Into the Jungle

Amos and I spent this past weekend in Chitwan, in the Terai region of Nepal. It is a place known for its mysterious jungles and exotic animals, and for its flat, open spaces and serene beauty.

We arrived Friday afternoon, after a bumpy, winding, 5-hour ride. More than happy to emerge from the crowded bus and uncrumple ourselves, we explored the little town of Sauraha, in search of a place to stay for the weekend. We found a lovely riverside resort with beautiful gardens and made ourselves at home in a little cottage.

On Friday night, we attended a Tharu Cultural Programme in town. The Tharus are an indigenous people group of Nepal, and many live on the outskirts of Sauraha in traditional clay homes with thatched roofs. We were mesmerized as much by the traditional dancing and music during the programme as by walking through the Tharu village. It was so idyllic, quiet, simply beautiful. After the programme, we enjoyed a late fireside dinner by the river...marveling at the peace and quiet surrounding us.

We woke up early to a very foggy, misty Saturday morning, and ventured down to the river for a canoe ride. This was our favorite part of the trip--the dreamy haze over the river, the sounds of birds calling, our guide quietly pointing out the different species of birds and their calls as we glided through the water. It felt so sacred, so unbelievably mystical. After an hour on the canoe, we went offshore, into the jungle. Here, our (impressively knowledgeable) guide continued to point out amazing varieties of birds, as well as evidence of tigers--fresh paw prints and claw markings on trees. We didn't see any large animals during our walk, but it was awing enough to know we were in their territory. I admit I was slightly nervous about running into a wild animal, but our guide seemed pretty calm...and carried a large bamboo stick.

Saturday afternoon was full of elephants. We watched the gigantic beasts getting their daily bath in the river. Although we could have, we didn't join in the bath--it was a bit too chilly, but some other tourists had fun getting splashed and scrubbing the elephants' rough skin. After a delicious lunch of momos and Himalayan tea at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, we made our way back into the jungle, this time atop elephants.

Although we were crammed into a box seat with several other people, the ride was absolutely fabulous. For two hours, the elephants (about 6 or 7) thudded through the dense foliage, occasionally stopping to clear the path by pulling down saplings with their trunks--and eating them. We were thrilled to come upon rhinos--a mother and baby munching away on bushes while we all gawked and snapped pictures like good tourists. We saw another rhino later on, as well as some wild boar that were snacking on what looked like a fox. The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful, just enjoyed another fireside dinner together!

Unfortunately we had to leave fairly early Sunday morning, so after one more walk by the river, we packed up and headed to the bus park...But, due to a miscommunication with travel agencies, our tickets were not confirmed, and we were told that there were no available seats for us. We were obviously pretty upset, (although part of me hoped that we would just get stuck in Chitwan for a few days) but somehow they found room for us on a bus, then dropped us off at the next town to catch another bus--where we were crammed into the very back seat with a couple of other tourists whose tickets had also been overbooked. Needless to say, the ride home was not a nice one, and was severely bouncy--a personal assault to the skeleton. But hey, we got home safely, and that is what matters. Thankfully the actual vacation made up for the not-so-pleasant parts. It was a phenomenal experience!


the resort garden



elephants' bath time



the quiet morning river


on the canoe


traditional clay home


rhinos!