Visit to Nepal Jan/Feb 2012

After all the preparations and no more time to add things to my rucksack, I said farewell to neighbours and finally turned the door key. I set off on Friday afternoon as the sky turned grey and huge snowflakes descended from the sky.

I was on my way to Skipton to pick up Jane Iles and then on to Kirkby Malham to meet up with Dilly Baker - the three of us are Trustees of the Ikudol Forest Trust and had decided on a joint visit to the Project in Nepal. Dilly was waiting with computer posed for online check-in with Etihad Airways which was soon accomplished with the help of a welcome cup of tea and vanilla slice, before Dilly's husband, Chris, kindly drove us to Manchester.

We left around 4.15 with a little less pressure to get to the airport by 6.00 which was just as well as the snow really started to fall and the road over to the M65 was starting to look like a real winter landscape. We got there just after 6.00 despite the rush hour traffic. I hope you were able to get to your meeting Chris - thanks so much for the chauffering.

Terminal 1 was amazingly quiet and the Etihad check-in virtually empty so the bags were promptly dropped of and we we on our way through security. The flight boarded and ice cleaning of wings complete, we glided along the runway and lifted into the dark winter sky.

The flight was half empty so we had planty of room to spread out. Fortified by refreshments and a welcome meal, we settled down for the 6 hour flight to Abu Dhabi. One of the films on offer was a fascinating documentary of a journey to the once forbidden land of Mustang and the walled city of Lo Monthang, in north Nepal, by 3 American lads which had some amazing photography of this barren country. On the way, they stumbled across a remote village where the inhabitants were allowed to cut wood only twice a year, and, because water was so scarce, people washed only 3 times in their lifetime: at birth, the day before they were married, and when they were dead! I guess if everyone smelt you'd get used to it!

Although there is only one cold water tap at Majhkhanda, we hope we might be able to wash if not shower a little more often on our trip....

Neither Jane nor Dilly managed much sleep on the plane, due to a screaming child disturbing the peace, though I did manage to snatch a couple of hours' before breakfast.

We arrived at Abu Dhabi on time at around 7.30 local time (4 hours ahead of UK). As we came out of the plane we saw what was written in huge letters along the length of the fuselage - just to remind us of their sponsorship. 

We only had a couple of hours wait until boarding the flight to Kathmandu. This time the plane was packed, probably due to many Nepali workers returning home from the Arab Emirates where they worked. 

A plea for an upgrade so that Dilly and Jane could grap some sleep was worth a try, but politely denied. However, before the end of the flight I was thrust a full cup of sparkling water, as I thought it was, but it turned out to be the end of a bottle of champagne which the three of us shared with relish!

It was just wonderful to have arrived safely and to smell the warmer afternoon air and feel the bright sunlight on our faces as we stepped off the plane at Tribhuvan Airport which lies just off the ring road to the east of Kathmandu.

As scheduled we landed at 3.35 pm and with visas already obtained in the UK only had to change some money and pass through passport control. The baggage reclaim area was quite chaotic, with no clear signs where the bags would come in. As we waited we were fascinated by the number of huge suitcases which had been laboriously wrapped in hand woven cord netting – one wondered if they knew something we didn't about the lack of baggage handling security.

When our bags eventually appeared an hour later, we cleared customs and emerged from the Arrivals Hall to be greeted by Joshi, the proprietor of the Dolphin Guest House, where I had stayed twice before, and whose smiling face was a relief to find amidst the waiting crowd of welcomers. 

A friendly face at the Airport

He had hired a taxi, so we were soon on our way to Thamel for a two night stay before heading out to Chapagaun on the south side of the Kathmandu Valley.

The rooms at The Dolphin are simple but clean with en-suite shower and wc which would soon be a luxury we would be deprived of at Majhkhanda.

