|
Words
from Jeff -
October
Top of Page
October 31st (Sunday) Chacheengsao
(Thailand) 82KM
UUUGGGHHH!!!! I'm really suffering on this one, no matter how thirsty
I am whatever I drink runs through me in about half an hour. I think
I was a little too anxious to get riding on my way to Cambodia and
paid for it today! I was barley able to eat anything as I felt nausea
each time I even though about it and the hot sun quickly sapped
any energy I had - although even in the beginning my legs had nothing
which sucks as I am no longer pulling a trailer. The road through
Bangkok wasn't too bad at all and the drivers more or less follow
the traffic laws - except speeding! After about 40km I would say
you are outside the main part of the city and it switches from 6
lane to 2 lane highway - but still good road. Originally I was going
to ride to the West border of Cambodia but during the hot sun I
decided to ride along the coast, which was my intended return route.
This means a little overlap but really I would rather see the ocean
than sweat it out in flat grassland. There seems to be many covered
bus stops in Thailand so a few times I made use of their fine benches
and took a nap - or sort of passed out. I had quite the headache
going and this was the only time it seemed to dissipate any. I am
100% sure this is all due to dehydration, which is hard to dehydrate
in these conditions. Outside of Bangkok few people speak English
but they still try to help you and seem to have a better sense of
what is going on than other countries I have visited. They will
also mind their own business, which is a welcome relief. The children
are very timid and although curious will quickly look away if you
look at them or even scatter in one case when I awoke from sleeping.
The only difficulty so far besides my sick body (ahhh pity me please),
is locating a hotel. They seem to be a little rare here and even
harder to find. I ended up riding an extra 15km than I thought I
would but I did find one - boy I was desperate! The man who sent
me in the right direction had a daughter who actually went to University
in Saskatchewan - poor thing - and he wondered if I would meet her.
I was really wiped but I said okay as he seemed insistent. She arrived
by motor scooter and we talked for a little while about where I
had been etc. He then offered for her to take me to the Temple here,
which is the largest in Thailand - again I was thinking hotel but
they said it was on the way - not! At this point daughter and mom
got on the scooter and told me to follow them. Those women sped
off around 28km/hr - which on a normal day was nothing but today
it was painful. We quickly got to the temple which looked impressive
but you know what? I didn't care. I asked them to take me to the
hotel a little slower this time. I don't think the message got across
and I was on the verge of puking when we arrived. I was so exhausted
from heat and dehydration that I barely checked in. I need my mommy!!!
G
Top of Page
October 30th (Saturday) Bangkok
(Thailand)
Before I speak of Bangkok I must speak of the remaining days I spent
in India. Before entering India I had been told many times that
you will either 'Love it' or 'Hate it'. I wouldn't say I hated India
but there was definitely no Love loss upon leaving. In fact I have
never looked forward to leaving a country before with such determination
- not even Tibet! At the train station in Varanasi (Oct 26th) I
had arrived two hours early in order to book in my bike in trailer
with the parcel service. One thing I learned in India is 'Patience
is a Necessity!'. The bonehead/weasel behind the desk - this man
caused me a great deal of grief and possibly on purpose - said that
he could not take the bike or trailer on this departure time. We
argued for some time - I am tending to use the F word a lot more
these days - I.E. 'I cannot have my F.... bike arrive on a different
train because I F...... fly out of Calcutta tomorrow!'. Finally
he agreed to send the bike on this train but I would have to take
the trailer with me, which sucked, but I can compromise. For whatever
reason I could not leave my bags or trailer in the luggage storage
as they were not sealed items???? So I just left them outside jack
asses office. I went out for some food and then came back to lug
everything over to the departure platform. The trailer is damn heavy
even though I am wheeling it around sort of. The train is another
place where overpopulation is evident in the way people treat each
other as cattle. People push aside women and children and nobody
says a word - it is really sad how women are treated as second class
citizens and yet the mother is worshipped?
