Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Saturday 14th January 2006.
Royal Chitwan National Park:
I slept quite well last night although I needed to get up to go to the toilet several times. I didn’t think I had drunk that much late in the day. I woke at 7:30am, showered and dressed ready for breakfast at 8:15am. The rooms here are really good and are of a high standard. The beds are comfortable (especially when compared to those we endured on the trek) and the bathroom is decorated with marble tiles. According to the Lonely Planet Guide these rooms cost about US$20 (about A$28) per night so they are good value and very affordable. I have just asked the manager if it would be possible to extend my stay by an extra night.
Fog
There is a very real possibility that we could be fog bound tomorrow, necessitating a four and a half hour drive back to Kathmandu. There were no flights to Bharatpur today as there was heavy fog all day. It is now 6:15pm and the fog has come in very thick again. I am thinking now that it would be very risky to go to Tansen to visit the McArthurs as I might be stuck in Bhairawa and not be able to get back to Kathmandu on time for my flight home. I need to decide by 10am tomorrow. I would rather spend extra time here going bird-watching for a few extra days perhaps. Getting back to Kathmandu from here would be far easier than in Tansen or Bhairawa.
Another Elephant Ride
Today after breakfast we drove for 15 minutes to another section of the national park. We again had an hour and a half elephant ride through the park. During our elephant ride we again had great views of a rhino. We also saw Spotted Deer (chital) feeding its young and a brief glimpse of a Hog Deer. Later research shows that it might have been a Barking Deer. We also saw what I think were rhesus monkeys in the distance.
Birds of Chitwan NP
Because of the dull and foggy conditions we didn’t see or hear many birds while on the elephant ride but we did see another Indian Peafowl. We also had good views of a Red Jungle Fowl which is native to this area. The common chook is descended from this species. We also saw some Lesser Whistling Ducks and heard a few other birds. We didn’t dismount from the elephant where we had got on at the National Park Head quarters but continued on a back road towards the hotel. Along the way we passed some very basic living conditions in the local village. Many around here live in quite small mud and bamboo huts. I was able to get some good photos of life here as we went along. Eventually we went down the main street of Sauraha to the hotel, trying to duck under the electricity wires drooping over the road.
Birding
After a short break we had lunch and then we had an hour free, so I did some bird watching in the hotel grounds and along the nearby river bank. In the hotel grounds I identified Jungle Babblers, Black Bulbul and Yellow Billed Blue Magpie. These are all “lifers” for me. (The first time I’ve seen this species in my life, hence a “lifer”)
Canoe Ride
At 2:30pm we were driven in the hotel mini van up river for a dug out canoe ride downstream. The boat operator stood on the back gondolier style and guided the boat downstream with a long pole. The current was strong enough not to need any paddling. The journey took about half an hour and was definitely the birding highlight of the trip so far. Our guide Kamal is a keen birder and he pointed out all the different birds we saw. The list of “lifers†I saw is impressive:
Black Crowned Night Heron
White Throated Kingfisher
Sand Martin
Pond Heron
Fantailed Robin
Lesser Adjutant Stork
River Lapwing
Red Wattled Lapwing
White Tailed Stone Chat
Common Kingfisher
Stork Billed Kingfisher
Blue Bearded Bee-eater
White Bellied Drongo
Black Drongo
Lesser Coucal
Olive Backed Pipit
Tree Pipit
Indian Roller
Ruddy Shelduck
Mugger Crocodiles
We also saw several Mugger Crocodiles on the sand bars as we drifted along. I did a rough count in my notebook and over the last 24 hours I have seen here at Chitwan about 29 species for the first time. Wow! And a rough count for the whole trip has added about 40 new species for the trip. While this is good and quite exciting, it is still far short of my initial expectations. I have come to the conclusion that one needs to seek out dedicated birding sites and spend quite a few days with a bird specialist guide to get anywhere near a significant total in the hundreds. I just didn’t have the time on this journey. Maybe on the next trip to Nepal….
Elephant Breeding Centre
After the canoe trip we visited the Elephant Breeding Centre. We saw many trained elephants coming in from a day in the rainforest followed closely by about 8 or 9 baby elephants. I took many photos. It was sad to see the adult elephants being tied up for the night. They do this to prevent them from raiding the nearby crops, such as corn and rice. They would probably do quite a deal of damage if left to themselves. They have recently installed electric fences around the perimeter of the centre in an attempt to stop the wild bull elephants coming in and mating with the females. They can cause other problems as well.
Cultural Dancers
Before dinner we were treated to an hour of local cultural dancing in the grounds of the hotel. Most participants were male and they were accompanied by drummers. The dancers used sticks to beat the rhythm of the dance. One dance featured a traditional fire dance.