On the roof garden of The Dolphin

After checking in and being seen to our rooms we were invited up to the roof top garden where a welcome cup of delicious masala tea was served – a spiced sweetened beverage with hot milk. It's a wonderful little oasis somewhat spoilt by other high rise bare brick and concrete buildings which have blocked some of the view I had on my first visit in 2004, but nonetheless still allowing a great view of the northern hills and to the west where we saw the sun sinking into the horizon.

The temperature was definitely beginning to drop as we sipped our tea, and we wondered if we had brought enough warm clothing as the temperature in the mountains would be even lower!

After a shower and change of clothing, we headed out to find somewhere to eat and stumbled across the Yak Restaurant which looked well patronised, with an advert for hot beer enticing us in. I go vegetarian when in Asia when possible, and never eat red meat, though sometimes eat chicken if I know who has cooked it – at least it is killed the same day and has not been lying around as red meat invariably has.

We shared a bamboo-like mug of hot beer, drunk with straws and accompanied by a teapot of hot water to top it up with. It tasted quite revolting, with a sour, and questionably alcoholic flavour. Apparently it is fermented barley which floats scum-like on the hot water. The last time I had such a drink was on a trek in Sikkim, it was cold and much more palatable and potent, around a warming fire in a smokey hut, only to find our tour guide quite hungover on the concoction the next morning.

We had a really tasty curry meal which was ridiculously cheap and made conversation with a man on the next table who turned out to be a communications consultant based in Singapore who was advising the government on GPS systems. Coincidentally, Dilly had sat next to a professor from Leeds University on the plane who was advising the Government on IT Law.

The reliability of the electricity supply has not improved since last year – each day every area has what is called 'load shedding' when the power goes off for up to 12 hours in total. A number of hydro electric schemes are under construction – and one, I'm told, even planned for the valley north of Majhkhanda – to increase the generating capacity.

At least we were able to email home to confirm safe arrival, and mobile phones and notebook were recharged. Many extablishments and shops now have battery and inverter back-up supplies including the hotel, so there are emergency lights everywhere.

The temperature at night here is really quite low and so thermals and heavy duvets are essential. I was fortunate to get a good night's sleep, unlike Dilly and Jane who were not so lucky, even after a warming glass of whisky, procured at Abu Dhabi duty free.

Sunday 29th January

Ambitiously, we had agreed to meet for breakfast at 8.00, and I decided to go up early to start writing this blog. The neighbourhood starts coming to life as soon as the sun rises and though still quite chilly, the temperature rises quite quickly. Despite the wide range of temperatures from 18 deg. to c. 3 deg. at night the weather at this time of year is fairly settled. Opposite the roof garden is an intruguing multistorey tower, almost venetian in style, with tiny single room on each storey. Last night we could see a meal being prepared in the penultimate storey in full view as we sipped our tea – this morning the room had been transforemd into a mini gym with the same woman following an elaborate series of yoga? exercises which saw her head appearing then disappearing then the same with her feet. When the others joined me the house top on the other side featured a Nepalese mother and child anging out the washing. The air became decidedly warmer as we breakfasted on omlette, croissant, coffee and banana, and discussed the plan for the day ahead.

First priority was to get some new SIM cards – the one I got last February no longer works. So we went to a Mobile phone shop round the corner with Joshi who ensured we would get a card at a good price. As Jane and I struggled with the various codes to read balances and numbers, Dilly engaged two riskshaw drivers to take us to the Swayambhunath Buddhist temple, on the top of a hill west of Kathmandu, colloquially named the 'Monkey Temple'.

These rickshaw guys must have legs of steel – the roads are full of pot holes and now and then they have to dis-mount to cope with the gradients. But the experience was exhilarating as we wove through the busy streets. The cocktail of smells including those of deep fried snacks and incense unlocked happy memories of previous visits to these parts. Then reality hit the nostrils as the air was filled by the pungent aroma of rotting sewage as we crossed the heavily polluted river.

