The Rainforest

We took part in lots of activities, starting with a morning of white water rafting on route from Kathmandu to the National Park. Allegedly grade four rapids, whatever, it was hours of good wet fun in the never ending postcard beauty of Nepal. We completly filled the days in Chitwon, walking through the jungle at dawn in pouring rain, my head swirled with all the rules ... see a rhino, run up a tree, sloth bear, make a lot of noise, elephant, throw clothes or belongings and run, tiger, back off ... I have no tales of surviving/ taming dangerous beasts as we only saw deer, monkeys, peacocks and parrots (unless pawprints count?) oh but there was a daring escape from a blood sucking leech!. We took a five hour jeep safari in the afternoon and were lucky enough to see six rhinos! At the heart of the lush tropical green rainforest was a crocodile breeding centre (they are then released into the wild). Did you know that the crocodile outlived the dinosaurs and no one can explain why? Interesting. There was also a girl tiger in a (big) wooden cage because her mother was a maneater and now she has the taste for human she can't hunt anything else, truly sad to see her pacing the small space, posing for flashing cameras of 'dinner'. In another part of Chitwon there is an elephant breeding centre which as far as I can see is mummy elephants tied up with ropes (surrounded by cute little dumbos), and apparently the wild males come and have their way in the middle of the night. I sincerely hope there is more to it, I would hate to always remember Indian elephants as sad.   

see a rhino, run up a tree, sloth bear, make a lot of noise, elephant, throw clothes or belongings and run, tiger, back off