business trying to get his little "lady friends" attention.  He was carrying on and squawking out these obnoxious calls as if to say, "Hey!  I'm over here!  Look at me!  Ain't I soooOOOooo perrtty!?  Bet ya never saw anything as fancy as me?!"  He was workin' it - BIG TIME and just like a true woman - She BARELY gave him a glance and kept right on walking.  Clearly, she was unimpressed by all of his barbaric and pompous actions ;0) 

Hrmmphh.  Women.

Don't get me wrong - Although I was really enjoying seeing all of these amazing critters (obnoxious peacock included)....I really had my heart set on a tiger and we were hot on the trail of one the WHOLE time.  I am the forever optimist and I REALLY thought we were going to see one.  I mean check out this FRESH track....

Tiger Tracks!!

We were literally following his tracks down the road for miles but never caught up with him!  (Gotta save something for next time, right?!)  Our guide told us they ONLY walk on the road.  Not in the woods.  Do you know why?!....Think about it...I'll wait.  Okay, got your answer?!  So, here's the reason, They keep to the road to protect the fragile pads of their paws and because it's QUIET so it's easy to sneak up on their prey!  Ooh.  The ever clever and elusive TIGER!!! 

We stopped to pick this off of one of the trees in order to decorate the truck for Independence Day!

Our Guide - Keeping an ever watchful eye! 
He helped us spot so many things!

Crazy-Root-System on this tree, huh?!  I call them the "Davy Jones" trees!
\
Right?  Right?  Tell me I'm wrong!
DAVY JONES!!!

The kids LOVED climbing this rope mountain

Speaking of Trees...Look at how small Matt and Jake look standing under this tree!

Time for a swim in the infinity pool

Ooh!  Tricky!

More tricks!

Daddy and the Boys
There's a reason God gave children a Mom and a Dad!  Matt is always so good about playing in the pool with the kids.  They make up crazy games and basically it just ends up being a free-for-all where they are literally CLIMBING all over him.  I physically could never handle it and mentally I don't have the patience either.  That would drive me absolutely bonkers having them hanging all over me.  Don't get me wrong - I'm sure he doesn't exactly "love it" all the time either but he enjoys playing with the kids and he's a much better "sport" than I'd ever be!  So, THREE CHEERS FOR DADDY!!!

These fellas are about to get a bath.

Hope there aren't any crocs close by!

Blessing?

I wish I knew for sure but right at the waters edge were these rocks (one for each one of the cattle, I'm assuming?!)  My guess is these cows are REALLY special to these men that are washing them.  Ancestors, maybe?!  Either way, I would guess some sort of pooja (prayer) was said over the cows and there has got to be some special significance to the rocks and plants next to them....I just don't know what it is!?  :0/  Thought it was too interesting not to post it even though I have no idea what it means! :0)

Come on!  I thought we agreed you were going to COOPERATE?!

Guess Where We Are?!

Elephant Riding!

Even the Elephant had a Bindi!

Such a grand creature.  I really do LOVE them!

On their walk, Matt & the kids made up a song

The basic gist of it was, "Don't step in the dooky.  Don't step in the dooky" and it just kept repeating...over and OVER and O V E R again.  Of course, they all thought it was creative GENIUS and LOVED it.  Me?!  Maybe ya had to be one of the writers of the song to truly appreciate it b/c as Randy, Paula & Simon would have told them, "I'm just not feeling ya, Dawg!"

 

Jake & Bridgette's Turn!

Guess What!?  It's BATH time!!

What a good girl!

Splashing water onto her back

NOOoooOOOO WAY!!
We had no idea that the elephant was going to do this when they the let the kids climb up on her back.  Matt snapped the photo at just the right moment!!

Sun going down on our last night in Kabini

"We aren't in Kansas anymore, Jake!" ;0)

One more group shot before we climb back in the "Party Wagon" and head back to Bangalore

Thanks Jake & Bridgette for coming to stay with us and for all of the treats you brought us!  We had been missing so many of those little "luxury items" from the US.  Every time we sink our teeth into something from "home" we think of you guys!
xoxox  HURRY BACK  xoxox