Chitwan National Park: a Jungle Experience

Up early, on with the headlamps. We make our way down the stairs from Raniban resort to the taxi. It took us to the bus station, to catch a public bus to Chitwan. The hotel provided us with a takeaway breakfast, which we had at the train station.

The bus station was a busy and bustling at 6:30am; tourists and locals searching for the right bus - all names and numbers were in Nepali - and vendors selling bread, water and souvenirs. In the middle of the dirt parking lot was a cow, just standing there taking all the chaos in! Our bus was very old, and would never had passed an inspection in the Western world. 

This is the first aid box in the bus and it says it all!

The trip took five hours, and was slow and bumpy as there was only two lane roads, with no passing lanes. The road was full of big holes, and there were hardly any shocks on the bus. We did have some nice views along the way though. Passing other cars and trucks was something you tried not to think about, lots of near misses, seems like the norm for Nepal!

Chitwan which means 'Heart of the Jungle', and this World Heritage-listed reserve in the southern part of Nepal covers more than 932 sq km of forrest, marshland and rippling grassland, and is home to a lot of wildlife. We stayed at the Sauraha Resort, an oasis in the village, and had most of our meals on 'our' patio.

We did a guided walk through this Tharu village. The Tharu people are thought to descend from the royal clan of Sakya, the Buddha's family. They have traditionally lived in elephant grass thatched huts with walls made of a mix of dung and clay, and some still do. Their beliefs are largely animistic involving the worship of forest spirits.

We also visited the government's elephant centre, and these elephants are only used for tourist rides, so they can control the number of tours into the park, as well as the treatment of the elephants.

Then we walked down to the river, saw a wonderful sunset.

We were up early the following morning and did an elephant safari, and it was a great experience. The fog was hanging over the trees and the river, which gave it a spooky look.

It took a while to get used to the movements of the elephant. Our elephant handler took us on trails away from all the other tourists, and we felt we had a private tour. We saw monkeys, wild boar, deer and many different birds.

After breakfast at the hotel we went to see the elephant take their morning bath and it was really funny to watch, as they almost submerge fully under the water, and use the trunk as a 'breathing periscope'.

After lunch we went on a jeep safari hoping to see rhinos or maybe even a tiger, but we didn't have any luck. We also visited a crocodile breeding Center, and they can get really big - good these ones only eat fish!

We had been shown a nice, quiet bar by the river away from all the tourists! And we had a couple of drinks and popcorn (a Schultz family weakness) there while watching the sunset.

Our waiter at the hotel, named Harry by us, as he looked like Harry in the latest Spiderman movie, was not happy with us as we were 15 minutes later for dinner. Oh well! 

The following day we were up early again to do a canoe trip on the river, and we saw a dangerous crocodile (man eater), marabou storks, kingfisher birds and many other birds. It was amazing gliding down the river in silence as the sun was rising and making the fog dissolve. 

Then we visited an elephant breeding center, and the little ones sure are cute.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we didn't see any one-horned rhinos or tigers on our two hour jungle walk, but it would have been amazing seeing just one - across the rive at a safe distance. Our guide did his best to find one, but nature is thankfully not predictable. We had the afternoon off, and relaxed, read, shopped and packed. We visited our usual drinking hole again for the last sunset over Chitwan National Park. And then we saw a one hour Tharu cultural show with various dances.

The following morning we were taken to the highway and boarded a local bus, which would take us to the river rafting place. The locals were very kind and gave up their seats for some of us, but Lars wasn't so lucky....

After about 15 minutes drive, we turned down a small side road, and then the bus stopped outside a house. The house owner and several people from the bus got out, and started loading furniture on to the top of the bus, which obviously also serves as a moving truck. It took about an hour to load the bus, and this must be very common as none of the local seems upset about the delay. We found it very funny, but was a bit concerned that we would be late for the rafting. When we left the house the low hanging electrical wires got caught in the furniture, so a couple of guys crawled up on the roof of the bus and guided the driver through the 'spaghetti' of wires!

The trip took roughly three hours, and was just a slow and bumpy as the previous one. Once equipped with our gear

We set out on a two hour, 20 km rafting trip from Fishing to Mugling. Dorte and Tine were a bit scared during the first two rapids (Class 3) but the rest of the trip was great. 

After lunch, we boarded yet another public bus which took us to Kathmandu, in about four hours. It was just as gruelling a trip as the the other two bus trips, especially after it got dark. It seemed like whoever hooted first had the right away, and the bus overtook lorries and other busses in sharp corners, while scooters were weaving in between. Scary and very uncomfortable. When we reached the hotel, it turned out that they didn't have rooms for us that night, despite the fact that we had booked them in June, but they transferred us to another hotel which had very nice rooms, so it all worked out well.