We took the western way up to the temple, passing scores of prayer wheels, each of which contains a prayer scroll - by turning each prayer wheel clockwise as one passes, the prayer on the scroll is deeemd to be offered up.  family of monkeys. Near the statue of Buddha, met Roshan, a young market stall holder who was keen to engage in conversation and show us his wares including the technique used to carve intricate patterns on statues of elephants and Hindu gods. He seemed very informative about the origins of Buddhism and the history of the Temple. Apparently, statues of the Buddha an show a number of poses - teaching, meditating, offering, blessing and pointing to the earth, (a word that Nepalis find really difficult to say because of the 'th' sound which is alien to their speech). Roshan was a keen learner!

The views from the top were stunning, with the ever growing urbanisation of the city evident by new buildings in every direction.

My guidebook, published in 2003, quotes the population as 700,000. Today it's double that, due no doubt to the influx of people from rural areas fleeing the Moaists. Their insurgence in the last decade brought brutal treatment to many who resisted their teachings, particularly in the more remote parts outside the Kathmandu valley.

The main stupa-shaped temple comprises a white dome with the eyes of Buddha on top looking out to each compass point at the base of a golden 13 storey pointed tower. It's reputed to be over 2,000 years old, and is now surrounded by many small stone stupas (memorials to the dead) and a mass of colourful prayer flags fluttering in the breeze. Roshan told us each colour has its significance – white represents wind and water; blue, the sky; yellow, fire; green, earth, and red, blood and a sign of good luck.

We descended the more direct route down 365 steps to the bottom and found our rickshaw drivers who then took us to Durbar Square.

This is one of the oldest parts of the city, comprising a stunning array of temples and the former royal palace. Most of the buildings date from only the 17/18th century, though they look much older. We invited our rickshaw drivers to lunch with us on the roof top of the Friendship Restaurant, and after paying them for their services - too much it would seem after telling Joshi, but they were nice people and no doubt were struggling as tourist numbers were down – we started to explore the Square.

 It's now a World Heritage site and we were soon ushered to a ticket booth to part with 750 N Rupees (£1 = 121 NR), but we were reassured that today we would be able to see the young living goddess, named the Kumari Devi, at 4.00pm! Well it turns out that one can experience this miraculous phenomenon every day at 5.00, not 4.00 pm. According to my guidebook, “the Kumari is selected from a particular caste of Newari gold and silversmiths. Customarily, she is somewhere between four years old and puberty and must meet 32 strict physical requirements ranging from colour of eyes and shape of teeth teeth to the sound of her voice”. Well, after a brief visit to the rather disappointing museum in the old royal palace, we decided not to stay for the daily ceremony but made our way to the nearby post-office to buy some postcards and stamps. This proved a hilarious experience as the woman behind the barred window found counting a real challenge, a skill one would assume would be near the top of a post mistress's job specification. However, it transpired she was only a temporary stand-in when the real post mistress returned.

We decided that a trip to Jawalakhel was a little ambitious so headed home on foot through the busy streets of Thamel, stopping for Dilly and Jane to buy some antibiotics in case of illness, and thermals in case of severe cold up in Mahjkhanda.

We were determined to find the Mustang Thakali Chulo Restaurant for a meal and were not disappointed. A simple but delicious authentic Nepalese Thali (rice, dhal, fried spinach, curd (yoghurt) pickle and chutney) with roti, popadoms and Nepali tea came to a mere 10,000 rupees for the 3 of us - £2.75 each.

Monday 30th January

 Dolphin Guest House Reception

After a more leisurely start, we packed our bags and left them in reception with Joshi and headed down to Patan Durbar Square. This is much more beautiful than the Kattmandu equivalent and where I remember visiting a stunning museum back in 2004. Since we were short of time, we got a taxi and on the advice of Joshi negotiated the price. It's a bit if a ritual and one usually has to walk away when the taxi driver refuses to budge from his ambitious price only to be called back for a compromise offer. It was certainly useful to have an idea of what is a reasonable charge for a particular journey.

