Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand is hauntingly beautiful. So is this new camp resort that has come up there

There were pebbles all around me. And hillocks guarding them from all sides. I was lost and in no hurry to find my way back. It was close to sunset and the silhouette was mesmerising. It was slowly getting dark but I was on a mission -- to find that elusive cell phone network which was next to non-existent here and to get some good shots of the topography.



In fact, so hell bent was I on fulfilling the mission that even when the others in the group gave up waiting for me and moved ahead in their trek, I didn't once ask them to wait up. But with the darkness creeping up like shadows in a horror movie all around me, I suddenly came to terms with reality -- that this was a lonely riverbed in the middle of a jungle and the camp resort where I was staying was quite some distance away.

rescue heroes
It was the porters though, who came to my rescue. As they became more distinct than the distant silhouettes that they were even minutes back, I knew I had hit the jackpot. For these were porters from the resort carrying our evening tea. I quickly followed suit and voila! There were the others in the team, coming from the other end of a pretty stream in an area that reminded one of Sholay's Rampur. We met here to capture some moments, sipping tea and idling by the rivulet which dries up in summer.

But soon it was time to head back to the camp. The journey back was equally exciting, with our guide showing us fresh pug marks, which simply meant a tigeru00a0 had been close by, though we hadn't been lucky or unlucky enough to get a glimpse of it. It was full moon and we could hear birds tweeting as they settled into their nests.

Earlier in the day, we had landed in the camp resort amply titled Forrest, situated in the Rajaji National Park area, up from Rishikesh in Uttarkhand. It was a hectic six-hour bus journey from Delhi and despite a hearty breakfast, we were almost famished by the time we reached our destination. But hunger went haywire the moment we were told that there is no mobile phone connectivity in the area. Which spelled doom to many a ear. While that may appear like manna to honeymooners, for people addicted to the phone, that really doesn't come across as great news.