I've just arrived back in town from a lovely seven hour bus ride from Chitwan National Park. I think it is less than 200kms but the roads here are bloody slow. The last 40kms took about two hours to cover. There appears to be some road rules such as drive on the left, however these are only loosely adhered to. The hierarchy appears to go bus beats truck, truck avoids car, car overtakes truck, motorcycle goes where it wants, horse and cart avoid everything just slowly, pedestrian wanders nonchalantly, bicycle avoids potholes and, as it always has, rock beats scissors! The tourist buses are not too bad, padded seats and some semblance of suspension fitted. The local buses on the other hand are a box of metal with wheels with an engine strapped to it. Best bet is to wedge yourself in and hang on for a bumpy ride!
I left Kathmandu about four days ago with an Israeli, a Swiss and a couple of Sepos to go whitewater rafting, canyoning and exploring the Chitwan National Park. The rafting was great save for a few clashes of personality with the hyperactive American so-called tour guide. After surviving the rapids we camped along the banks of the river in a village with the sonorous klaxons of the trucks from the nearby 'highway' entertaining us through the night. The melodic horns make the trucks sound like a cross between a taxi and a clown car.
From rafting to abseiling down waterfalls. This was an exhilarating experience, not least because of the faith you have to have in the old looking ropes and equipment used. Our Nepali guide seemed to know what he was doing so I maintained the faith and plunged down a 30 metre water fall attached to a rope. The cut down wet suit I'm wearing in the photo, I believe, accentuates my masculine skinny white legs.
That night we took a local bus to Chitwan National Park to bunk down at the Jungle Lagoon Safari Lodge. I love the names they come up with to make the accommodation sound exotic! It was pretty basic but the food was plentiful and the Nepali hospitality first class. Our guide, Nalim, earns just 1500rupee a month (about $25) for working up to 12 hours a day keeping tourists happy. He always had a smile on his face and he was always happy to help. His dream is to open a Nepali restaurant somewhere in a neighbouring country, make some money and take a wife. I wish him well as he was a very nice man.
In Chitwan I saw elephants, rode and elephant, and got sprayed with water from an elephant's trunk. On the elephant ride we saw a rhino and a whole family of monkeys, I love monkeys, except when they try to bite you.
Unfortunately our second day in Chitwan was fairly light on as our guide hit a cyclist in his car on the was to the bus port to drop off some American tourists and he had to drive the poor soul to the hospital. The cyclist wasn't too badly hurt, however. In any case, a day lazing under the shade of fruit trees watching exotic birds wasn't too bad a way to pass the time.
Back in Kathmandu now and after a good shower to clear the dust I'm feeling a tad more human. The medical trek looks like it is all set to go ahead in a couple of days time. I'm meeting up with the crew tomorrow before heading out to some remote part of Nepal on the 18th. The area where we are trekking is supposed to be far from the tourist trail and many will never have seen Westerners before. I can't wait!
Take care!
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