Traditional Nepali Food
Dinner was traditional Nepali food; rice and dhal bhaat, spicy chicken, spicy vegetables followed by fried banana. Yummy! After dinner Kane and Jade retired early while I spent some time talking to a Nepali man who was sitting with a German lady. A few minutes later I was joined by the hotel manager as I had requested of the waiter. I am thinking of staying an extra two nights and not going to Tansen at all. There is a general strike and demonstrations in Kathmandu on Monday. It will only cost me an extra US$20 per night and meals average about $6. That is far cheaper than in Kathmandu. I can also hire a guide to go birding for about $10 for three hours. That seems to be great value.
Elephant Ride
No Comments »13th January, 2006; Category: Animals, Birds, General, Himalayas, Kathmandu, Nepal, Photos
Friday 13th January 2006
Rural Nepal
The country in this southern part of Nepal is very flat which seems strange to say with all the huge mountains in the rest of the country. There are rice fields stretching from the road into the immediate distance. The standard of living seems very poor with many shanty style houses, yet there is an electrical supply to every little hovel no matter how humble, a many sport television antennae.
Royal Park Hotel, Chitwan
The standard of housing seemed to deteriorate as we moved further from the main road and closer to Chitwan. It was a pleasant surprise then to drive into the hotel grounds to find very pleasant grounds with rooms spread throughout the gardens. We took our bags to our rooms and then had a bowl of soup and some toast as a very late lunch at 3pm.
Elephant Ride
We then went off for an hour and a half elephant ride through the national park nearby. This took us across the Rapti River and through tall grasslands on the other side. The grass here is up to 3 metres high, higher than us on the elephant. We were delighted to have good views of a rhino for about five minutes. I took some great photographs.
Birding in Chitwan National Park
The bird watching was frustrating. An elephant’s back is not a good or stable platform but I did manage to identify Green Bee-eater, Red Wattled Lapwing, Baya Weaver and the Black Bulbul. Later in the ride we saw about five Spotted Deer (Chital) and a magnificent Indian Peafowl which is native to this area. On returning to the hotel we were treated to a cuppa and a plate of hot potato chips because we had missed out on lunch.
Nature Guide
At 6:15pm most of the Royal Park Hotel guests gathered in one section of the garden to watch a 30 minute slide show. This was presented by the resident hotel nature guide called Kamal. He was particularly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the national park and specialised in birds, which pleased me. As it turned out he was our guide for the rest of our stay. He stated during his talk that there were still about 300 tigers in Nepal but only about 1% of visitors ever see one.
At dinner we spoke to another Peregrine guide who has been coming here regularly for 22 years and he had only ever seen two tigers in all that time, both on the same day. We had a long talk to him. He is here on holiday with his wife and daughter. Having worked for Peregrine Travel he knew both Dorgie and Ananta.
Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Friday 13th January 2006:
From Kathmandu to Royal Chitwan National Park
Rose and I slept well. After showering we went down for breakfast. It was a very foggy morning. I will write more about that later. After breakfast we checked our email. I wrote one to Corinne. We then did some final packing before heading down to the hotel lobby. My driver was leaving at 10am and Rose’s at 10:30. We said our farewells to Russell, Linda and Jenny. Russell was leaving the next day while Linda and Jenny were going on to India for a few days. James had left for the UK at 6:30 but we had said goodbye to him last night. Rose and Kath were heading for Bangkok later in the day.
Kathmandu Airport
I was pleased to have the company of Jade and Kane for the trip to Royal Chitwan National Park. The domestic airport was utter chaos, as it usually is I believe. The tickets said our flight was at 11:15am but we only took off at 1:30pm due to fog at our destination Bharatpur. Unknown to us we had to first touch down at Meghauli which is close to the Tiger Tops Lodge. About half of the passengers got off at this point. The airport there is just a small one with a grass runway, which doubled as a soccer field I think. We had ten minutes there to stretch our legs and use the toilet (which was western style and very clean!). We then flew for about another 6-7 minutes to Bharatpur. This has a sealed airstrip with a well kept looking building. We didn’t need to go inside the building and our Peregrine driver took our bags to his car.
Bharatpur to Chitwan NP
I was concerned that his car wasn’t going to make it out of the car park. It wheezed and rattled, the brakes seemed dodgy and the steering wheel shuddered. Little wonder it was in such a state when we drove the 40 minutes to Royal Park Hotel, Chitwan, near the town of Sauraha. Dodging pedestrians, bicycles, motor bikes, buses, tractors, trucks, goats, ducks, chickens, tempos and taxis is a remarkable skill shown by all drivers in Nepal. And all the time those incessant horns are blaring. No-one takes any notice of them so why do they use them? The buses in this part of Nepal are all decorated Indian style, though not quite as elaborate. Most of the road, except for the last five kilometres, is supposedly sealed. Our driver seemed to know every pot hole. There were quite a few of them!
Kathmandu, Nepal
Thursday 12th January 2006.
In Kathmandu:
Last night out trekking group went out for dinner together. Ananta (our guide) led us on a half hour walk to Thamel. We had a table booked at Kilroy’s of Kathmandu. The menu listed an impressive array of celebrities who had been served by Kilroy’s over the years.