Yes I am picking on India, but honestly it has a lot of growing
up to do and it reminds me a little of China in the saving face
characteristic. If your wrong or there are problems with your country
then don't hide it by talking about the good things, it insults
our intelligence. Fix your countries problems or fix yourself -
be f---ing accountable or make your country accountable!!!!!!
The train ride was comparatively uneventful and actually I got some
sleep as they left all of the windows open for a nice draft. When
I arrived in Calcutta I went tot he tourist office, which were nowhere
as helpful as the one in Varanasi, in fact they were as useless
as tits on a bull. I had to track down the parcel office on my own
and when I got there they tried to get me to sign the receipt indicating
my bike had arrived - I don't think so sparky! Of course it hadn't
arrived and no one knew how to track it down - I was slowly getting
angry at this point! I talked with maybe 5 different people and
spent a total of three hours just to hear 'all we can do is wait'.
No need to explain my feelings at this point. I took down this fools
number and grabbed a taxi from the prepaid line up. Of course this
system works in other countries but not India although it's the
thought that counts. The taxi took me to Sutter street which is
a tourist kind of place but is unable to enter from the side he
drove me too. I am sure he was quite aware of this but I got out
anyway as I did not want to argue any more. I took a manual rickshaw
to a hotel where the driver now wanted 100 rupee instead of the
20 rupee we agreed too. I literally told him 'F--- off' and waved
him a way with a glare like I was going to kill him. He seemed to
get the message, which is good because I was at the breaking point.
When I called my parcel service dude that night the train still
hadn't arrived so the next day when I went in I freaked out on a
few people. This unfortunately seems the only way to get something
accomplished in India although I knew they were stalling me by taking
me to the unloading bays when they knew the bike wasn't there. The
bike did finally arrive at 11:30 so I rode back to the hotel and
gathered my stuff from storage - yes they charged me even though
I stayed there the night before. I quickly set off for the airport
even the flight was at 1AM as I had had my fill of Calcutta for
a lifetime.
There were no hotels or anything for that matter near the airport
so I rode to a hotel on the outskirts to take a shower. They wanted
300 rupee!!!! Don't pay more than 150 Rupee for a hotel. I went
to another hotel and they wanted 700?? I bargained down to 60 but
should have known there was a misunderstanding. I showered and then
ordered some food and when I went to pay the bill, they wanted 600
for taking a shower. I flat out told I wouldn't pay 600 and there
was nothing they could do about it. That seemed to change their
tone a little and they totally backed down and waved the cost. I
then went to the airport and assembled the bike box and disassembled
the bike for a crowd of on lookers. The airport is actually pretty
small for international flights but it is air-conditioned and comfortable.
During take off I started feeling the old stomach flu a brewing
so after pissing out my ass I took a diarrhea pill - I guess India
had the last laugh! Thai air has amazing service though and the
stewardess kept checking on me. The really do have a nice airline
and the food was served quicker than any other flight I have taken.
You have to remember this flight is under three hours. Anyway they
kicked some serious ass and well the scenery was pretty cool as
well - werd!
Okay so you arrive in Bangkok - I always believe that the airport
is a good reflection of what is to come in the next few days.
1) Within 2 minutes of exiting the plane there is a help desk where
English is spoken.
2) Signage was great all over the airport.
3) 100 meters after help desk you get your visa - 5 booths.
4) Ride escalator walk 30 paces to tourist office.
5) Walk 30 more paces and there are 3 money exchange places.
6) Walk 100 meters to outside and buy bus ticket for roomy air-conditioned
bus.
Thailand is the tourist capitol of Asia and I can see why. China
and India need to wake up. At the bus stop near Koa San road Tony
was waiting for me and had booked a room and found storage for my
extra gear. By this time I was starting to feel really ill but I
was still mobile. The lady at the hotel had a serious attitude and
never smiled - we would clash the next day. That night we went for
dinner and it was apparent that I was becoming sicker and by the
next day I was pretty wiped out. I asked the lady for the cost of
a single room with AC - it was too expensive - and then without.
