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Nov 7

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Rhinos, Tigers and Elephants, oh my!

Chitwan is a large national park that creates a large part of the southern border between India and Nepal.  It is well known for its inhabitants – tigers, rhinos, elephants and the Tharu people – who amazingly enough have a natural resistance to malaria.

Since I was headed by land to India anyway – I thought this would be a pretty exciting – since I have never seen (in the wild) a rhino, tiger or elephant.  I left Kathmandu on a morning bus full of Germans and Nepalis.  Our ride was going well until a car, trying to pass a truck, side-swiped our bus.  All I heard was swerving tires, felt our bus jerk to the left and then screeching of brakes.  Nobody was hurt – though we ended up being on the side of the road for an extra hour or so.  For a seemingly remote section of the road – it was amazing how many people showed up to say their part and stand around the car and the bus.  The police showed up, paperwork was filled out and eventually we were on our way.  I was able to follow the progress as I befriended my seat-mate — a young Nepali woman headed to Bangalore where she goes to school for physical therapy.  We exchanged email addresses and promised to be friends on facebook!  🙂

Eventually we reached Sauraha, the town outside of the park entrance.  There are all sorts of fancy places in the park where you can stay for multi-day packages, but that didn’t quite fit into my $30/day budget (by a long shot….).  The place I ended up staying at was just outside of town and was opened by one of Nepal’s leading ornithologists.  The courtyard was full of plants and gardens and had a few hammocks — really quite lovely.  I was in the budget room, but it was pretty nice (as compared to the two places I have stayed since there!  who knew I had it so good…)

The first day I was there, they sold me on my package – an elephant safari ride and a canoe with a jungle walk back.  The price was a bit of a splurge for me, but staying with my friend in Kathmandu, I was able to save money – so I am still within budget (for all you yankee spendthrifts out there — you know who you are!  🙂  And they provided a free walk the first day – which was to go look through the community forest (that surrounds the park) for a short walk and then see some of the govenment elephants and learn some facts (for instance, did you know that elephants only sweat through their toes?  and that Asian elephants age by turning white on their ears and nose?).  We also saw a rhino chillin’ in the water — which was pretty damn cool.

half submerged rhino

The next morning, we went out for the canoe.  It was short – but pretty cool to be out on the water.  The canoe is carved out of one sal tree that is manuevered with a mix of poling and paddeling.  We saw a bunch of submerged crocodiles – and then – a big one out of the water sunning himself!  WHOA!  it was pretty awesome!  and a bit scary.  Next to it, there was one in the water that the guide said was even bigger – and I think that they were all a little frightened because they all reached for their sticks!

We also saw a bunch of birds — couldn’t tell you what they all were but egrets, storks, kingfishers, peacocks, etc.  I couldn’t understand the guide fully and then when they are birds you don’t know….  yeah, not so much.

Then we started the jungle walk – which frankly wasn’t all that exciting. The most exciting part was the guide telling me about the dangers – i.e. if we see a rhino, you should run but if we see a tiger, we should just pray, and as for the sloth bear – well, not much you can do because they can run, climb, etc. and they don’t like humans’ faces.

It was more of a sal forest, which was cool enough, but not very jungle-y (as one would imagine it to be).  We didn’t see too many animals up close – but in the distance we saw spotted deer (I didn’t have the heart to tell him about how many deer we have at home), monkeys in the tree.  And cool enough – we saw a tiger print and signs from where a sloth tiger had climbed up to a bee’s nest.

my guide carries a big stick to, you know, beat back the tigers

really cool bugs found all throughout the forest

tiger print (to the right of his hand)

As for the elephant walk….  well, it was interesting.  There were 9 of us going out at the same time.  The elephant platform can handle 4 – so I got an elephant to myself.  which was cool b/c it was super quiet.  If anyone ever tells you that riding an elephant is fun, tell them they are wrong!  No, it is pretty cool but definitely not comfortable!  We ended up seeing 3 rhinos – including a mama and her baby, which was very cool!!  I couldn’t get over how cool the rhinos were.  I know this sounds stupid, but they look just like they do in pictures!  (and before you laugh at me, let me say this — they are such strange looking animals that you almost expect the pictures to be caricatures…. but they aren’t!!!)   The elephant rides are cool b/c you can get up closer to animals (they are not as freaked out by the elephant as they would be if you were on foot).

the elephant i was going to ride. damn, they are big

the other two groups — now imagine that platform with just me!

The ride was for about an hour and a half and took me through the grasslands (which is pretty awesome – though being taken over by an invasive) and then into the forest — where I saw some hanging orchids which was really cool!  Right before the ride ended, something must have scared the elephant (the guy said monkey, i think?) and the elephant started to run!  I had a brief image of the elephant stampeding through the village with me hanging on, just, for dear life!  Fortunately, the handler got it calm in a manner of seconds!

going across the river

rhino!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

trying to take a picture of myself while riding an elephant is difficult!

mama and baby rhino (not a great shot….)

