Update

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Hello! So we are back around to this time of the week...dan is very happy as he has been able to get the oxford game on the radio and we have settled down well in Pokhara. loving life right now!

So I'll catch you up from leaving Kathmandu and heading off to Chitwan:

Tuesday 18th:

We woke up very early that morning to pick up a fellow Brit named Paul and head to the bus park to catch the tourist bus to Chitwan. It started off a very grey and drizzly day and this would soon set up our day...not for the better. The average time it take to get to Chitwan national park is 5-7hours and in total it took us just over 8! We had to deal with gridlock on the windy mountain roads due to landslides, dripping ceilings as a result of the rain, and headache inducing bumpy roads! It was an experience to say the least.

However, as soon as we reached our destination and greeted by our guide; named santa, we soon forgot about the bus journey and had a hearty lunch and group talk about our itinary for the next day. We were desperate to know what he had seen since he has worked there and although he is very professional and an expert of the jungle. he found us very amusing and told us many rhino and tiger chasing stories which did little to put us at ease. He is an absolute legend though, very personable and you really did feel safe in his hands! That evening we went to the local village to walk around and see some local birds; of whioch on route back we were rewarded with a breathtaking sunset with mountain view and then went to watch traditional Newari dancing which involves Nepali drums and men dancing with sticks; very interesting!

Wednesay:

This day I was a compleTe bag of nerves, Dan shared my dread at the beginning but soon grew to love the walk. I on the other hand was sweating with fear...genuinely I have never been so much on edge with fear pumping adrenaline in all my life...although it was an adventure and a great experience, I was so relieved when we left the jungle 3 hours later! The boys were pretty upset that we didn't see any rhinos but any chance of seeing them was bashed away by a group of abnoxious Aussies who were talking and laughing so loudly, even humans would run away...so after all that walking through swamps, grassland. jungle and river, we saw nothing but rhino tracks and leeches! This was pretty funny though as I was first to be leeched (you really do know when it happens) and Dan was genuinely more concerned about being leeched than he was about any other aspect of the walk...he got one on his ankle and one on his chest in the end!

After the walk, we headed back to the resort for coffee and then headed back out to the river for a boat ride in croc infested waters. The boats were pretty cool; its made from the wood of a single tree and we had a guy punt us downstream. We wer told to keep all limbs inside the boat and if we did see a croc, not turn or jolt suddenly with cameras or fear as this could tip the boat! We did see two crocs but they did not bother us at all. The ride took about 30minutes and then we jumped in the jeep and headed straight to the elephant ride. We hopped aback a 16 year old elephant (4 people per animal) with the driver sitting on his neck and directing him using his feet behind the elephants ears! Dan was mesmerised by the whole experience whereas I felt a bit sorry for the animals. Overall it was a great ride and we saw plenty of spotted dear, monkeys and a gorgeously grand stag resting in the jungle!

Thunrsday:

Slightly later wake up call of 6.30am for coffee before jeeping to the elephant breeding centre. We saw the first twin elephants born in Asia and made elphant food packs with the workers before heading back for breakfast and saying our goodbyes before heading on the bus to Pokhara. Two of the guys who we were with (Ari-Israeli and Paul-Brit) were not satisfied with the lack of animal sightings the day previous so paid santa for a whole day in the jungle (9am-6pm!). In the end they saw 5 rhinos...of which at one point they got sandwhiched between a mother and baby in front and the dad behind with nowhere to run to but water if the rhinos kicked off! They also sawy a fresh tiger paw print but were not so lucky to spot one!

Myself, Dan and Polly had our fair share of jungle walk (dan was tempted to stay) and got on the horrendously muggy, bumpy and uncomfortable journey so far. The views were spectacular and the journey only took 6 hours which was good going after the last one! We got in a taxi and got taken to a hostel we did not intend to stay at but it turned out to be nicer and as a result of pouring rain and storm, gave in and settled in. We went for a walk in the town, headed down to the river side just in time to see the most spectacular sunset...The sunset in Chitwan was dwarfed in that day's glory of a sunset; Cocktails by the lake to celebrate our arrival!

Friday:

Yesterday has to be the best day we have had so far on our trip! we woke at 4.50am (that's 4 before-6am-wakeups in a row) and got a taki up to Sarangkot to see the sunrise over the mountains. It was such a clear sky and as the sun began to rise, the sheer majesty of the mountains was revealed! We have never seen anything so amazing and were blown away by the beauty of the orange sun light kissing the mountains! Listened to Enya's 'Sail away' which was fitting for the mood and setting we were in!Afterwards, we grabbed a taxi back and had a quick breakfast before going dow to the lake to get a boat out. Decided to grab the 10 seater pedalo on offer as it not only made climbing back into the boat after a swim easier, it also had a sun shade to portect us from the suin! It was a wondrous 3 hours of swimming, listening to music and absorbing the mountain views from the middle of the lake. We were having such a good time that we hadn't realised how hungry we were so headed back, drained of energy to get some lunch at crescent moon. Such good food that we ended up going back there for dinner too! That evening after dinner, we walked to busybee for a cocktail and enjoy the live music playing along with Paul who arrived from Chitwan that afternoon, and a belgian couple he had met on the bus who were great company!

Today/Saturday:

We finally got to have a bit of a lye in before heading out for a farewell breakfast for polly who was flying back to Kathmandu/Birthday meal for Paul.

We have been aranging all of our trekking permits and park permits for the Trek on wednesday and also; on a whim, booked paragliding on monday for 40quid for paul's birthday! Went on the river again for a quick swim to cool down from the blistering heat and we have relaxed reading most of the afternoon as a big thunderstorm passed through.



Honestly, we are having such a great time here, we've even confirmed and booked flights to Austalia now so we will be there for about 10 days staying with different relatives of Dans which we are both really excited about before flying on our new route to Christchurch, NZ! I have loaded some photos from my camera so I will now add some photos from dans too.

Missing everyone back home. Lots of love

Carla and Dan x x x x

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