Tine and Lars' last day in Nepal was spent shopping, visiting a local farmers market, the monkey temple, and the Garden of Dreams, which was a beautiful oasis in the midst of the noise and pollution of Kathmandu. 

And this fellow has a good life in the garden....

Dorte finally got to get a swing on a swing, which we had seen so many places previously. It had been raised for the Dasain festival.

Thank you, Tine and Lars, for joining us, and for sharing some wonderful new and exciting adventures in Nepal - the roof of the world. We had a wonderful time!

Poon Hill Trek Day 5: Ghandruk to Naya Pul/Pokhara

13.2 km, 1000m down.

On this last day of our trek, we woke up to sunshine and another great view.

The trail took us around the mountain while slowly descending down to the river, and it was easy, and a relief not having to climb more stone steps.

There were so many colourful butterflies.

This local man looked like a small troll.....

A few hours of 'Nepali flat' equals anything non-vertical! Time for a rest.

We reached the river and Naya Pul around noon,

and our car and driver took us back to Pokhara. We were very pleased with our selves, and had had a fantastic experience in the Himalayas.

We just managed to have lunch, overlooking the lake in Pokhara, before a thunderstorm broke loose. We were in a supermarket when it broke loose, and they provided small stools for us to wait out the rain. Nepalis are so friendly.

Soon the road 'disappeared', the gutters were filled with water, and we could not get across the street, without getting very wet. Some people crossing were up to their knees in water! The monsoon was supposed to be over by the end of September, but the weather doesn't always adhere to the calendar, obviously.

We picked up our luggage at the Lake Diamond hotel, and took a taxi to Raniban Resort above the lake. It was a funny and scary experience. The taxi was a small Suzuki, and there was barely room for the four of us and all our luggage. Due to the rain the windows fogged so the driver couldn't see anything, and the road up the mountain was so bumpy and full of holes that we got stuck. The men got out to push the car free, and then we left them to walk the rest of the way to ease the weight in the car. What a way to say thanks!  The car skirted all over the road, and there were several steep drops, so a bit scary. We got dropped off at the bottom of a LONG staircase up to the resort, and, luckily, a neighbour felt sorry for Tine and Dorte (he didn't know the men were coming), so he called the resort, who sent three people to help us carry the luggage up. What a relief! 

Raniban Retreat is a secluded hill top hotel, perched 420m above Phewa Tal lake, and the town of Pokhara. Raniban. We spent two nights here, relaxing, doing laundry, and enjoying the views of Pokhara, the valley and the Himalayas for the last time.

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For a better view you'll need a pilot's licence!

We have been swimming in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, and seen some of the highest places in the world here in Nepal, and this Nepali stamp is a great symbol of these experiences.

“To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth.”

Poon Hill Trek Day 4: Tadapani to Ghandruk

 7.2 km, 700m down.

The clouds had cleared over night, and we descended through the last mossy rhododendron forest, 

and along a clear creek, where Andy built an Inukshuk!

We reached Ghandruk around noon, and it started raining, just as we reached the hotel - again perfect timing by Yogen. We relaxed after lunch, and then Yogen walked us through the village, which is mainly inhabited by the Gurung people, who are of Tibeto-Burmese origin. We visited the Gurung museum and learned how they lived, and many of the tools and crops exhibited there are still used today. 

The blackboard in the next photo got covered in ash, and then the student would practice writing the letters or numbers by writing in the ash, then scrape it off and apply new ash.

Bamboo grows really fast here, and it is used for many things. This time a cute plant box.

We shared the trails with mules and people transporting food and wood to the villages.

The rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping, reading and just relaxing, and we all enjoyed an afternoon off our feet.

Pooh Hill Trek Day 3: Poon Hill And Ghorepani To Tadapani.

O10.8km, 700m down.

We left the hotel at 5:00am, wearing lots of clothes and our head lamps as it was still dark and cold, and climbed the 380m up to the top of Poon Hill at 3200m. It was tough 'jumping' out of bed and start climbing up more stairs at this altitude, but the view of some of highest mountains in the world was well worth it: Annapurna I (8091m), Dhaulagiri I (8167m), Annapurna South (7219m), and Fishtail mountain (6993m).

We enjoyed tea and croissants from the German Bakery while enjoying the sunrise.

