7. INDIA – RAM MILAN

This is Ram Milan. He was our driver in the Tiger reservation. He is named after Lord Rama, the ledgendary prince sent by the gods to show men how to behave.

In the story, Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman were exiled from his kingdom for fourteen years. During that time they lived in the forest. And where was that forest? Bandhavgarh, the very place where we were. An Indian tourist told us that she had actually seen the footprint of Lord Rama the previous day in this forest.

Driving in the forest on the unpaved roads, demands skill. It is full of bumps and gullies. Ram avoided as many bumps as possible and we felt totally safe with his driving.

In Bandhavgarh you have to take a Forest Service guide with you. Ram’s knowledge of the flora and fauna was often better than that of the guides. and when he realised that we were interested in more than just tigers, he took great delight in poiting out animals and birds that we would have otherwise missed. He has “forest eyes” and can, drive, listen for alarm calls and spot leopard tracks all at the same time!

At then end of our stay Ram intorduced us to his wife and son.

What an honour!