Lunch in Lion Land

 My most vivid memory of Sasan would be the sumptuous food we enjoyed in an eatery just outside the Gir National Park. It turned out to be the highlight of the trip more than the wildlife spotting.

The experience of a Safari here is more akin to visiting a Zoo with large boundaries. Those who have witnessed a “Tiger Safari” in SGNP in Bombay would realize this.  You have the option of traveling in an Open Jeep or a cost effective bus ride. The park has restricted visiting hours so if you are not aware about it you may have to spend a couple of hours idling around at noon as in our case. The Government buses, powered by a Bio Fuel cost you Rs.120 for a 45 minute ride. There are multiple Buses which keep running all the time, so once you buy a Ticket there is not much of a wait..….and spotting a Lion here is as difficult as spotting a stray dog in a by lane in Bombay

The Lions are few but you can spot them easily in the dry open deciduous habitat. The moment our bus used to come anywhere close-by to a lethargic lion, the tourists would scuttle to get the best of that moment from their Shutters. The Lions body language made us realize the poor guys boredom at having to attend to so many tourists. There are plenty of Spotted Deer and Blackbucks around but in all probability the Lions seemed to be getting Packed Meat looking at their lethargy. And we didn’t come anywhere close to sighting a Lion stalk a prey or a family feeding on some carcass or a fight between Adult males over territory or mates as in NAT GEO.

We however sighted some Blackbucks and a Pair of Wild Boars on our way out.

It was already high noon by the time this ordeal ended when we arrived at a local eatery located at the forest periphery. There are several small establishments run by local villagers which offer excellent Gujarati cuisine. They still follow the traditional method of cooking using wood fuel over a brick stove. A Gujarati Lunch (Thali) may cost you Rs.200 and is worth every penny. The “Jai Mataji Hotel” run by Shrikantji and his family was our preference. There is a small farm facing the boundary of the Hotel and the local produce from this was used for preparing the meal

 

Sitting on a Charpoy we could get a view of the meal being prepared. While his wife and daughter were busy at the stove preparing the Rotis and Main course, Shrikantji focused on the Chopping and Cleaning. The meal takes some time to prepare and you could idle away the time checking for local accommodation if you intend to stay the night. Accommodation comes cheap, a large family room may cost you Rs.1000 for the night and there is no restriction on the number of people staying.

After a half hour wait the meal arrived, consisting of Mashed Brinjal, Potato Curry and Pickled Tomatoes with fries, Rotis made of Barley and Wheat, and the local Sweet Dal. A jar of Buttermilk was Complimentary.  For dessert we had bowls of Jaggery dipped in local Ghee. As in traditional Gujarati method of lunching, you can have unlimited servings of everything within the fare. And by the end of it, the richness and flavor makes you feel drowsy and weary  

 

Our driver meanwhile took a break to scour the countryside. You can hire out tracts of Mango orchards here for a year from a Villager for a specific amount, and when the Harvest season starts the Yield can give you handsome returns.