This seemed to piss her off and she quoted a higher price for the
single without AC. I said okay and Tony can leave his stuff in my
room while he awaits his departure - NO! I told her she was crazy
and then she said I was crazy and before getting into it I walked
off and found another hotel. At this stage I was sweating as it
is hot but I was really feeling sick. I found another hotel and
with Tony's help moved in. By the way the place with the bitch is
the 'Walley' hotel, so don't stay there. For the rest of the day
I was bed ridden and Tony actually went to the pharmacy to get me
some drugs. I was able to go out for a few sips of soup and then
later to see Tony off but I was bed ridden all night and finally
got up and out today. It is now around 6 PM the next day and I feel
better in a relative term as this headache just wont go away. Tomorrow
I leave for Cambodia where I expect to contract malaria - knock
on wood!
G
Top of Page
October 20th (Wednesday) Varanasi
I don't usually write on the rest days but today was special enough
to do so. Before I explain today though I must recap what happened
last night. The main center of Varanasi is considered a holy city
as this is where Hindus and Muslims slaughtered each other during
India's Independence - well actually it was everywhere... Anyway
you cannot buy alcohol of any kind within the old part of the city
and must either leave the area or have someone from your hotel restaurant
go get some for you. Most restaurants are conveniently located on
the rooftop. After a few beers I decided to venture out within the
city to find more beer. As I passed the front desk the manager asked
if I wanted to go one a small boat tour of the Ganga River at 5:30
the next day. To say that my judgment was a little impaired on this
one would be the most proper of statements - 5:30!!!! DOHHH!!!
So now back to today. I had a slight hangover and actually awoke
before 5:30 - unbelievable. I wanted to sleep in so bad but I am
glad I stuck it out. The sunrise was pretty cool and the river didn't
seem too dirty until a 'human hand' floated by the boat!!! A little
later we saw a whole body floating kind of hunched over but the
hand was more scary too me - the hand monster attacks tourist! The
riverbanks are alive in the mornings as people are taking their
morning swim or bath and doing laundry. They have their own justifications
of why the river is actually clean but I don't buy it. Cremation
requires 350 kilos of wood for burning and usually this will cost
750 - 1000 rupees depending on the wood. The breast plat of the
man and pelvic bone of the women do not totally burn into ash and
are therefore thrown into the river where fish eat the remains.
It is then up to the fish to speak with god and determine whether
the soul of this person can go to Nirvana or is reincarnated as
another human due to their bad karma. The exceptions are lepers
without legs or hands (it would be physically impossible to do evil),
holy men (all holy men are good as history shows), children under
the age of nine (becuase those little s---s don't know their bad),
pregnant women (becuase they are carrying a child and the little
s--- is only kicking their mother at that point) and people without
money for wood. Everyone else is cremated. The process is done within
6 hours of death if I remember correctly so the body doesn't stink
or rot. For the people that aren't cremated for reasons previously
mentioned, they have a stone tied to their body and are dropped
in the middle of the river as no purification by cremation is required.
After the boat ride the group I was with went back to the hotel
and had breakfast. The manager then took us two Danes and me on
a little tour of some temples and fabric looms. The two Swedish
women didn't come with us - doh - kidding I have a girlfriend! The
manager like a lot of people I have met in India are very devoted
Hindus. They really hold the word of god as the means of living.
I listened patiently as I wish to learn of other beliefs and ways
of life but when I often tried to contradict him or explain some
of the hypothesis as human psyche he quickly cut me off and talked
about something else. This became quite annoying and I find this
kind of attitude among people with closed minds. Don't get me wrong,
he was a nice guy, but walking on water just doesn't float with
me - excuse the play on words. The looms are the old hand looms
with the punch card ribbons etc. He showed us some of the finished
product but honestly they were nothing special and when you look
closely there were lots of loose strings etc. I have found that
in most countries over here the really good stuff is extremely expensive
- more than in the west but probably worth it - the rest is mostly
crap that looks okay at first glance but wouldn't last a year. I'm
sorry I only buy functional items.