Patan Durbar Square is supposed to be 'the most visually stunning disply of Newari architecture' - it really is staggeringly beautiful. It was built between the 14th and 18th centuries, and the most striking feature, apart from the various temples, is the carved woodwork especially on what was the Royal Palace, part of which is now the Patan Museum. At the back of the Museam is a little oasis of quiet away from the hubbub of the square. The restaurant is run by the Summit Hotel with prices to match but the food is excellent.

It was great to arrive at Binod's house which lies on the fertile plain below the town itself. Rasi, his mother, has now opened a shop and cafe from their converted garage. Jane and Dilly were shown to their accommodation in the house opposite which is owned by Duhdraj, the Chair of the Community Development Institute, Nepal (CDIN) the organisation which runs the Ikudol Forest Project. He is also the head teacher at the Chandeshwari School in Simle, Pyutar, which is linked with Hothfield School in Silsden. 


I was staying in Binod's house, which has a bed in the corner of the sitting room. After a cup of marsala tea there, we set off for a walk through the village. 

The main industry is mushrooms and the number of polytunnels where they are grown seems to have increased significantly since last year. The walk revealed a very rural scene: women washing pots beside the local water tap; animals grazing in the front yard of a house;
kids playing cricket on a 
bare patch of land, people planting potatoes in a carefully manicured field, women bending under the weight of another load of forage.

I spotted a tailor in one of the shops we passed, so went back to get my waist bag which had sprung a hole. It was repaired with great care and skill.

Eventually Chandra turned up and there must have been an emotional moment for himself and Jane, meeting again for the first time after 25 years. Chandra (with orange hat) had been trained by Alan and his knowledge of how to collect seed from indigenous tree, germinate it under protected cover, nurture the seedlings and eventually plant them out has been key to the continuation of Alan's work over the years. 


The evening continued with a great Nepali meal prepared by Rasi, and joined by some of Binod's cousins, with some Nepali and English songs to round the evening off.


I realised that something was wrong when I had to get up several times during the night. Not a pleasant experience. With continuing stomach pain by the morning, I realised the others should go on ahead without me and catch the 9.00 am bus as planned. I spent the rest of the day feeling very ill, though a couple of pills seemed to do the trick. The odd thing was that I had eaten exactly the same food as Dilly and Jane the 24 hours prior to feeling ill. 

Tuesday 31st January

Spent all day in bed with intense stomach pain. Binod kindly went to phamacy to get some pills to settle things. Nothing taken but hot water. Memories of feeling similarly sick on my first visit to Kathmandu and the kindness of Joshi and wife in looking after me.


Wednesday 1st February


By 6.00 I was feeling better though not 100%, but didn't want to delay any further the trip to Majkhanda. Binod has generously taken a week off his studies to join us, so it was really important not to waste another day. His presence provided much needed Nepali/English interpretation. An urgent call at 6.15 by his mother alerted us to the need to get the 7.00 bus as the 9.00 bus was full. So a hurried gathering of possessions and packing of rucksack, and off we went up the hill to the bus stop. Dawa, Binod's first cousin, was joining us, returning home to Majkhanda after a visit to his Chapagaun relatives.


The bus didn't leave till after 8.00, despite our rush to get it. They had to refuel which proved an interesting procedure - a passenger seat was lifted, a can of diesel lugged onto the bus, and with a length of plastic tubing pushed through the window, the fuel was siphoned into the tank. The driver hardly looked old enough to pass his test, but afyter further supplies of rice and grain were hauled onto the bus, we set off on a perfect sunny morning.This was my 3rd visit to the project and although the first part of the journey up through the forests was familiar, the view as we rached the summit and broke through the pass into the next valley was just as spectacular as on my first visit. 

The road is barely wide enough in places for a bus - any oncoming vehicle requires one of the other to reverse precariously until a passing place is reached. The journey to the tea house took about 2.5 hours, and we set of immediately on foot to the rope way station to off-load the heavy rucksacks which would wing their way up to the village in an open top steel container. 

