diary of a brave jungle explorer

As with the last post, I've roughly transcribed the journal I kept while in Chitwan National Park. Continuing the trend, pictures will follow at the end. The last three days in Kathmandu have been interesting, but I'm heading to the airport in a few hours and I won't have time to write about them yet. However, I'll be spending upwards of eight hours in the Irina Gandhi Airport in New Delhi, so I expect to find the time then. For now, enjoy part two of my adventures in Nepal:

The Jungle, DAY ONE: Pokhara

Woke up too early this morning after another restless night's sleep. Splashed some water on my face, dressed, packed, and Devin and I checked out of our hotel. Our destination was the sappily-named World Peace Pagoda high above Pokhara, and if we were to make i there and back in time to catch our 7:30 bus, we would need a taxi.

A taxi materialized out of this early morning mist, and we were soon on our way out of town. Our climb up the hills took a turn for the adventurous when we veered off the main road and on to a pathway that seemed to require a well-equipped Land Rover to navigate. Somehow our driver coached his little fake Suzuki (they're all Indian brands here, but the drivers plaster them with Suzuki logos) up this off-road grade,and before long we were as high as the "road" would allow.

Climbed out, grabbed our bags, and hoofed it the remaining distance up the hill to the pagoda. I have to say, watching the sun rise with the slow drumming of Buddhist monks reverberating in the background, the World Peace Pagoda was... well, peaceful. Couldn't linger too long though, so we climbed back down to the cab, drove back down into town, picked up our poorly-washed laundry (the Nepali technique seems to involve simply dipping clothes in water, then hanging them out to dry) and sped off to the bus park.

Currently on our way to Chitwan National Park, which promises elephants, rhinos, and jungle adventure. The bus driver has done his best to distract passengers attentions from their cramped quarters with some truly ridiculous decoration, and I hope this will provide some source of amusement on the bumpy ride to Chitwan.

The Jungle, STILL DAY ONE: Outside Chitwan National Park

The ride to Chitwan was bumpy but not so bad, I mostly slept. We managed to locate a representative of the resort we planned to stay at at the bus park, and they drove us into town in their off road jeep. Once we had selected a room, and unpacked our things, Devin and I reviewed our options for exploring Chitwan over tea with the staff. Having thus planned an itinerary, we discovered that we didn't have enough cash on hand to pay for it all. Thus began the great ATM adventure.

Getting to an ATM required hiring a motorcycle, driven by one of the staff, into town. I wolfed down a light lunch, hopped on board, and we sped off through the country side. It took a little while to adjust to riding as a passenger, not nearly as much fun as driving, but I got the hang of it and was soon enjoying the ride.

The first place we stopped for an ATM didn't actually have an ATM, and the second stop produced one that was out of order. These were the only two banks in town, so we had to ride into the next town - about 10 to 20 kilometers away - if I hoped to find a way of withdrawing money.

Rode through part of the public forest on one of Nepal's "highways" on the way to the neighboring town. Not a bad ride this part; lots of greenery and it didn't smell as bad. The first ATM we found in the neighboring town didn't cooperate, so it wasn't until the second ATM in the second town that I managed withdraw the Rs 6000 that would cover Devin and I during our time in Chitwan.

Gave driving the bike a go during the trip back to the resort, though my inexperience with standard transmissions made this a short-lived venture. Also stopped on our way back to pick up some duct tape and super glue with an eye toward repairing my boots.

Returned to the resort, found Devin, and headed down to where I had earlier passed an ongoing soccer game on the bike. Seemed like the whole town had turned up for the game. I scurried up a fantastically climbable tree to catch the last few minutes of play before the sky lost the last of its light. It was a fun local experience that Devin and I shared with some of the local children, who responded in admirable form to my tree-climbing challenges.

The Jungle, DAY TWO: Outside Chitwan National Park

Scarfed down breakfast this morning before boarding a jeep that took us to the edge of the jungle. There we were met by what would be our ride through the National Park. Lumbering down the street and weighing several tons, the elephant gracefully backed up against the boarding platform and Devin and I climbed onto it's back.

For the next hour and a half, we crunched along through the underbrush, spotting barking deer, wild boar, peacocks, spotted deer, falcons, and the famous one-horned rhinos. It was a shaky, though uniquely spectacular experience to see these animals in the wild from the back of an elephant.