After the tour I went for lunch and then walked to the market area
in the old part of town. The alleys are very narrow and can be confusing
on the first couple of walk throughs. It is somewhat like Venice
but motorbikes and bicycles are also on these paths. From there
I emerged on the banks of the Ganga were there is basically steps
(ghats) leading down to it for probably 3 kilometers. Right now
there happens to be a festival going on in all of India. Down by
the river they had some dances etc. going on and I sat and watched
for a while. As with China if there is no set price like in a menu
or something they try to charge you foreigner price. They also have
the tendency to give back incorrect change and then smile at you
as you glare back at them as if you can't count. This kind of pettiness
is really sad. Yes life is hard here but dishonesty is wrong and
we westerners weren't always so rich - we had a thing called the
depression!!!! Anyway I don't want to get on a rant about this one
but I hate pettiness. Overall I still like India and am still interested
in coming back to explore other areas but for short periods of time
only. I think this is maybe what detracts people from India, that
and the crazy traffic in cities.
G
Top of Page
October 19th (Tuesday) Varanasi
(India) 133KM
Tired, tired, tired… The ride was uneventful and I can't really
recommend biking through India just yet, but I will be taking the
train to Calcutta to see if it is any worse. The road was a little
better today and even had some brand new paved sections but since
the terrain is so flat it is hard to keep motivated. Over the last
three days I noticed everyone on a motorcycle or bicycle like to
tail me (draft me) which in effect saps away some of my momentum.
I am starting to find it annoying and usually enact one of the following
options; I slow down so they pass, speed up so they can't keep up
or I confront them and tell them to bugger off. I am also finding
that most people want to race you as well. Pride always seems to
get in the way here and I end up racing for a kilometer until they
give up. In a weird way it breaks up the monotony. Of course they
are only riding a few kilometers while I am averaging over 100.
As you get into the outskirts of Varanasi you need to rely on your
instincts a bit and I think this time I fluked a bit as I only asked
for directions once. This happened to be two Aussie gals who informed
me how to get to the railway station, which had a tourist office.
After crossing under the tracks head west until you reach the station!
They men working there were the most helpful so far and spoke great
English. The helped me find a hotel for the price range and a location
I wanted - I was really impressed by the gentlemen working there.
After that I hit what I can only describe as the most chaotic traffic
jam ever. This was of course normal. Bumper to bumper is close to
describing this but really it was bump the person ahead of you then
stop. At one point I got behind a parade of Elephants, Camels, horses
and swordsman. I had to stop to film this! I think I am starting
to like India!
G
Top of Page
October 18th (Monday) Maunath
Bhanjan (India) 111 KM
I was actually able to find Internet last night. I met a lawyer
while I was looking for a place and after completing his work he
drove me to a place. Nice guy but crazy driver! I grabbed some dinner
on the way back and decided to go to bed early. My hotel was across
from the railway station so I was expecting a little noise throughout
the night but I was in for a little surprise. Outside my window
was a makeshift temple that was all lit up with the streaming lights
and had music cranking out of it. It started at 11PM and lasted
most of the night. I remember looking out my tinted green window
late at night and thinking I was in the matrix. To top it off the
bugs were in full force. Sleep was minimal. The next morning room
service banged on the door at 8AM. Hmmmmmm staying one night - gee
I guess I need new sheets in the morning even though I am leaving!
Anyway I told him I didn't need anything and slammed the door in
his face. When I was leaving I apologized for being an asshole.
The ride today was good for the most part but leaving Gorakhpur
was horrendously chaotic. The traffic also picked up in the countryside
and every small town I passed was in total chaos and usually had
pretty bumpy road running through it. I just didn't seem to have
too much energy today and the saddle sores are back with a vengeance.
When I got to Maunath it was just after 3PM so I was thinking about
going further. However I decided to eat first, and after having
a good meal I decided to call it a day. After a shower I started
walking around the town. The main part of the city was apparently
a bit out of the way according to this dude I met on a motorcycle.