Chandra's Rest House

Jane and Dilly had stayed the night in Chandra's Rest House at the bottom of the valley. I would have to forego the experience but we called in for lunch - the thought of food did not appeal though I did manage a small amount. 

Stunning view on climb to Majkhanda

The climb to Majkhanda was as spectacular as ever with the mustard flowers colouring the terraces bright yellow. The majority of the path is roughly stepped in stone which makes life easier.

On arrival, we were welcomed by Thule, Chandra's wife, with a cup of hot buffalo milk before heading off to the monastery (about ten minutes walk) where Dilly, Jane, Binod and myself were staying. It was great to re-join Jane and Dilly who had arrived a few hours before and were enjoying the heat of the sun. Little did I realise how the temperatures were to drop as nightfall set in.


There are two dormitories in the monastery, each sleeping around 8 people, so there was plenty of room to spread out. I must say this was the first time I've ever slept so close to Buddha - next door there is a spacious meditation room with a large golden statue!

Taking it in turn to keep warm by the fire

When it got dark, we huddled round the kitchen fire - quite a squash as the kitchen had been moved outside under a lean-to.  Here we played cards whist Chandra and family prepared the momos - steamed dumplings filled with a pakora type of vegetable filling. The elaborate preparations had started outside when it was light and took nearly 5 hours! 

Freshly steamed momos

But the immense effort was worth it, and by the time they were served my stomach seemed settled enough to indulge. As ever, however, Jane, Dilly and I were overfaced with the quantity offered - the Nepalese seem to have a larger capacity for food than us. Due to 'load shedding' (power cuts!) we sat eating under the light of LED lamps and head torches, feeling every cold draught around. I realise how privileged we are at home to be able to switch on the central heating or gas stove - here, there is only the kitchen fire, and firewood is only delivered to the door on someone's back.  
 

Despite having a sleeping bag and wearing several layers and with a kapok duvet on top, I've never been so cold in my life, as the temperatures dipped to near freezing point.
I was glad of the woolly hat I had bought in Thamel and the neck buff.

Thursday 2nd February

Sunrise is at around 6.30 am and the world seemed a lot brighter after a reasonable night's sleep despite the cold. Decided to have a shower after breakfast - Thule's sister, Sarada, put a pot on the kitchen fire to give me some warm water. It's a shame there isn't a solar heating system on the monastery roof, with all the sun there is during the day, but Binod tells me that only the rich people in Kathmandu can afford such luxuries. 

It was wonderful to have a warm bucket shower and feel clean again with a view of the mountains that was hard to beat.

Then time to do some clothes washing to hang out to dry in the welcome sun.

Dilly, Binod and I walked up to the rope-way station to see where our bags had arrived the day before, and the pulley system was already in action, though there was no-one manning the place. After the container came to a careful stop in front of the closed door, we were reflecting how clever the operator was to judge its position from the other side of the valley, until the system sprung into action again and crashed through the door and the pulley came dislodged from the wire. A few minutes later the operator appeared and surveyed the scene with surprising calm before setting to with block and tackle, and climbing the first gantry to check all was in order.

Back for lunch at the monastery, sitting outside with a backdrop of the mountains we had driven over and a tantilising glimpse of the Himalays shrouded in mist.

Beside us lay the tree nursery, with around 5,000 tree saplings looking very healthy. These had been germinated from seed collected the previous year, each in its own polythene sleeve. The Ikudol Forest Trust had funded this new project with donations raised in the UK, and it was gratifying to see the fruits of this support. They had had to relocate the nursery from the previously intended location where a water supply was not readily available. Here, next to the monastery, Sarada, who was one of the women trained by Alan, and Chandra were on the spot to look after the saplings.

We then set off to the local school later in the afternoon to deliver the letters written by a few of the St. Anne's Primnary school children in Keighley and let them know about the donations raised by the school's fundraising. I had already been told that the Majkhanda school head had not bought the computer he said he would last year, so it was going to be interesting to hear how last year's funds had been spent.


