01/13/2025 – Back up! Back up!
The morning started nice and cool. Not even chilly, just cool. We had breakfast and then boarded the bus to take us to the canoe ride. Dave was just a little tired after checking the score last night a couple of times. Just because we’re sure everyone needs to know – the Bills won! Beating the Broncos 31-7 in the wildcard playoff game. He had a dream that they had won 73-7, so he was just a tad off.
When we arrived at the ticket kiosk, we heard there was an elephant nearby. We disembarked and looked around, but only saw a few spotted deer. We got back on the bus. But then, we saw several people running and a few cars cars backing up quickly across the bridge. Back up! Back up!! Sure enough, here comes this elephant jogging down the road towards us. One brave/crazy dog barked at him and nipped at his heels. He continued down the road until he went around a corner and we lost sight of him.
We eventually boarded the dugout canoe and floated our way down the river. We saw two types of crocs – one that eats only fish and one that eats everything, including humans. We saw many of them, but in the cool morning air, they did not even stir from basking in the sun on the river banks. Well, except for one who swam toward the boat, then swam away. Apparently, even he does not like American food! We also saw several different types of birds and the ever-present yaks, or water buffalos. Go Buffalo! After the canoe ride, we went to an elephant breeding center along the river. Kathy and I stayed away from gawking at the elephants they had chained up there. We read in the information kiosk that there are over 250 captive elephants in Nepal.
We then went for a jungle walk with a couple of guides. Before we left, our guide told us about the dangers in the jungle. Lions, rhinos, wild elephants, leopards, and other critters were out there and are dangerous. His plan if we spotted one…was to make a plan when we spotted one. Sage advice! We didn’t see one, but we did see … a deer! Oh, and some birds. And yet, we survived the walk in the jungle. Rikki tikki tavi THAT! We walked back to the resort for lunch after that.
After lunch, we jumped in a safari vehicle and headed deep into Chitwan National Park. We saw an amazing bunch of very colorful birds, including a peacock strutting his stuff for his group of about 8 peahens. His tail feathers were fully arrayed and huge! We giggled as he shook his red rear end at them, too. Kathy noticed that the hens appeared to be nonplussed as they continued eating whatever they could find on the ground. We also saw a bunch of spotted deer and a few of the larger sambar deer – the largest deer species in Nepal.
We were hoping to see more mammals in the park, but alas, we saw no tigers or leopards. Oh, did we mention that we saw not one, not two, not even three, for our five, but SEVEN one-horned rhinos! There are several species of rhinos in the world, but Asia has the only one-horned variety. And we saw them live and up close. One was within a few feet of our vehicle. And one had a couple of youngin’s with her. The way they ate the trees and mowed them down had Kathy wondering how there were any trees left in the park! Seeing them was a definite treat.
We went back to the lodge and ate a nice dinner before heading back to our rooms to relax. Dave did speak with the guide before retiring, though. Throughout the small town outside the park, we noticed some nice homes, but we also saw many small, open, concrete houses where the majority of the population lived. Each evening, the family would light a small fire and gather around it. We also noticed many of them using hand pumps to get water – some even using them to bathe themselves. I asked the guide if the people gathering outside over an open fire were cooking, staying warm, or socializing. He said they were doing all three. There are people with indoor kitchens and running water (the “rich people” our guide said) and then there are people without such basic amenities. The town does have electricity and surprisingly, we have had Wi-Fi most places, albeit spotty. Many of the poorer houses also have goats tied up on 3-foot leashes, although a few run free. Cows and yaks are also penned, tied, or collared, too. Many dogs ran free. We wondered how the “rich people” became rich and what “rich” actually meant in Nepal. Most of the people appeared to be happy, although many of them also just sat in plastic chairs outside. We saw many kids playing badminton, but without a net. They just batted the shuttlecock back and forth. Once again while traveling, we became grateful for the blessings and opportunities that have been bestowed on us.
Time to get ready for bed. Tomorrow we go back in the blender for the ride back to Kathmandu.