We chatted for a while and then he wanted me to meet his friends
so I obliged and once again I was someone's bitch on the back of
a motorbike! It was actually good to meet some people that were
a little younger and we had some good conversation. Eventually the
mosquitos became unbearable - these guys were wearing pants but
it was too hot for me in shorts, so I got a ride back to the hotel.
From there we kind of continued the conversation and briefly touched
on the caste system and the differences between families and relationships.
Tomorrow I ride to Varanasi where I plan to stay a few days and
then I will take the train to Calcutta as I have only a short period
of time until my flight to Bangkok.
G
Top of Page
October 17th (Sunday) Gorakhpur
(India!) 135KM
India… flat as a pancake! Actually from Butwal to the border it
is also flat. You can find numerous places on the way and on the
either side of the border to exchange money. I was also lead to
believe you couldn't get a visa at the border, but this is not the
case. In fact you can get a 30 day visa free for the rest of 2004!!!!!
Damn!!!!!! The people in India and much like the Nepalese, very
friendly and it is actually clean except in bigger towns and cities.
China needs to wake up, stop littering!!!!! The countryside although
flat is nice with lots of farmland where the main crop seems to
be wheat. There is not as much English signage however a lack of
any signage when the road forks - memories of China - but I seem
to find my way around by asking at least three people. The road
itself is very good and the road markers are the same as Nepal as
far as information, so you will know when you are going the wrong
way. Is there anywhere you can get a burger around here? Kidding
G
Top of Page
October 16th (Saturday) Butwal
(Nepal) 169KM
I spent most of yesterday mulling around Pokhara - well the tourist
section anyway. I also rented a boat and paddled to the small island
with the Stuppa. I then Paddled into the open waters and let the
current take me around as I read the book - this is on a lake so
it's all lies. From Pokhara you can see a great view of the Himalayans
as well - mainly the 'Fish Tail' and Annapurna. Anytime after say
10 AM it gets clouded over from melting snow but in the morning
it was crystal clear. I got up around 6:30 and had left town by
7 so I got great views from the outskirts of town. As soon as you
leave the city limits of Pokhara you start on a series of switchbacks
until about 1500 meters. During this climb I stopped many times
to snap pictures of Annapurna. The upper mountain has icefall all
over except one steep rocky section. It looks very difficult to
climb and I still can't believe the French climbed it let alone
find it way back in the early 50's. The road was in excellent condition
except maybe the last 3 kilometers outside Butwal - something tells
me Potter will love this name. After the first little pass it is
mostly downhill but there is a bit of up and down. Around 80km you
start the final real climb of Nepal up to Tansen. From there it
is truly a massive downhill and you can reach speeds of 60 + without
any effort although I kept it under 45. I rode for 12 hours today
and yes it was dark for the last 10 kilometers which always sucks
but traffic was pretty light for most of the day and night time
was only a little bit more busy. Anyway there were lots of potholes
that could have been avoided had I had night vision. There were
of course more spectacular views this day and I can't say enough
about how friendly the Nepalese are. They almost never touch your
stuff and always want to know where you're from. They always say
to me 'I love Canada!'. I love Nepal!
G
Top of Page
October 14th (Thursday) Pokhara
(Nepal) 92KM
Tony and I parted ways today; he is going back to Kathmandu while
I am off to India. We will meet again in Bangkok on the 28th for
a day and then he flies back to France. It was really great to ride
with him and slumming it in Kathmandu - well that wasn't so bad
either. Today was good to get out on my own though, as I do like
to ride solo and discover things for myself. It was to easy before
as Tony had already been to Nepal. The road to Pokhara continues
much the same as the road to the Gorkha turnoff- rolling hills but
good road. There is a little rough section about 15km out of Pokhara
but nothing major. Near the end of the ride I was pretty tired,
as I hadn't really biked for 20 days will I ate and drank and slept
in Kathmandu - lazy bastard, I deserve this! The road markers in
Nepal are excellent; they mention the distance to major towns as
well as minor ones. They are not every kilometer like China but
every 3 or 4 kilometers instead. They are also in English!!!! Nepal
is great!!!!