Having ridden around our elephant, it was time to give it a bath. Riding through town like a maharajah, we made our way down to the river where we were joined by dozens of other elephants and riders. The bathing experience (I swear I didn't mean to make this pun when I originally wrote this) was tons of fun. We scampered all over the elephant, scrubbing it down while it sprayed us with water. It was an altogether more authentic and personal experience with the elephants, climbing up their trunks and scratching behind their giant ears.

Returned to the resort to dry off and grab lunch. Both things accomplished, Devin and I packed up our bags for the night, and filed into waiting jeeps. We were heading back into the jungle, and this time we would be staying a bit longer. The jeep took us through a Jurassic Park-esque jungle, arriving at our destination deep in the woods: a three story observation tower that looked sturdy enough to withstand a mild T-Rex attack.

Settled into the third story, overlooking a clearing in the jungle and watched as the elephants carried tourists out of the National Park for the night. Once everyone that was leaving had left, it was time to go for a walk through the overgrowth. A guide led us down a path that ran parallel to a marshy stream. After half an hour, he waved his hand in such a way as to indicate that we were to quietly follow him through the thicket. We came out to the marsh about 100 feet away from a large male one-horned rhino, relaxing in the cool water. Though I had seen rhinos earlier, there was something much more impressive about coming across one in this way, without the metaphorical distance of the elephant between myself and this animal of my childhood imaginations.

Continued through the jungle for another half hour until we returned to the observation tower, where Devin and I grabbed a few things (compass, flashlight, GPS) and slipped away to walk through the forest by ourselves. Strictly speaking, such solo adventures are prohibited by the park, but we were in the mood for adventure, not strict speech. I made sure to mark our path well as we advanced through the bush. We came across some barking deer, who fled with thunderous crashes through the forest at our approach. Also spotted a massive water bird overcoming its malshapened anatomy to take flight across the orange sky.

Arrived at a clearing which, due to our distance from the observation tower and the failing light, drew the boundary line of our walk. This jungle is just such an incredible place. It begs you to grab a machete and cut your way through the overgrowth toward certain adventure. It was with reluctance that I returned to the tower. The rest of the night has been uneventful, Devin and I quietly ate our meals then polished off my flask of scotch while listening to the sounds of the forest.

The Jungle, DAY THREE: Inside Chitwan National Park

This morning I woke up to find blood on my shirt, and a wound on my stomach, the tell tale sign of yet another leech attack. I woke up in the night to hear the muted sound of rain hitting the thatch roof of the observation tower and the crashes of thunder rumbling in the distance. Lightening would periodically streak across the sky, outlining the trees that formed our horizon. Not much going on now, as we ample around the observation tower waiting to catch a ride back into town.

I like the jungle. It's the kind of place where you get dirty, sweaty, leech-covered, and scuffed up and love it. No one seems to mind that you haven't shaven in a week and a half, and nature is more comfortable with you if you didn't bother showering that morning. There are some big animals out there, and astounding diversity. Creatures take forms, behaviors, and sizes that make them wholly different from those in my native woods. There is danger in the jungle, both glamorous and mundane. Tiger attacks weigh on the mind along with the threat of infection and disease. You have to keep your wits about you, but if you can cut it, then there's more beauty and adventure to be found in a day in the jungle than can be found in a year elsewhere. I really hope to be able to spend more time in this fascinating environment, but for now, it's time to climb into the jeep and catch the bus back to Kathmandu.

It really was a heck of an adventure, and I'm so glad that I managed to make it to Nepal. It's one of those places to enjoy while you're young enough to enjoy the budget accommodations, the monsoons, and the air of reckless adventure that makes this place so much fun. As promised, I've uploaded a few of the pictures from the second half of the adventure, and with that I must be off. There are bags to be packed and planes to be caught. More adventure awaits in Thailand, and I've had a hankering for some really authentic Pad Thai ever since I set off from Boston.

The World Peace Pagoda at sunrise.

Our ridiculously decorated bus.

The countryside.

The end of the soccer match: the crowd rushes the field to congratulate the players.

Riding the elephant.

A barking deer, the smell of the elephants is non threatening to them, so we were able to get quite close.

A female one-horned rhino relaxing in a wallow.

Making a Beatles windmill while our elephant drenches us.

This guy carried out the boarding process with more grace than I.

Following our guide through the jungle.

Devin checking out some monkeys.

The large male one-horned rhino, not the kind of thing you come across in the New England forest.

Making my way through the marshland as dusk begins to fall.

Thinkin' that it's time for a shave.