Check Rhino Off the List… But Still in Search of That Tiger

So also over Dashain because we were already in the neighborhood, Raj suggested I head over to Chitwan National Park. The park is a major tourist attraction in Nepal (coming after Everest and the other big mountains of course) and apparently THE thing to do in the park is an elephant ride through the jungle. Because I’m technically still a tourist (though don’t tell people… I’d rather they all think I’m Nepali!), of course I would go to the park and ride an elephant.

Without sounding like a guide book, Chitwan has lots of good wildlife-seeing. It’s one of the last refuges for the endangered one-horned Indian rhinoceros. And… it supposedly has tigers, leopards, and other big game animals like sloth bears. I say supposedly because it’s very rare to see any of those animals… which means of course I want to see them. My friend Seth who’s interning in Burkina Faso and I have spent a lot of time discussing the possibility of seeing a tiger (I’ve promised to name the first tiger I see after him). I REALLY want to see a tiger much like my sister Joy REALLY wants to see a bear. So off I went, into the jungle (seriously… it’s a jungle) atop a sad elephant with 3 other people and the mahout (elephant driver) in search of a tiger named Seth.

The elephant ride was jostling 2.5 hour experience through the jungle. I saw deer, peacocks (not sure where they came from), and yay! Rhinos! And… more points because I saw a baby rhino, too! I’m pretty sure the rhinos I saw were the same two throughout the ride, but I’m okay with that. Have you seen a one-horned Indian rhino in the wild? Alright then. :) I’m pretty happy with my elephant ride experience. I would recommend it to all of you who come to Nepal (and visit me… who’s up for it?). Sadly, I did not see a tiger… but I’ve already decided that I’m going back to Chitwan before I leave and I will stay the night in the jungle (it’s like 500 NRS to stay in a wildlife viewing tower overnight) so I can find a tiger. I just want to see one… it’s not like I’ll take it home. This must be what Joy feels like. Grrr.

My rhino sighting(s)


The night before the elephant ride, Raj’s teenage nephew and I took in the Tharu cultural programme. I’m usually not into cultural programmes for tourists as it brings to mind the Growing Pains episodes where they vacationed in Maui and went to that just-for-the-mainlanders-luau. However, the Tharu cultural programme was pretty cool. I’m a sucker for stick dances (tininkling anyone?) and drum beats… and I was taking in by this as well. I think it’s great that the Tharu people are striving to preserve their culture. Sure they are dancing for the tourists, but… the performers are doing traditional dances that might’ve been forgotten otherwise. And come on… a guy was twirling fire! And the crowd was full of mostly Nepali tourists. So again, I’ve rationalized it and I’m okay with it. I'll post videos from the show soon.

Sunset over the Rapti River by the park. Nothing like a cup of tea and a sunset.


Stick Dancing at the Tharu Cultural Programme... they move SO fast!

Out of the Valley

So a few weeks ago (I know… I haven’t posted in a long time) I had my first real chance to get out of Kathmandu Valley and see the real Nepal. I don’t consider Kathmandu to be “real” Nepal because as it’s the capital it’s already different from the rest of the country and it’s crazy. And you don’t really have to speak Nepali here because most everyone knows enough English to get by. So my first real chance to see Nepal was this trip to Hetauda. I spent a week in Hetauda (Makwanpur district) attending focus groups and meeting up with local producers and listeners of SSMK and Naya Nepal (another EA Nepal radio program that focuses on the political situation of Nepal and how youth can get involved).

First of all… I loved Hetauda. Since it is out of the valley, it already wins major points with me, but there’s just something about the small town feel to it that I really liked. I liked how everything was centralized and easily findable. There was one or two major crossroads… and all shops, markets, internet cafes, and restaurants were along those main roads. In the Lonely Planet guide for Nepal it says that there’s not much to see in Hetauda (true) and that most people only stop there to change buses (also true). But that can be said for any small town in the states. There’s not a lot of foreigners in Hetauda… you could probably count the number on one hand. And I think that’s another reason why I liked it so much there.

Hetauda was just Nepalis living their lives and going about their daily routine. There’s not a pack of tourists roaming the streets looking for western food. Kathmandu is full of places trying to accommodate the westerners because every tourist comes through. Hetauda’s not looking to impress the tourists because there aren’t really any.

The trip really drove home the fact that everyone thinks I’m Nepali. Every local I met in Hetauda automatically assumed I was Nepali… and would speak to me instead of to the other girls with me (an Australian who lives in Hetauda and my French roommate… both of whom speak Nepali well). So I spent a lot of the time having other people or myself explaining that I’m not Nepali (Ma Nepali hoina.). It’s kind of cool, though, you know? I don’t really get harassed as much as I did in Uzbekistan. A few Uzbeks mistook me for Uzbek… but my American clothes definitely gave me away. Here, I’ve started a small collection of kurtas (long, light, dress-like shirts) so what gives me away is my lack of Nepali skills… or at least my embarrassment of how little Nepali I know after 1 month or so of living here.

The best part about the trip? The drive to and from Hetauda. From Kathmandu, it is a 4-hour jeep ride driving on curvy, curvy bumpy roads up and down hills. But it’s all through beautiful hills (what we would call mountains… but since they’ve got the Himalayas which they call mountains, you can see why you’d call these mini-mountains hills!). If I was into the whole religion and god thing I would say that this place is God’s country. I mean everywhere you look is just so beautiful and amazing. Unfortunately… I didn’t take many pictures (or any really at all). I went back to Kathmandu alone… in a jeep full of Nepali men. After living in Uzbekistan and suffering through some roadtrips with sketchy Uzbek men, I’m wary of traveling with all men and drawing more attention to myself by breaking out my camera and acting like a tourist. So I didn’t take out my camera (sorry… but I’m already planning another trip to Hetauda anyway, so I’ll get pictures from that trip).

The trip to Hetauda was just what I needed. After a month of settling in to my new life here and getting over jet lag, sickness (stomach and flu/cold), and just getting used to Kathmandu, a trip out of the valley completely rejuvenated me. I’m much happier (which my roommates have noticed) and am finally ready to enjoy my time here. I’ve been promised at work that I’ll have more field visits… if it’s anything like this trip to Hetauda, I already love my job and my life here. :)