Maiya, the English teacher whom we had met on the way up, was there, but another teacher, Shibhari, did most of the translating, It transpired that the head had invested the money in a savings account that earned 10-12% interest which would pay for a scholarship each year for girls. It seems only 50% of girls are funded in government schools, the remainder having to pay for their education, which many can't afford. It appeared that the letters sent by St Anne's last year did not get their destination. 

The head agreed to write a letter explaining the scholarship fund which I could take back with me. We left the letters and gifts we had brought and said we would come back to give them out when the teachers had decided who would be most appropriate to give them to. 


Back to the Monastery for supper and afterwards a game of cards wrapped in duvets with a nightcap of whisky before retiring to bed.


Friday 3rd April

The days started with Sarada bringing us all all a beaker of coffee in bed, followed by breakfast served 'al fresco' om a grassed area beside the nursery. The weather was never that good that we could see the Himalays clearly, a haze and/or cloud masking the peaks.


Set off for a meeting at the school at 11.00, learning that we needed to be back for mid-day as Dudhraj was organising a welcome for us!
We were given a formal welcome by the head ans staff and then asked to present the gifts we had brought to various classes which were all lined up on the mud playground. The buildingsd of the school look as run down as they did last year - it was clear that there was no funds (or incentive) to fix the roof that needed repair.

Unable to update for a few days due to lack of internet access/power cuts. Will try to bring the blog up to date progressively as time permits. Invariably, I'm upoading and the power fails!

13th February

Up at 5.00 to get bus to Chitwan. It was just as well I did some reconoitering  checking on bus departure point and time y'day as it left earlier than I'd been told. Got a microbus from Jawalakhal where I'd been staying overnight thanks to the Godavari Community - it would have been impossible to get into Kathmandu at that time in the morning. The Tourist bus left at 7.00 am and picked up more passengers en route out of the city. A 6 hour journey turned into 7 hours due to a bus from Chitwan losing its horn and wanting us to change buses to allow them to have a working horn through the winding stretches we had come through! Eventually, we arrived in a field where my hotel proprietor was waiting. The final stretch was completed on the back of a motorbike, with rucksack and day pack.

Sauhara Resort Hotel

The hotel I am staying at, Sauhara Resort, was recommended by one of the teachers at Majkhanda who stays with Chandra's brother. I got a good package deal for 3 nights and two days. 
After dumping my rucksack and joining a spirited Polish group for lunch who were travelling on a Supertramp holiday - basic travelling and accommodation with a 4 day trek on the Annapurna trail - we all set off to have a preliminary tour of the elephant compound and the rather basic museam of the Chitwan park. Then, after supper, a 'cultural  evening' comrising mainly traditionally costumed nepali men performing various dances with impressive energy.

14th February

7.00 am breakfast of omlette, lemon tea and toast. We were all off for a canoe trip down the river. With the early morning mist hovering over the river, we were ushered into a dug-out boat and punted by a boatman down the river with guide in front to point out the various animal and plant species. The magic was quietly floating through this amazing national park. Then a walk through the jungle and for those brave enough, a ride on an elephant as it - and usually the rider - bathed in the river where marsh mugger crocodiles are known to lurk up stream.

The elephants are such majestic creatures, and although many are held in compounds for visitor rides, there are many in the wild and not all those bred in captivity remain so, but are released into the jungle. Every 10 km or so there is an army camp to patrol the park, and a strict permit policy to control the number of people going inside.

After lunch I joined a jeep safari which took us 24 km into the jungle - a bone shaking ride along a pot holed road, but a wonderful glimpse of some endangered species. Part of the jungle comprises rain forest - a mixture of tree species including the cotton or kapok tree (bombax ceiba) and the rhino apple tree (Trewia nudiflora), and a forest of sal trees (shorea robusta) which are what their name suggests a hardwood tree that grows very straight and tall. (I hope those on my RHS course are suitable impressed!) A number of people were seen on a walking safari with two guides, something I would certainly do if I ever came back here, as the noise and dust from the jeeps must disturb wildlife and offer less chance of seeing any. We visited the gharial crocodile breeding centre along the way - they have long less threatening jaws as the mugger crocodile which definitely has a taste for meat.

