Chitwan
After another crazy bus ride, we made our way from Pokhara to the area of Chitwan National Park. We paid about $8 USD for this death defying ride. There was much road construction happening, by
hand. Moving large boulders, breaking up rocks, and building of retaining walls all took place by people in flip flops. Probably was scarier for them to have us flying by in the bus, then us
feeling like we were teetering on the edge to leave enough room for their work. We arrived unscathed.
Before we left, we had spoke with several people and they all claimed things weren't 'too touristy' in Chitwan. Apparently things had changed. We made the decision not to enter the park, as we
didn't agree with how it was run. By that we mean paying a couple hundred USD to sit on a canoe for 2 hours with 15 other tourist...not our style.
With that said we found the town of Sauraha quiet enjoyable. It is the town closest to the park. We spent our days walking around town, checking out the river, viewing wildlife, eating, swimming, and just plain relaxing. Town did take sometime to get used to being passed by an elephant on the street, as if there was an elephant express lane. Elephant poo dodging skills were essential.
Jalapeno had good food and a nice view of town from its open air, second floor design. They were so kind to make gluten free enchiladas, especially for me. They ran out and bought corn flour so
they could whip up homemade corn tortillas for my enchiladas. They were great! It's was fun to try a Nepali twist on a Mexican favorite, as the spices were definitely Asian inspired. We ate here
twice, but wish we found this place sooner I would have gone more, because it was so delish!
At Riverside Pub we enjoyed a bottle of whiskey (we will call it a language barrier, the bottle instead of a drink) on the rivers' edge. It was just on the outskirts of town, which was the
perfect place to relax and unwind. They had a grouping of lounge chairs by the water, where hyacinths would float downstream. We could watch the elephants bathe from afar and the crowds come and
go. It had a local feel with guides swinging by after a long day and neighborhood children playing in the river. We enjoyed sunset and the stars that followed, as there was little light
pollution. After dark, we drank by candlelight.
Sauraha sits alongside the Rapti River, which flows out of Chitwan National Park. We saw great wildlife in and by the river. We watched buffaloes wade across the river and crocodiles lurk in the shallows. A rhinoceros posed for pictures by the river at sunset. He also came to visit our backyard that night. Locals said it was one of his favorite spots near town. A thunderstorm moved in and made him seek shelter under nearby brush.
One of my favorite things in the area was the plant life. With the jungle climate of hot and humid, the flowers were bright and beautiful. They seemed to grow with such ease. They lined the river, hotels, and the side streets. All the plants and flowers seemed to bring the landscape alive.
Although we stayed at several hotels while in town, we had a few favorites. We had a great time at Green Park Hotel. It sits outside of town, but has everything we needed. Nepal has very inconsistent power, so they ran a generator to fill the gaps. And after weeks of no power or power that would come and go, 24 hours interrupted was truly great! Fully charged phones, battery packs, and cameras batteries! We swam in the pool and enjoyed the balcony overlooking gardens. And, the bathroom had a shower wall, so for the first time in weeks I didn't have to shower directly next to the toilet!! They served good food for decent prices. And in the evening they would hold a "Stick Dance" show. It demonstrated the way the Tharu people would use sticks as part of dance for celebration and in a martial art way to prepare for battle. Men lined up, wooden sticks in hand. One would hit sticks together with the man in front of him and then the man behind him. This was all done to the beat of a drum. Of course, they couldn't leave out the fire dance. This involved a burning baton and an aggressive dance used to keep large animals away at night. This hotel was about $70 USD, so it didn't completely break our budget. Funny fact, we had our laundry done here and were given back the wrong underwear. Brian had to ask for his boxers, instead of the very large whitie tighties he was given in place of his underwear.
We also enjoyed Jungle View River Camp hotel. It was in town and sat along the Rapti River. We chose a hotel room, instead of a bungalow, so we could have a clear view of the river. The owner was very friendly and seemed to love his job. We had lights 24 hours a day because the hotel had solar panels, but the outlets and air conditioning only worked when the towns power was on. The property had many well maintained gardens and gazebos. The bathroom even had a half wall, seriously I'll take it because I don't understand showering directly next to the toilet. One evening I showered at sunset. It was perfect! From the window in the shower I watched the the sun go down over the river and the local women working in the grass as they collect for their animals. An elephant strolled by giving a ride to its owner. I admired the flowers blowing in the breeze. All of this while washing my hair. I think I'm getting a hang of the relaxing thing! The front balcony was nice, too. However, the rhino that visited was out our backdoor. It felt like a great deal at $39 USD a night.
Most places in this area offer free breakfast. Not just the bagels and fruit kind either. They offer eggs to order, toast with butter and jam, potatoes, and juice, tea, or coffee. Yes,
please!
Although, Chitwan was a let down, Sauraha was worth the trip. We were able to relax and just enjoy our time in the jungle. I found most people in this town to be nice and helpful. We loved the
animal sightings and the river. We ate good food and downed some drinks! Sauraha was a success!