NEPAL, Royal Chitwan National Park, Island Resort

April 7, 2007

The Island Resort in the Royal Chitwan National Park was very nice. I stayed there for 5 days and 4 nights. There were usually about 50-60 people there but a few days there were only 5 of us. Usually a big group would show up. We bathed elephants, went on elephant safaris, walked through the jungle looking for tigers and rhinos and watched local tribes do custom ritual dances. You have to be ferried in a boat across the river to the island. It was a nice way to wind down after trekking through the Himilayas for 16 days.

NEPAL, Royal Chitwan National Park, elephants

April 6, 2007

Elephants have a big role at the Island Resort. The visitors are allowed to bathe the elephants every afternoon and in the morning the elephants are used in a safari in search of the rhino and tiger.

NEPAL, Royal Chitwan National Park, rhino

April 5, 2007

The Royal Chitwan National Park is 360 square miles in size and once was the private hunting land for the King of Nepal. Of the hundred breeding tigers left in Nepal about 50 are in Chitwan. I went on a special trip with my own guide one day in search of the elusive Bengal Tiger but only came up with a fresh paw print from earlier in the day. The rhinos are most impressive and you are given instruction on what to do if they charge and you are on foot. It actually happened to one group while I was there. By the way, you zigzag as you run as they do not change direction well. Also do not wear bright colored clothing. This safari is no way comparative to Africa but was nice for a couple of days rest. But your wildlife viewing will be mostly rhinos, birds and a few monkeys along with the elephants that you ride.

NEPAL, Town outside of Chitwan, Chitwan National Park

April 4, 2007

I just finished the white water raft trip with my new Swedish friends, Joseph and Lydia, and was dropped off after a 2 hr. ride in the back of a jeep to a town outside Chitwan.

NEPAL, Thara Village, Chitwan National Park

April 4, 2007

The Thara Village gives a realistic idea of the villages outside of the cities. I especially liked the photos of the woman shucking corn in a mosquito net and the marijuana plants lining both sides of the road which were pointed out to me by my guide. The tower in the field is to look out for rhinos which can damage the crops.

NEPAL, Whitewater Rafting, Chitwan National Park

April 3, 2007

I caught the bus from Kathmandu to the rafting headquarters which was about 3 hrs. Unfortunately I was not able to take any pictues while rafting. We rafted for 2 days on Class III and Class IV rapids. Lydia, the Swedish girl, was thrown from the raft the second day. The children in the picture were at the small store above our campground.

Kathmandu, Nepal {Buddhist Temples and Stupas}

The first 2 pictures are paintings done by monks which explain the life of Buddha and the Path to Enlightenment. I purchased the first one and the pictures do not show the meticulous detail. The rest of the pictures are of Buddhist Temples, Stupas and Prayer Wheels. The Bodhnath Stupa is the one pictured. A Stupa is a sacred Buddhist shrine. The Prayer Wheels contain a piece of scriptural writing and are activated by spinning them clockwise, which causes the prayer inside to revolve.