Despite only getting a glimpse of a rhino, and spotting no tigers, there was plenty to see and I decided to stay another day to get another chance of exploring the park. 

The Polish group had been for an elephant ride and were back before I was - Arun the proprietor had arranged a bit oif a farewell dinner for them includeing a suspiciously alcoholic concoction which was made from rice. Myself and Claire, a girl from Harrogate who had arrived in the afternoon, joined them before heading off to the local Valentine's Festival nearby which was pumping out bass beats loud enough to carry to the jungle. 
After a bit of dancing we headed back for a glass of Scotch beside a warming fire. The nights still have a chill in the air, but nothing like as cold as Kathmandu.

15^th February
Up for an early start at 6.30 - an elephant ride. Driven out with Claire to the elephant 'boarding' park with the sun rising over the distant jungle. Banana/plantain sellers, and marsala tea stalls are well placed for business for elephants and visitors respectively. After feeding a few plantains to the waiting animals, 4 of us climbed aboard what looked like an upturned 4 legged stool and set off with th driver wedging his feet behind the elephant's ears, presumably using foot pressure to signal. 
This seemed more conducive than jeeps, as there was little sound as the huge elephant feet silently glided us through the undergrowth, stopping occasionally when the driver spotted some deer or other species. It was a very special experience being carried on the back of such a gentle giant.

By the time I got back, the Polish group had left for Pokhora, where there was a chance to meet up again after their 4 day Annapurna trek.

After lunch, Claire and I were taken to the river crossing for me to spend another afternoon in a jeep, with the same guide Modon whose sharp eyes helped us see a lot yesterday. We were not to be disappointed.

Peacocks are quite common in the park and can often be seen strutting across the roads and disappearing into the long 'elephant grass' which can grow to 24ft.
When the grass has grown tall, it's really difficult to see the animals. At this time of year it's set alight and burnt, to encourage new green growth.  I saw Langur monkeys on both trips, reminiscent of the family John Norman and I saw on our trek in Sikkim when a family swung through the trees in right in front of us. 

As we approached one of the lakes a Darter bird came into sight with its long elegant neck very clear to see. This is a bird lovers paradise and there were quite a number of tourists who were obviously well equipped with binoculars and telephoto lenses patiently waiting for the next species to appear.
As we approached the gharial crocodile centre, we came across a rhino grazing just off the road - what a massive creature. Their eye-sight is not great but compensated for by an acute sense of smell. We were told on the walking safari to run in zig-zags if we were ever chased by one.

Wild Boar

Lesser Adjutant Storks

 
We then returned across the river and indulged in a bottle of Gorka beer admiring the sun go down after another eventful day. This is a wonderful place and whilst 3 days is probably enough to see quite a bit, I feel that if I ever returned, I'd spend more time on foot, just soaking in the amazing views and sounds of the forest.







16th February


A late breakfast. I'd negotiated another day's stay and just wanted to chill out a bit after quite a hectic couple of days in the Park. Internet has been on intermittently, so I've been able to catch up a bit with this blog.
This evening at sundown we were having a beer near the river when some canadian girls came over and said 'Have you seen the rhino over there?' We weren't sure if we'd heard right, so rushed over to see this apparently docile rhino grazing on grass beside the boats which had been beached for the night. A rare opportunity to see one so close - what an amazing sight!

Jungle Mynah (I think)

Nepalese Lalupate Flower

     






Friday 17th February

My bus was due to leave at 9.15 to Pokhara, and Claire was leaving around the same time for Kathmandu for the start of her trip to Everest Base Camp. I admire her intrepid spirit - I guess as a member of the London Police force she is pretty fit and has youth on her side to embark on such an arduous trek. I was happy to chill out for a few days after a fairly hectic schedule. We were amused that, for our last breakfast, we were given a choice not offered before. Arun and his brother have a few things to learn about customer care, but I've no complaints about the room I had which was clean and comfortable.