G
Top of Page
October 13th (Wednesday) Aanboo
Khaireni (Nepal) 17KM
The ride to Aanboo continued with the same kind of rolling hills
as the day before except no rain and some great views of the river.
We were intending to ride to Gorkha but as we neared we realized
we were still tired from the previous day and it was out of the
way. We stopped at the turn off and booked a hotel then physically
ran to catch a bus - 20 rupees (40 cents).
For those that ride: it is single lane with a quite a bit of traffic
but the road is good otherwise.
After we arrived we determined the last bus to be around 5:30 but
it turned out to be an unnecessary challenge as we caught a bus
around 4:30 instead. Anyway we climbed up the mountainside and for
some reason took the small footpaths that ran between houses and
little schools instead of the main path. There is a temple and summer
resort for the king of Nepal, which you are allowed to visit the
surrounding area. From there you see an incredible view of Mt. Ganesh
and the some of the Himalayas. There are military everywhere up
there and for whatever reason one of the plainclothes ones decided
to give us a little tour of the outskirts. They view as mentioned
were incredible - lush green valleys of jungle topped with 7000
and 8000 meter snowy peaks. I really hope the government and Maoists
can settle their differences soon as this country is so beautiful
not to be seen and the people are incredibly friendly.
G
Top of Page
October 12th (Tuesday) Riverside
Resort (Nepal) 116KM
'Like drowned rats' is the most fitting description for Tony and
I after today's ride. We started a little late, as we wanted to
have our last steak and eggs breakfast and it ended up shorting
our trip due to darkness. Within 2 kilometers of leaving the hotel
in Kathmandu, Tony got a nasty flat and it started to rain. It was
still kind of warm at this point but it started to pour within the
next hour, which cooled things off considerably. I had packed what
remained of any warm clothing thinking I wouldn't need it - wrong!
The ride out of Kathmandu is uphill for approximately 20km depending
where you stay and then it is a good 5 - 10km downhill. We had to
keep our speed in check as it was slippery but mostly because it
was so frigging cold our teeth were chattering. The road is good
for the most part and there is a lot of up and down but no long
climbs. It was much easier with the reduced weight but I still have
a trailer full of gifts and things I don't need. When I get to Thailand
I will leave the whole trailer and occupying backpack at the airport.
Our goal today was Gorkha where most of the British mercenaries
came from over the years. There is also a great vantage point to
see Mt. Ganesh. We however had to stop about 17km away as mentioned.
The hotel here is the nicest yet but expensive, 10CDN each!
G
Top of Page
Oct 4th (Monday) Kathmandu (Nepal)
Okay it has been very long since I last wrote but I have been extremely
busy doing nothing. This is not totally true but for a good 9 days
our routine was steak and eggs for breakfast and many visits to
the bakery (half price after 7PM). We did many walks around Thamel,
which is the main tourist district and saw sites such as the Monkey
temple and Durbar Square. We also got Tony's computer fixed - partition
failed - and booked our trips home and to other countries. My flight
back to Vancouver is on November 24th from Bangkok and I also booked
a flight from Calcutta to Bangkok on October 28th. In the first
few days after arriving here (Sept 20th) we were lucky enough to
run into the Swiss man we met at Everest base camp so we went for
dinner with him and his wife. They have traveled extensively and
had many interesting stories of countries in the early days compared
to now and there is just too much to mention here.
