Day 117 - Lumbini to Chitwan

We started the morning with a scramble. Nepal national time, it turns out, is 15 minutes ahead of Indian National Time. As a result, we were 15 minutes late getting to our bus to Chitwan. Thankfully, Nepali buses run about as late as Indian trains, so we made it in plenty of time. We had reserved seats, and rode inside this time - better for the longer haul. The dash of the bus was liberally decorated with stickers ranging from Bob Marley, to "I Heart Nepal", to Britney Spears, and ceiling festooned with fringes and silk flowers. We have since learned this is standard fare for Nepali buses, and greatly enhances the riding experience.

The roads were the standard South-Asian mix of potholes, cows, and suicidal chickens. Chickens here frequently do not bother to cross the road, preferring instead to dust bathe in the middle. Luckily our driver was very careful, and we made it to Saryangat with little worry. Our biggest concern was that all the roadsigns were in Nepali - no Latin letters. Suddenly illiterate, we weren't sure how we would know when to get off the bus, since the stops weren't announced, and this bus was going all the way to Kathmandu. I finally asked the driver, and he and the other passengers all waved us off when the right time came.

Once in Saryangat, we needed to find the local bus to Saurha Chowk. As in India, local Nepali bus signs are all written in Sanskrit. The best way to get where you need to be is to walk from bus to bus calling out the name of where you want to go until one of the drivers waves you on. As we made our way down the market street, a group of taxi drivers stopped us and offered us a ride. When we told them we were looking for the bus, they pored over my guidebook for a minute, corrected my pronunciation, and sent us in the right direction. This would not have happened in India. The drivers would have wanted the fares too badly, or misdirected us, or wanted to be paid for giving the directions. Here, everyone we passed tried to help, waving us in the direction of the local microbuses - basically converted 1970's camper vans.

Crammed on the bus to Saurha Chowk with a busfull of local Nepalis, we rolled out for the last 11 Km. At every crossroads, the bus slowed and the driver called out Saurha Chowk, Saurha Chowk, and passengers hopped on and off while the bus rolled on.

Our progress was slowed somewhat by a protest march involving not only local school groups and elders, but also a few elephants. I don't know what they were marching for, but they all smiled, waved, and stared at the foreigners (us). Chitwan is in somewhat contested Maoist territory, but both sides are only hostile to each other. Foreign guests are enough of an oddity, and the Nepali people are such famously gracious hosts, that travel here is quite safe.

We had been recomended the Sapana Village Lodge by an Irish boy we met in Varanassi. Someone from the lodge was to pick us up from Saurha Chowk. Saurha Chowk is actually a rather large bazaar, and we were a little concerned how we were going to find our contact. We needn't have worried. If our packs weren't enough a of a giveaway, being the only non-Nepalis around made us stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. A few seconds after we tumbled out of the bus, a friendly young man greeted us and tossed our packs into a waiting jeep with a drowsy elephant painted on the side.

We arrived at the lodge shortly after 1:00, and were instantly greeted by the owner and several of the staff. We parked our bags on the porch of the building, and were lead to the open-sided restaurant for sandwiches and mango juice. Only after lunch did we discuss the logistics of our stay - how long, what we would like to do, cost etc. The whole thing was totally relaxed and hassle free.

Unlike the other guesthouses, clustered around the village center, or the expensive lodges in the park proper, Sapana sits in the middle of the local farmlands. From our porch, we can watch rice farmers, water buffalo, goats (three goats are employed by the lodge itself for pruning and weed control), and children fishing and playing in the river. The rooms are huge and airy, and the bathrooms are immaculate ( a rarity). The showers are even HOT.

After a shower and a little rest, a guide from the lodge took us to the Elephant breeding center. It was evening feeding time when we arrived. The elephants who had their dinners rumbled happily as they stuffed bundles of grass-wrapped rice, molasses, and vitamins into their mouths. Those still waiting swayed anxiously on their tethers, some even pawing the ground like giant ponies. One rebel baby elephant wandered about loose, picking at tender grass, and stealing snacks from the larger elephants when they weren't looking.

We walked past the elephant stables and into the surrounding brush, where we spotted our first wild rhino! It was quite large and lumpy, and looked for all the world like something left behind by the dinosaurs. They are after a fashion - fossil records show tat they haven't changed much over the past few million years. We also saw prints of wild elephants. The wild elephants actually cause real problems at the breeding center because they break in and knock up the domestic elephants. There are already 3 or 4 unplanned babies, and one ruined shelter as a result of these liasions. A very tall electric fence has been put up to keep the wild elephants out, but I get the feeling that they might be up to the challenge.

Back home agin at the lodge, we ate a fine meal of traditional Nepali dishes. We had planned to go in after dinner, but the sky was awash with stars. We sat for ages on lawn chairs stargazing, watching fireflies, and listening to the bugs and frogs. There were tons of shooting stars - even one huge one that looked more like a blazing comet than the typical darting light. Tomorrow morning we wake up very early for a dawn canoe ride, and then spend a whole day in the jungle. We suddenly feel like guests on a luxury exotic vacation rather than hardened backpackers. And that's OK.