Day 1 Chitwan National Park

 We left Pokhara at a reasonable time for what we were told was a 5 hour drive with a number of breaks.  The times seem to get lost in translations occasionally - 15 minutes turns to an hour etc….so we were unsure whether it was 5 hours driving plus breaks or including.  Some of our crew were worried about 5 straight hours driving without a bathroom break….it is funny how people from different countries view the length of driving….5 hours doesn’t quite get me from home to Wollongong!  One of our stops - which apparently is a known half way point, had a rather good little coffee van and POOL! 

The time on the road was interesting.  We left the Pokhara valley and headed towards Kathmandu.  At one point it was turn left to Kathmandu and turn right to Chitwan.    The landscape changed then to roads that ran alongside a rather large river with steep mountains on either side.  It was really hard to capture by photo.  THere were suspension bridges across the valley and over the river to enable those that lived in tiny houses on the side of the mountain to access the road….had they not been there I can’t imagine what life would be like - the mountains were so very steep it would be impossible to walk on any flat surface at all.  

The Park is located South-Central Nepal near the the town of Sauraha. It is the lowlands of Nepal…and quite different to what we had seen. Whereas the north had farming by terrace in every plot imaginable - wheat particularly - this area has acres of small plots planted with tomatoes, cucumbers, dragon fruit as well as rice, wheat and other general crops. The plots are small however many are butted against each other and dotted with small houses.   

The buildings are interesting….it appears in towns the houses are designed around blocks of 2.5 x 40 metre rectangles  - it almost seems they are shipping containers size…the rich houses are three story and a series of 1 to 4 containers joined….the side walls are cement pillars every 2.5 metres infilled with bricks.  It is really common and I can only imagine it is something to do with ground stability and maximising rigidity.  

Our stay at Chitwan is at the Barahi Jungle Lodge.  The same hotel chain we stayed in at Pokhara.  Quite upmarket…but this takes it to a new level.  The rooms are individual or twin cabins constructed in local materials with minimal plastic and extremely environmentally friendly.  The food is next level and all supplied.  Coffee plunger in room as are jars of biscuits etc.  It was unexpected and we all commented that we did not expect such luxury.

Our first afternoon we had a canoe adventure on the Rapti River.  Our naturalist guide, Rajesh, quietly commented on the seen wildlife - elephant, endangered crocodile and a number of birds.  Sliding down the end of the river powered by our ‘captain’ using a pole, we quietly observed the river banks.  A few little rapids were evident and some submerged logs (that from a distance looked like crocodiles) were spotted.  It was mainly bird life we observed.  

At the end of our ride down river we were greeted with a sunset picnic to watch the sunset over the river and watch locals collect grasses and fish!  

There was complimentary champagne and  nibbles set up with deck chairs facing the river and sunset.  Each group (and there were several) had their own private little area….there were couples who were obviously having a romantic time, while the larger cleared areas catered for the larger groups such as ours.  They had even erected small washroom tents for males and females…it appeared everything had been thought of!  

We all had a few laughs while drinking and taking ‘instagram’ pictures.  

After the champagne sunset picnic…we were just about to leave in the safari jeep to return to the hotel when the clouds cleared and the sun glowed red low on the horizon…..the colouring of the sky matched the water and the local fishermen and boat silhouetted agains a glowing orange and pink sky….absolutely stunning! 

On returning to the hotel, we then enjoyed a cultural dance be one of the two local tribes people.  It felt very authentic and not touristy at all unlike many hotel cultural shows I’ve seen.    We enjoyed a drink and then headed to a lovely buffet dinner.  While we were just about to sit down to eat word got around that there had been a rhinoceros spotlighted on the other side of the river….we immediately walked down to see a very large beast refreshing his/herself beside the water.  It’s a little hard to tell from the photos as it was night and the lighting was torch but you can still clearly see it.  

Pokhara

 We were up early in Nagarkot to attempt a sunrise view however the clouds resisted and stayed around after the rain the night before….still, there was a lovely view from the hotel room.

