2. What was your first big trip?

This was my first big trip - where I interpret "my" as being my own, outside of family trips - and is a nice continuation of the previous tale.

[Pix below are from the web.  I took a camera with me and still have photos and film negatives somewhere … will upload if/when I find]

It was early in the summer of 1980, I was in the first year of the two-year MBA program at the IIM-Calcutta (Kolkata, now), and a classmate suggested a backpacking trip to the Sunderbans.  The Sunderbans (which translates to "beautiful forests" in Bangali) is part of the one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, straddling India and Bangladesh, and home to the famed Bengal Tiger, among other fauna.

The idea appealed to some of us, although collectively we had ZERO experience with backpacking or camping.  Except for the guy who made the suggestion, who claimed he knew what he was doing.  So five of us decided to make the trip, on the cheap, since money was scarce.  We packed bags with a few clothes, and some rice and lentils to cook and set out on a three-day trip.

The first day was spent on travel.  A bus from IIM campus, then train to Canning station and then bus to Sonakhali.  A total travel time of about 4 hours, getting to the Sonakhali ferry point around midday.

Next phase was a "ferry" ride (called ferry or launch in India, but really just a small boat that can carry 20-30 passengers), winding through the rivers into the mangrove forest.  A wonderful boat ride for about 4 hours, sitting on the top deck, enjoying the wind, water and views of water-edge villages.

We finally got to our destination in the evening, a few hours before sunset, alighting at the last ferry stop, the tiny village of Sajnekhali (or somewhere close-by, hard to identify on Google maps after 40+ years).  So far everything had gone as per plan, such as we had.  We wandered around and spotted a small Bengal Government Forest office, and decided to get their advice on where to go, camp, etc.

That's when things got interesting.  The official looked at us like we were insane, and told us very sternly that we had no business being there, that there were no hotels in the village, and that we HAVE to immediately go back to the ferry and catch the last one back to where we came from. 

We discussed this and decided there was no point in arguing with the "Gov't Babu" (derogatory term for government bureaucrats) and went back to the ferry to weigh our options. At the ferry we were told the last one had left, so we had no choice but to stay, which was fine with us, since we had come prepared and the weather was very pleasant, so sleeping outside was no problem.  So at this point, the consensus was that we shouldn't bother with anyone else in this village, and just strike out into the forest.

We started trekking through the forest paths, without any maps or any idea where we were heading, other than looking for a spot to camp.  The forest paths were winding, with many waterways, and as we went further, the sounds of the village and of people, cattle, goats, etc., faded into the distance.  

At this point, the sun was starting to set, and as we wandered, we spotted a "watchtower" in a small clearing: a small wooden platform about thirty feet high, raised on wooden poles, with no stairs.  As we approached, we saw a guard on the platform holding a rifle, who yelled out to us.  He was yelling at us, asking what the heck we were doing.  We told him we were looking for a spot to camp.  To which he responded that we were insane, and that there were tigers all around!  Why did we think he was on this raised platform with a gun??  

So then we asked him to let us come up to the platform.  He absolutely refused to let down his rope-ladder.  He said we should turn right around and go back to the ferry village immediately, before it gets dark.   So we turned away, now very nervous, and started walking, imagining tigers lurking in every shadow.

After many nerve-wracking minutes, we heard the quiet voices of people a little way ahead, so we called out and made our way towards the sound.  We found a few villagers had stopped at our call and were waiting for us, with looks of absolute astonishment.  They were from a nearby fishing village and were making their way home before sunset.  They confirmed that tigers roamed these forests, and that it was extremely dangerous after dark.  They very generously offered to take us to their village and gave us a small communal hut for our stay.  We stayed in the hut, built a fire and cooked our food, while many of them sat around chatting with us.  

The next morning we convinced the villagers to take us around in their fishing boats in the hope of seeing tigers.  They initially refused, afraid of government rules, etc., but eventually agreed.  We spent several hours riding around the mangrove forests in these small boats, but didn't spot any tigers.  

On the third day, we packed up, made our way back to the ferry village and back to campus.  All said, it was a big trip, with lots of adventure, and fortunately no tiger encounters!