Dead Cow
I ordered a sizzling loin steak. As the waiter brought it in it really was sizzling. It was also delicious. I followed this up with apple crumble topped with ice-cream. It was also great – almost as good as Corinne’s apple crumble! Total cost, including two glasses of Sprite, was Rs800 (about $16). Try getting a meal like than in Australia for so little. One of the waiters had a great sense of humour. He kept asking me if I liked the taste of my ‘dead cow’. Ananta left the restaurant early because his mother was very ill and had been admitted to hospital that afternoon.
Rose really slept well all night but I had trouble sleeping. My nose was very blocked from the pollution and the room seemed stuffy. I also had feelings of being somewhat claustrophobic, a feeling I’ve had on a number of occasions on this trip. I think I like the open spaces we have in Australia.
Shopping in Patan
After a late breakfast we checked and wrote emails. We then went shopping in the Patan district at a shop Rose knew about from her friend Alexa. I bought some really lovely batik wall hangings showing scenes of Nepal. We then caught a taxi back to the hotel.
Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC)
After lunch at the hotel we used one of the hotel cars to drive us to the Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC). Rose had arranged for us to meet some of the teachers there, including the current principal, Judith Ellis. She is so enthusiastic about her mission in the school. We also met the new primary principal who hopes to open the year 1 to 5 section in August. I spoke at length to one of the current classroom teachers who is from America.
KISC provides a Christian education for the children of missionaries in Nepal. This comprises about 80% of their students while the remainder are private students. They do not have many from the diplomatic community as they are generally catered for in other private schools. Rose visited because she is interested in coming her in the future, perhaps in 18 months time. The school year starts in July. They are currently looking for teachers both primaty and secondary, so contact them if you are interested in a challenging teaching appointment.
Impressive Programme
I was full of questions and was most impressed with the programme being run. They follow a combination of American and English curricula. Both principals did a very good sales job on me, especially when I told them that Corinne is also a teacher and that we would be basically self funded. It is very attractive from a teaching point of view but it would be very challenging from a living point of view. It would also be a very drastic change of lifestyle and life goals. Lord – I didn’t need a challenge like this!
Christian Leadership
It is doubly challenging from a Christian leadership point of view. Judith said that the local Nepalese need strong leadership training. They are very good at evangelism but very weak at discipling and applying scriptural principles to their everyday lives. It was a very interesting and challenging hour of discussion. They gave me a wad of promotional pamphlets to distribute on my return home.
In the evening we walked into Thamel again. Dorgie took us to the Four Season Restaurant. Again, the food was great and we had a great time talking. We returned at 9pm but at no time did I feel in danger being out at night. I was amused to see three cows wandering the street near our hotel. I wonder where they go during the day?
Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu Nepal
Wednesday 11th January 2006.
 Another flight from Lukla to Kathmandu.
 Last night most of us stayed up until about 9:30pm sitting around the lovely fire in the dining room. We listened to some music and talked about our favourite films, music, television series and books.
 We were woken at 6am for a 6:30am breakfast, so a leisurely arising was out of the question. We had a quick cup of tea, washed, dressed and packed our bags. A light breakfast was all I could stomach. After that we waited for the airport siren to summon us to complete the five minute walk to the terminal. On entry to the airport we were again frisked and our carry on bags were checked. We had a half hour wait for the plane to arrive from Kathmandu. This time I had a single seat second from the cockpit. I wasn’t as cramped as the first flight and I had an excellent view of the pilots in action. I also had a great view out through the window.
 Spectacular views
The views from the plane were quite spectacular but the windows were too dirty for effective photography. The ride was quite bumpy in sections, mainly in the first half but quite smooth for the last twenty minutes. Transit through the domestic airport was quick and we were soon back in the Shangri La Hotel, a haven of peace and tranquillity in the midst of this frenetic city.
 Emails home
After unpacking our trekking duffle bags we settled into our room for the next two nights. I then went to the Business Centre and spent the next hour and a quarter writing a long email to all those on my list for the trip plus a short one to Corinne. Meanwhile, Rose had a well deserved bath. Later Rose and I went down to the dining room to have a chicken hamburger each for lunch.
 Shopping in Kathmandu
After lunch Rose and Kath went to Patan to do some shopping. I went for about an hour’s walk up and down the street outside the hotel. I bought some postcards and bottles of water. When I returned to our room I wrote out postcards I was sending to Corinne, Mum and Simon and Leanne. When Rose returned from shopping she was not feeling well and had developed a tummy upset. “Timing is everything,†she said, “it could have been on the plane!â€
 Catching up on washing
This morning, when we were unpacking our trekking gear we both sorted through our clothes and each had a bag of laundry to be done. It had to be ready at 10am and I just had a call to say that it is being sent up to the room shortly. It is now 4:30pm so that is a really good service. I didn’t check the prices but I had such a lot to do I couldn’t have dried it in the bathroom in time to leave for Chitwan the day after tomorrow.
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