Sauraha 13th - October
The bus dropped us at Tadi Bazaar, wet bags and all we tout dogded a rickshaw to Sauraha. The 6km journey was our first proper glimpse of rural Nepal, absolutely beautiful, so tropical and lush and green. The sky is blue and the rice fields are turning yellow - wow!
Our base it at the edge of Chitwan National Park. We spent the evening relaxing watching the sun go down over the park on a sandy riverside speck. We enjoyed a good 10 day stay here and discovered the numerous elephant stables, walks, local fish dishes (catfish) and the local Tharu culture. The night skies where lit with fire flies and bright electrical storms illuminating in different colours in the clouds.
The two day jungle walk started with a morning canoe ride where we saw loads of birds, gharial and mugger crocs (the latter will eat you!). David was very uneasy in the dug out canoe and didnt relax much - bless. The shear noise of the place is what first pounds your senses, next the sights then, the smells. The guides were amazing at spotting stuff insect, birds, monkeys, pigs, orchids, deer, butterflies, rhinos and tigers! Our safety talk was this if they shout 1)rhino - run zigzag to the nearest tree and climb it, 2) tiger - well theres not much you can do really just stand your ground and dont get eaten, you can climb trees but they can jump as far as you can climb - quicker! 3) bear - dont run, stand your ground, you will have to fight, they go for the face with their long claws and then run. Joy, at this point I have a small voice asking me what the hell I am doing here especially when we hear about Makhunda and Dinesh's encounters with the above. This voice screams at me when we are in the thickest and most densest part of the park - the grasslands, not your english lawn by any means.
On the morning of the second day we saw our first rhino, we had the river behind us and so where 'safe'! After Makunda and Dinesh examined the morning water hole politics (tracks) they found tiger tracks with a kill. We followed these tracks deep into the jungle thicket, with the 'what the hell are you doing' voice, but the moment was just too compleling, we'd lost sense of the possible maneater we wanted to see. We didnt see the tiger as we had to leg it to a safe distance, the air around us rumbled with its growl, we'd got to close.
Makhunda took us to a Tharu village, it was a great opportunity to chat with them over the coming of electric, what they grow and when, who they live with, how they build their house and why they feed cannabis to their cows (good for stomach probs) with Makhunda as interpreter.
The first day we walked 25 Km and the 2nd 35km, not surprisingly we where both kaput on return and marked by leeches. An absolutely brilliant we will remember. Makhunda is highly reccomended!!!! g_aryal505@yahoo.com is his email.
Our base it at the edge of Chitwan National Park. We spent the evening relaxing watching the sun go down over the park on a sandy riverside speck. We enjoyed a good 10 day stay here and discovered the numerous elephant stables, walks, local fish dishes (catfish) and the local Tharu culture. The night skies where lit with fire flies and bright electrical storms illuminating in different colours in the clouds.
The two day jungle walk started with a morning canoe ride where we saw loads of birds, gharial and mugger crocs (the latter will eat you!). David was very uneasy in the dug out canoe and didnt relax much - bless. The shear noise of the place is what first pounds your senses, next the sights then, the smells. The guides were amazing at spotting stuff insect, birds, monkeys, pigs, orchids, deer, butterflies, rhinos and tigers! Our safety talk was this if they shout 1)rhino - run zigzag to the nearest tree and climb it, 2) tiger - well theres not much you can do really just stand your ground and dont get eaten, you can climb trees but they can jump as far as you can climb - quicker! 3) bear - dont run, stand your ground, you will have to fight, they go for the face with their long claws and then run. Joy, at this point I have a small voice asking me what the hell I am doing here especially when we hear about Makhunda and Dinesh's encounters with the above. This voice screams at me when we are in the thickest and most densest part of the park - the grasslands, not your english lawn by any means.
On the morning of the second day we saw our first rhino, we had the river behind us and so where 'safe'! After Makunda and Dinesh examined the morning water hole politics (tracks) they found tiger tracks with a kill. We followed these tracks deep into the jungle thicket, with the 'what the hell are you doing' voice, but the moment was just too compleling, we'd lost sense of the possible maneater we wanted to see. We didnt see the tiger as we had to leg it to a safe distance, the air around us rumbled with its growl, we'd got to close.
Makhunda took us to a Tharu village, it was a great opportunity to chat with them over the coming of electric, what they grow and when, who they live with, how they build their house and why they feed cannabis to their cows (good for stomach probs) with Makhunda as interpreter.
The first day we walked 25 Km and the 2nd 35km, not surprisingly we where both kaput on return and marked by leeches. An absolutely brilliant we will remember. Makhunda is highly reccomended!!!! g_aryal505@yahoo.com is his email.
posted by David at 11:51 am
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