After a sturdy porridge breakfast, and another look at the wonderful view, 

we continued out trek towards Tadapani.  The day continued with another gradual climb over a ridge at 3200m (second one in a day!) after which we descended some steep stairs.

The rhododendron forrest covered in moss was an amazing sight, as it was trees and not the bushes we are used to seeing. It must be amazing to trek here in March when they are all flowering. There are 32 different flower colours.

We saw many monkeys

and went through the lush forrest with many waterfalls.

The final stretch to Tadapani at 2721m went down a valley and up another 130m climb in less than 1 km. Finally, all the climbing of this trek was done, and we were very happy about that. Our porters relaxed by playing a game, and they had a lot of fun.

The oil barrel oven was working on full blast in the dining hall, so there was hot water in the shower (a treat!), and we were cosy while relaxing there and having dinner. Not too easy to leave the warmth and crawl into a very cold bedroom, but we had good blankets.

Poon Hill trek Day 2: Ulleri to Ghorepani.

Eight km and 1000m up.

We woke up to sunshine and wonderful views of the Himalaya. Sixty million years ago the Indo-Asian plate collided with the Eurasian continent, forming the Himalaya. And the Himalaya and is still growing at a rate of 6 mm a year as the Indo-Asian plate is still sliding. Nepal claims 10 of the world's 14 tallest mountains.

After breakfast we continued the climb up the mountain on more stone steps, and it took quite a while to get going. But today the steps were interchanged with more even terrain, while still slowly climbing. 

It was a very varied hike, as we passed several waterfalls, villages and a rhododendron forrest. We stopped for tea, and Dorte gave a small girl a couple of gummy bears which she liked. I rubbed my tummy, and she did the same after she had eaten them.

Lars took a short cut down the mountain side and fell, but luckily he only got a few scratches. Towards the end of the trek it started drizzling, and Mr. Rai was encouraging us to move ahead before it really started raining. We reached Sunny Hotel in Ghorepani at 2820 m around 2:30pm, and it was wonderful to have a hot shower. We almost felt like taking another one, just because we didn't know when the next one would be! The hot water is heated with solar power, so no sunshine, no hot water! Unfortunately, Ghorepani was covered in clouds, so there was no much of a view. After some hot tea, we found a warm place with Internet access, and caught up on our emails. 

It started raining again, and we really hoped it would clear by the next morning, so we could enjoy the view from Poon Hill. We had dinner at 6:00pm and were in bed by 8:00pm, as we were tired - again. Once you pass 2500m the air starts to get thinner, you breathe faster to get enough oxygen, and you can get altitude sickness. 

Poon Hill trek Day 1: Naya Pul to Ulleri

This 5 day 51 km circular trek is very popular as it is not as demanding and long as many other treks in the Annapurnas, but still has magnificent views. 

Day 1: Twelve kilometres; 1000m up and 169m down.

We hired a car and driver to take us and the two porters, Yogen and Udim. We had hired them to carry most of our luggage to the start of the trail head in Naya Pul. It was a bumpy one hour ride to get there, but with some amazing views of the Pokhara Valley. When we stopped at a corner store, we thought it was break time, but it turned out that we were in Naya Pul.

Then we started hiking up along the river, through small villages,

and along the rice fields. It was dry, but the trails was muddy after all the rain, the air was humid and the vegetation buzzed with the sounds of insects. The landscape was beautiful with low hanging clouds, and now and then sunshine on the mountains and the rice fields.

We shared the trail with many other tourists, locals, and horses and donkeys. We had a good lunch and rest at restaurant Green Land in Birethani along the Modi Khola river.

The local people were drying beans outside, 

and this pretty little girl was curious about us.

When we reached Tikhedungha, Yogen asked us if we were sure we wanted to do the long and steep climb up to Ulleri now or wait till tomorrow morning. We decided to the get the 550m climb over just 1.9 km over with, so up, up, up it went.

We got caught in a shower, which was welcomed as it gave us an excuse for a rest and a cup of tea. 5,979 steps and 2 hours later we finally reached Ulleri. I was very proud of my sister Tine from Denmark (far right picture below) as she found this part very hard, but never complained.

We started the day way down in the valley on this photo above. We stayed at the Good View Hotel where the rooms were very primitive ($3 a night!), the solar shower luke warm, the bed not the most comfortable, and the food so-so. We were in bed by 8 pm as we were quite tired. It was cold at 2020m when the sun went down. As the rooms had no insulation and no heating, sleep in a warm bed covered my thick blankets was our best option!