The next morning before I had to leave I went for a great run near the river – through Tharu huts as people prepared for their day and passed a bunch of elephants and their handlers (so now I know, I run faster than an elephant saunters along.  Good to know).

And that was that — it was time to leave Nepal and head out to big ol’ India and start that adventure!  Who knew it was such a calm before the storm?!  (ok – anyone who has been to india knew!)

Nov 7

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Oh, India

Hello India

Arrival in India hits you – hard.  Last time I was here we arrived in the middle of the night and had our senses assaulted with the sound of horns, the smell of spices and jasmine and the sight of cows and ricksaws and people- so many people….

This time is no different – except it is a dusty border and it is day time.  When you arrive by bus, you are dropped of two kilometers or so away and you hire a bike rickshaw to take you to the border.  It was a feeding frenzy when the bus arrives.  I was quoted a price but when we arrived at the border, dude told me that price was in Indian rupees.  Whatever.  And that was after he tried to get me to change my money at his buddies place (I might have been swindled on the rickshaw ride but not on the money).

taking my very expensive rickshaw ride to the border

Getting over the border was quick.  On the Nepal side I went to the office and filled out my departure paperwork and they stamped my passport.  Then I walked under a big arch along with tons of other people and trucks honking their horns and lots of dust.  Then amid street side stores and noise and chaos and people telling me to change my money, there was a table with two men reading the paper. You know, border patrol.

I had purchased my ticket from Sonauli (the border town) on to Varanasi up in Kathmandu — and was told I just needed to find the ticket agents office and they would help me out.  I eventually found it – amidst the staring and the dust and the many offers to ‘help’ me out.  Upon arrival, Mr. Bablu looked at my ticket very nonchalantly and told me to come back at 5.  I asked why and he told me the bus was at 5:30.  No, no – I am taking the bus at 6:30 tomorrow morning (decided a night time bus ride my first day in India wasn’t quite what I wanted…).  He said fine, and showed me where the ‘hotel’ was — the one place the Lonely Planet half way recommends….  to say it was a shit-hole would be kind….  There is no need to go into details on that place or the food or how depressing it was – but needless to say, I arrived back at the travel agency at 6, on the dot, as Mr. Bablu had requested the day before.

And that is when things got interesting…..

No one was there at 6.  So, I just stayed there.  A non-Indian female by herself with bags gets lots of attention – so I figured that soon enough people would find me.  Sure enough, a guy came down the stairs asking what I needed – I told him that I needed my bus pass.  He called to another man and they came downstairs to unlock the office, inside of which a 3rd man was sleeping.  None of these men were Mr. Bablu.

Upon looking at my ticket , the ‘head’ dude tells me that this bus is late this morning, but I can take the express bus for an extra cost.  What?!  So, I try and reason with him.  I tell him that there is no such thing.  I tell him I will not pay the price.  Meanwhile, time is passing — it is getting closer to 6:30.  I really want to get on that bus.  I really do not want to stay in Sonauli a second longer.  Then, another foreigner comes in with his confirmation note for the bus.  He is told the same thing.  He also tries to argue and is told that he has to pay more for the 6:30 bus.  These guys aren’t budging and they just talk in Hindi to each other, laughing.  They tell this guy that it will be 495 IRs to travel on this bus.  At that point, it is close to 6:30, so I pull out the money in my pocket – 300 IRs.  The guy takes it and asks if I have any dollars.  What?!  Oh, hell no.  So, I tell him I have no other money – and he takes me to the bus.  So, now – both myself and the other foriegner have paid extra for this bus (the guys in the office told  him that if he did not pay he could go back to Kathmandu!).  The men continued their intimidation on the bus, thankfully not with me, though.  Two other foreigners were forced to pay more – and  all three guys (they were all men, these other foreigners) were asked for more money for their bags – and one was even asked to open his bag.  They all said no – and eventually these men from the travel agency went away.  But, it was simply infuriating.  There was nothing we could do (though, in hindsight, I wish I had called the travel agency in Kathmandu).

Oh, and the express bus?  yeah — it took 13 hours.

It was suppose to take 11, but our 4-speed bus (in which I could see the road through the gear shaft) did not go all that fast.  And our driver, well, it is tough to be a driver in India.  Here is what he needs to avoid hitting:

  • Dogs
  • Kids
  • Rickshaws
  • Motos
  • Bikes
  • People walking
  • other buses
  • cars
  • horse and ox drawn carriages/wagons
  • trucks
  • donkeys
  • pigs
  • and of course, monkeys

And did I mention how comfortable the seats were?!  ha!

Anyway — 7:30 at night, I arrived.  Found a phone and called my guest house.  A guy came and picked me up and brought me back – on his scooter.  It was a crazy ride – me trying not to fall off b/c of my big pack.  And of course — lots of people staring.  The hotel is nice enough, though my room is really really cheap.  I have to figure out what costs will be in this country to see if I can upgrade….  but there is wifi!  🙂
So here I am
In India.
Amid the noise and the dust and the cows and the honking and people wanting to ‘help’ me out, here I am.  amazing how, admidst a billion people, you can be all alone.

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