We both wanted to go rafting so we booked a 4 day rafting and Safari
in Chitiwan national animal reserve for September 28th. This was
a Tuesday and on the Monday I was supposed to apply for my Indian
Visa but got there too late. We also later found out there was a
'General Strike' called by the Maoists on September 28th and 29th
- shit! Okay so rafting was delayed till September 30th but I was
able to book the return ticket and run a few errands. Anyway the
Monday (27th) was world tourism day and Thamel closed it streets
to cars, motorcycles and rickshaws and restaurants served food in
the streets or setup tables outside. There was also live music and
on the entranceway to Thamel they had a DJ who played to a crowd
of maybe a thousand Nepalese who were dancing in the streets. It
was great and we also met two Nepalese dudes who offered to show
us around the next two days during the strike. We hung out for the
two days and on Wednesday night we went to their house were one
of their mothers cooked use dinner - right on!!!
On the Thursday we finally left for rafting and boy did it kick
ass. It was my first time and I must say it was most excellent!
I have no prior river experience to compare the rapids too but some
of the holes were 3 meters deep and we tried to steer clear of most
of them - it was scary but exhilarating at the same time. I definitely
will do it again but I won't have time on this trip. The ride to
Chitiwan was on pretty rough road and even more so due to me, Tony,
a German (Kersten) and four Russians riding the roof rack of the
bus. It was quite funny but brutal in a fun kind of way. Oh by the
way the food on the rafting trip was excellent!
When we got to the outskirts of Chitiwan we switched to a van and
rode to a little guesthouse, which could house around 30 people.
Shortly after we went for a little nature walk as the sun was setting
and managed to encounter full grown elephants for the first time
in my life - incredible animals!!!! The next day we rode an elephant
on a 3 - 4 hour safari. The saddle is maybe 4 feet square and very
uncomfortable for four people. It was some serious suffering and
I wanted to get off and walk but had to just suck it in the best
I could. We did manage to see a baby Rhino and its mother and nearer
the end of the trip another pair of full grown Rhino's. Part of
the trip was through tall grasslands and by no exaggeration it was
higher than 3.5 meters - it was higher than me and I was riding
an elephant! Anyway I guess it is pretty dangerous due to the many
inhabitants such as Tigers, Rhino's, Snakes and Leaches! When we
got back we had a little snack and then went to the river to bath
with the elephants - it was cool. The elephant would spray you with
its snout or flop on it's side under the water effectively tossing
you off. They are magnificent creatures however most are abused
- the trainers hit then with sticks or rods of iron) and really
shouldn't meant from amusement. I did enjoy it though and recommend
it. The water in the river was actually pretty warm so I did a little
swimming, but no brain worms to report Sherry. After lunch we took
the option for the jungle walk, which is actually inside of Chitiwan
Park, which is surrounded on all sides by water. I put on my special
jungle gear, flip flops, tank top, and shorts and went looking for
wild animals - animals that kill!!!!! Well we didn't see any Tigers
but I did manage to attract a few leaches - yuck - as did Tony.
You can't really feel the little buggers so if your not wearing
the proper gear you have to periodically check your feet and legs.
We only had a few hours to walk around but the best deal if you
come here is to take 2 -3 days. This allows you to walk to the center
of the park where they have a guesthouse. From there you can walk
to a lake were they have been an observatory overlooking the lake.
After crossing back over the river we sat in one of the many little
tables facing the park and on this occasion beautiful sunset. We
had a few beers and some momo, which is like jiao ze (Chinese dumpling)
but better. It was a great day altogether and I felt very relaxed.
The next day we were to go on a short stint bird watching but it
poured so we had breakfast and then went to catch the bus back to
Kathmandu. The ride back was long and hot - 12 hours as the road
is very bad in sections until you get to the main highway. From
there, you cross many checkpoints where they don't really stop tourist
but definitely search the Nepalese. This country is in need of arbitration
instead of the US giving weapons to the government - the UN needs
to take some action but I need time to think about proper ways of
intervention. Anyway the whole trip, meals, lodging etc only cost
$92US and the hosts were most friendly and gracious. We used Beyond
the Limits in Thamel to book the trip. So my flights are booked
and I have sent back the winter gear 20 kilos!!!!!! So the rest
of the biking should be a piece of cake LOL. Nepal is really, really,
really great!!! I would come back here anytime!!!!
G
Top of Page
|