We were driven to the bus park in an open jeep and after some confusion about which bus I was on - involving heaving my rucksac off the roof of one bus to another - we were on our way. I wouldn't call the bus luxury, my knees wedged behind the seat in front but at least I had no other passenger in the other seat, even after a pick up in the next town. Behind sat an American student who was on a Baptist placement for a few months spending a week's holiday in Pokhara. We retraced our steps on the road north, following the river before turning west off the Kathmandu road. 

With a half hour lunch stop at a restaurant, we arrived at around 3.00 pm and it was reassuring to be met by a rep. from the Hotel Travel Inn were I had booked in for 4 nights. 
It was the Lonely Planet's pick of the mid-range places to stay and I wasn't disappointed, with a room that looks onto the mountains. The Fishtail peak was glowing in the afternoon sun - a fabulous sight.


Before leaving Kathmandu, I had got Cap (short for Casper) Miller's address. He was the Jesuit I had first met in 2004 through a connection with the L'Arche house in Kolcata. He had come to Nepal in the 1960s and, as is the usual orientation, had spent some time with a Nepalese family in the foothills of the Himalayas. Through an extraordinary coincidence, the young baby boy of the family grew up to work with children with learning disabilities and had been talking with the then Zone Co-ordinator, Leo, about starting a L'Arche Community in Nepal. That reminds me I must get in toush with a Nepalese L'Arche assistant, Govinda Joshi, who may still be working in the Dublin Community, and whose vision is to be part of any L'Arche proect in Nepal.


A call to Cap resulted in an invitation to join him in the sports day of the project he is now working for - a day centre/school for local Nepalse children and young adults with learning disabilities.


Time for a walk around the time, a beer, a meal, and bed.


Saturday 18th February


Woke to wonderful views of the Annapurna range. Breakfast in the ground floor cafe - everything is spotlessly clean, and tucked away down a quiet side street from the main Lakeside drag is a distinct advantage. 

A taxi dropped me at the school and Cap was waiting to greet me at 11.00 am. There followed a series of races and games ending in a hilarious round of musical chairs. As with other parts of Asia, families tend to hide away any children with learning disabilities, believing that it is a 'judgement' on the parents and their fault somehow. So it is wonderful to see such a project challenging these long held attitudes and giving these children an opportunity to celebrate their difference.
Afterwords I was asked to join the volunteers who had organised the event for pakoras and tea before meeting other members of the Community and learning about and tasting the coffee which they grow in the grounds. 

I got the bus back from Chiple Dunga to Lakeside as dusk was falling and walk along Phewa Tal, the lake for which Pokhara is famous where you can hire boats to get another view of the mountains.

I was due to meet up with the Polish group who were returning from 3 day trek of the Annapurna circuit. 

They arrived late and exhausted after a 30km walk back, but those able to were keen to meet and we had another very congenial evening beside a log fire, which their hotel had laid on, and fuelled with spirit from Scotland and Poland!


Sunday 29th February



I had booked a taxi for 5.45 to see the sunrise at Sarangkot, one of the hill tops overlooking the city. It seemed every tourist around was doing the same resulting in one massive traffic jam on the narrow road leading up to the observation point, with buses all but blocking the way. 

A mad rush ensued as people clambered up the bank to the top to wait for the magicmoment of sunrise. Thankfully the weather was clear and we were not disappointed - an incredible sight, and reminiscent of seeing Kanchenjunga at a similar hour.
By 7.30 the mountains were bathing in sunlight so we headed down through a log-jam of carrs. motorbikes, minibuses and coaches. Some were using Sarangkot as the starting point for a one or two day trek. I was happy to return to base for breakfast and a leisurely day.

I'm now in Pokhora until Tuesday morning when I return by bus to Godavari for 3 days before flying back home on 24th.