It was another lovely breakfast (they have been great on this tour just about everywhere) before boarding our bus to take us back to Kathmandu airport where we caught a plane to Pokhara.  As we flew west, the Himalayan mountains could be seen out the window to the north…just stunning!

We were originally booked on the 10.30 flight but arrived in time to take the 9.30 flight…lucky we did as that flight didn’t leave until 11.30!  We arrived at our hotel around 1 - just time to freshen before heading out for a lovely lunch in a restaurant that overlooked the lake.  Having sufficiently refreshed after a hearty meal of Chicken Sekawa (a bbq chicken served on a sizzling plate) and garlic naan, we walked to the edge of the Lake.  

Phewa Tal (Phewa Lake) is the second largest lake in Nepal.  It is fresh water and on the many sides is surrounded by native bush land.  We jumped onto a small paddle boat (life jackets on!) and went across the other side to quietly observe native wildlife - a kingfisher - and some rather large fish - tilapia in the water.   After the lunch (with a GnT) I was feeling rather sleepy, and so felt the boat ride was very very relaxing…I just hung out the side watching a plethora of water craft (paddle boards, canoes, paddle boats and paragliders) all over the lake.  There was a little rubbish which was unfortunate.  The lake is fed by the melting snow from the Annapurna range.

We then rode in our bus via a very steep and windy road to Anadu Hill where the Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda) is situated.  As we alighted the bus, a heavy downpour of rather large rain drops poured down so we took shelter in a tea house and enjoyed the native spiced black tea (you could have milk tea if you wanted).    When there was a break we continued our walk towards the Pagoda along a relatively rough path.  Lo and behold another downpour happened rather quickly and luckily we were next to another tea house - this time needing to take refuge from rain and hail for around 20 minutes.   On clearing we continued to the Pagoda.  We caught glimpses of the Annapurna’s and a lovely view back across the Pokhara valley.  

The late plan time and more time stopping for weather ate into our free time so it was almost straight to dinner at the hotel restaurant where I enjoyed a beautiful Chicken Thukpa - a lovely chicken, vegetable and noodle soup which was wonderful.  A hot shower afterwards and I was asleep in minutes!

The next morning we needed to meeting in the foyer at 5 am for a bus up another hill in order to see the sunrise.  It was rather fresh (which I really didn’t pack for - even with a few layers the cold was seeping in).  Our bus driver overtook a number of buses on the incline and I was a little concerned as the road was narrow and had many hairpin bends….I understood why when we got to the top as bus after bus arrived.  Luckily we were relatively early and had prime seats to watch as the light hit the peaks of the Annapurna range.   Before the sun was visible the light reflected on the eastern faces of the mountains, initially a pale pink and then slowly turning gold before white.  The transition was absolutely magical….while the peaks were pink and gold the hot orange ball of sun rose to the east….words and pictures fail me….I just could not capture it as it really was - a truly magical experience.  

We identified Annapurna 1, 2 and 3 and the famous fishtail peak of Machhapuchhare all to the north, while to the east we saw the Pokhara Valley.  

After another lovely breakfast we took a little ‘breather’ time before heading to the International Mountain Museum where we learned about Mountain trekking, the history, the people, the international connections and the geology.  It was a very informative hour!

The next stop was one of our highlights.  We visited the Tashiling Tibetan community - refuges who fled Tibet 50 years ago when China made some moves to extinguish their culture.   Dolna was our expert host who taught us how to make vegetable and chicken Momo.  Of course, once they were made and cooked, we had to eat them!  They were absolutely delicious, and with great guidance, were surprisingly easy to make.  I’m awaiting the recipe so I can make them at home next time some guests are planning on visiting (hint hint!).

Before ending the day we had a brief stop at the Tibetan Information Centre on the site and then visited another of Intrepid’s sponsored activities - Helping Hands which provides opportunity and training for those traditionally excluded in Nepalese culture - solo mothers, those with a form of disability.   We experienced loom weaving and were able to see a variety of workers weaving, crocheting, painting and sewing.