Back in Pokhara

Hello All,

KC and I are back in Pokhara after a week of visiting several of Nepal's finest sites. The trip started last Sunday with a flight to Katmandu. Upon arrival, we were off to see the sites. The Katmandu Valley is famous for its religious and cultural sites. The majority of the sites are located in the once powerful and wealthy city states of Katmandu, Patan and Bhaktupar. They are located within a 40km radius and are all known for different crafts. Each city has a town center called Durbar Square. This area is filled with Hindu Temples devoted to one of the 33 gods. We spent a lot of time learning about the different gods and the symbolism associated with these animals and plants that decorate the pagodas. We also visited two important Budhist Stupas, Bodhnath and Swayimbunath. We soaked up the Budhist culture while visiting these sacred sites and a monastery.

After four days in the big city, it was time to relax. The next stop was Royal Chitwan National Park about 180km south of Katmandu. This park borders India in the plains below the Himalayas. The park is famous for Royal Benegal Tigers, One-Horned Rhinos, Gangetic Dolphins and Gharials. The other main attraction to the park (932 sq km in size) is elephant back safaris. The jungle is extremely dense and vehicles can not be taken into the majority of the large park, so elephants are used to give tours and transport materials. Animals also tend not to be scared of the animals because they are used to having the massive beasts in the environment, unlike trucks.

After three three days of elephant safaris, nature walks, canoe trips and village visits, we had not seen our rhino. The resort manager asked how we would like to spend our final afternoon. KC and I looked at each, the pool sparkled in the midday heat but I could not pass up a chance to see our rhino. Within moments, we were back on the 46-year old female elephant with two guides and a Nepalese couple. I was sitting directly behind the elephant driver and KC behind me. It was 15 minutes into the safari that our guide jumped off the elephant to inspect a pile of dung, he yelled to the driver, the hunt for a rhino was on. The guide disappeared into the brush and as the elephant driver yelled commands to the elephant, it uprooted a small tree from the groud to create a new path in the jungle for us to pass. This continued for 30 minutes, the elephant ripped through the jungle as the guide attempted to track the rhino. As branches, vines and nettles ripped across our open carriage, my watch strap was broken off, the cameras lense cap dissappeared and the Nepalese woman shed tears. If this was not entertaining enough, we emerged in a small opening to see a living dinosaur. The one-horned animal was massive with thick folds of skin and a large horn. It looked back at the elephant grunted and tore off through the jungle. We attempted to chase but the whimpers from behind me became louder than the rhino's grunts and footsteps. Our rhino hunt was over but an incredible success.

The culinary treats were a delight. Several of our favorites were:

• Tibetian Tea, made with yak butter and salt
• Tibetian MoMos, flour dumplings filled with chicken, vegetables or buff
• Newari Pancakes, made with lentil flour served with tarkari
• Bhaktapur yogurt, especially sweet becasuse of the local milk

Other highlights included:

• washing the elephants
• attempting to get Chinese and Indian visas
• friends we made along the way
• watching the different trades (pottery, paper making, wood carving)

Pictures below:

KC and I give a three year old elephant a good scrubbing in the Rapti River near the resort. We thought we were just watching birds when the elephants showed up for a bath. We had to help. It was truly a memorable experience.

The baby elephant and I check each other out. He was trying to stick his trunk in my pocket. I was not prepared, I did not have any treats.

KC took the helm for a short while and led the elephant safari. . . not to bad for her first time.

Our lone rhino sighting. I did my best to get a better picture but between the branches, leaves and bugs flying, this was about the best I could do. These are huge beasts, bigger than the 1975 Toyota Corolla taxis that fill the streets of Katmandu.

There are peacocks thr0ughout the jungle. This one jumped up a branch and posed for a few photos.

KC and I at Bodhnath, the largest stupa in Nepal. This is a center of Tibetian culture in the Katmandu Valley. There are several Budhist Monastaries surrounding the stupa dating back tlo the 13th century. This picture is taken from a small monastery's roof.

KC and I in Bhakatpur about 35km outside of Katmandu. The once powerful city state does not allow cars to enter the town to perserve the architecture and allow for a peaceful walk. We were able to observes local crafts throughout the town. We are standing in front of the tallest pagoda in the Katmandu Valley.

KC and I in Patan about 10km outside of Katmandu. Langang (one of the eight hightest mountains in the world) looms in the distance over KC's left shoulder. The Gorkha Himalayas are to my right.