With that decision behind us we had 10 days left in Nepal and after a couple days in the 
bustling backpacker neighborhood of Thamel in Kathmandu we headed 6 hours south by bus to Chitwan National Park. The park sits nestled in Southern Nepal on the Indian border and contains the largest remaining refuge for the great one horned rhino. The rhino had eluded us in Africa and we were enthused by the opportunity to safari yet again in a new part of the world. We arrived to the city of Sauraha on the edge of the park (of course the bus stand was 1 mile outside of town and we had to hike in) and found our way to a guest house that I had previously visited. We were welcomed by the owner Govinda who was highly enthused to see a return customer 5 years later.
bustling backpacker neighborhood of Thamel in Kathmandu we headed 6 hours south by bus to Chitwan National Park. The park sits nestled in Southern Nepal on the Indian border and contains the largest remaining refuge for the great one horned rhino. The rhino had eluded us in Africa and we were enthused by the opportunity to safari yet again in a new part of the world. We arrived to the city of Sauraha on the edge of the park (of course the bus stand was 1 mile outside of town and we had to hike in) and found our way to a guest house that I had previously visited. We were welcomed by the owner Govinda who was highly enthused to see a return customer 5 years later.First things first, Colleen had to bathe an elephant. The town of Sauraha is bustling with elephant traffic, around 200 elephants call the area home. Most elephants are government owned while others are owned by the many parkside lodges. Every morning the elep
hants hike down to the (croc infested) river for their morning baths. As a visitor you can pay a $1.25 and help dumbo get the dirt out from behind his ears. If you know Colleen then you know this is reason for excitement. We followed the train of elephants to the banks of the river and Colleen selected her elephant based off of who had the smallest stick/pick used to control their elephant. His name was Muti and we were told he was the second largest elephant in the village. Muti had already anxiously entered the edge of the water and his handler now had him back up to the shore and kneel down so Colleen could hop aboard. I had enjoyed the same ritual on my previous visit to the park but I had to admit that seeing Colleen aboard a much larger elephant wading out into the murky river waters struck a little nerve in me but all was well. Muti turned out to be quite the showman as he first doused her multiple times with gallons of water from his trunk and followed that up with multiple barrel roles into the water throwing her from his back in the process. 10 minutes later they emerged thoroughly soaked, and slightly cleaner, from the river and Colleen produced her payment which Muti gladly took with his trunk and delivered to the handler.
hants hike down to the (croc infested) river for their morning baths. As a visitor you can pay a $1.25 and help dumbo get the dirt out from behind his ears. If you know Colleen then you know this is reason for excitement. We followed the train of elephants to the banks of the river and Colleen selected her elephant based off of who had the smallest stick/pick used to control their elephant. His name was Muti and we were told he was the second largest elephant in the village. Muti had already anxiously entered the edge of the water and his handler now had him back up to the shore and kneel down so Colleen could hop aboard. I had enjoyed the same ritual on my previous visit to the park but I had to admit that seeing Colleen aboard a much larger elephant wading out into the murky river waters struck a little nerve in me but all was well. Muti turned out to be quite the showman as he first doused her multiple times with gallons of water from his trunk and followed that up with multiple barrel roles into the water throwing her from his back in the process. 10 minutes later they emerged thoroughly soaked, and slightly cleaner, from the river and Colleen produced her payment which Muti gladly took with his trunk and delivered to the handler.The next morning we headed out on foot into the park on a safari. Most parks in the world that have predatory animals (in this case tigers) forbid safari on foot but Chitwan is an exception. Tiger attacks on groups are not unheard of but the trained guides are very apt at preventing such encounters. That being said I was slightly uncomfortable as we departed in a wood canoe with two guides who were each carrying 
no more than a 4 foot stick for defense. After an hour long float sighting multiple crocodiles we exited the boat and headed into thick jungle, much thicker than we had planned. At times we felt like we were breaking trail as our shoes muddied and leaves and thorns sliced at our skin. Then about an hour in we heard it, a very deep throated grunt. It sounded like a cross between a large hog and a grizzly bear. Then the sound came again, this time from the opposite direction. Our guide informed us we were standing between two rhinos (neither we could see through the 10 ft tall grass) and likely one was a bull. We were told to be still and silent. My heart jumped and I was actually frightened for the first time on the trip. I knew rhinos had pour sight and rely heavily on smell but if there was one on each side of you then by default you were likely downwind from one of them. After pausing for about a minute, and reanalyzing in my head again how thin our guides sticks were and wondering if we could out run them, we were instructed to move forward slowly. After a few minutes we exited the grasslands into a dense forest where we were later able to spot two rhinos bathing from a safe distance.
no more than a 4 foot stick for defense. After an hour long float sighting multiple crocodiles we exited the boat and headed into thick jungle, much thicker than we had planned. At times we felt like we were breaking trail as our shoes muddied and leaves and thorns sliced at our skin. Then about an hour in we heard it, a very deep throated grunt. It sounded like a cross between a large hog and a grizzly bear. Then the sound came again, this time from the opposite direction. Our guide informed us we were standing between two rhinos (neither we could see through the 10 ft tall grass) and likely one was a bull. We were told to be still and silent. My heart jumped and I was actually frightened for the first time on the trip. I knew rhinos had pour sight and rely heavily on smell but if there was one on each side of you then by default you were likely downwind from one of them. After pausing for about a minute, and reanalyzing in my head again how thin our guides sticks were and wondering if we could out run them, we were instructed to move forward slowly. After a few minutes we exited the grasslands into a dense forest where we were later able to spot two rhinos bathing from a safe distance.The following day we headed out again on safari, this time by elephant. We were able to spot much wildlife, including two rhinos at close range, and we enjoyed the safety,
minus comfort, of elephant travel. We also rented bikes and toured the countryside and villages surrounding the park and relaxed in the garden area of our guest house sipping on milk tea in the mornings and Nepalese lagers at night. Govinda and his wife, daughter and son were excellent hosts and a great temporary family during our stay. Colleen also made friends with the stray dogs of the village, this has become a trend on the trip. During our stay 1 dog and 1 cat met their dismal end with the river crocodiles and we dubbed our favorite stray with the name 'Crocodile Food'. We are not sure if he liked the name but he followed us for days around the village.
minus comfort, of elephant travel. We also rented bikes and toured the countryside and villages surrounding the park and relaxed in the garden area of our guest house sipping on milk tea in the mornings and Nepalese lagers at night. Govinda and his wife, daughter and son were excellent hosts and a great temporary family during our stay. Colleen also made friends with the stray dogs of the village, this has become a trend on the trip. During our stay 1 dog and 1 cat met their dismal end with the river crocodiles and we dubbed our favorite stray with the name 'Crocodile Food'. We are not sure if he liked the name but he followed us for days around the village.The past few days we have spent back in Kathmandu, taking in the sights, sounds and culture of this vibrant city. Today we have 3 flights getting us to Bangkok sometime tomorrow afternoon after a night in the Mumbai airport. Nepal has been amazing, we have learned much and highly enjoyed our time here. We had hoped to make it into Tibet but that leaves reason to return again in the future!
1 comment:
love the matching outfits.
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