Rhinos and crocodiles!

It's been a fantastic week with shed loads going on!

The second morning in Varanasi I took a boat tour down the river Ganges. The river is a scared spot for burning funerals but also used by hundreds of locals and pilgrims to bathe in on a daily basis. Also most folk do their washing in it too! We floated past the most sacred burning area where there was a couple of funerals going on. It was a very interesting place but I was glad to be in a boat floating past rather than on the land where it was all happening.
What made me giggle on the river was that even there we had people floating up to us to try and sell us souvenirs! The classic was two boys selling DVDs who had a TV working on their row boat! I'll add a pic soon!

Next we headed for the Nepal boarder which has to be the quickest boarder crossing in the world. It appeared to be in the middle of a high street. The Indian immigration officials set up in what looked just like an open shop and before you walk over to the other side of the boarder (the road flowing freely of traffic between the two countries) and go to a small house on the Nepal side to fill out your visa form. The whole process didn't take much more than an hour and some of us even had time to sit down for drink. The change from India to Nepal was immediate. There was less traffic, far less trucks honky their insanely high pitched horns, things started to be set back more from the road and everywhere was green! We bush camped for the first night in Nepal which was really cool because it feels like we've not camped in ages, which we haven't I think we only camped once in India.

We then spent two days at Chitwan National Park where I filled my time with a Jeep Safari, Canoe trip, Jungle walk and visit to the Elephant breeding centre. The baby elephants at the breeding centre where so cute even though the were taller than me! A little one took water from my hand and snorted it up his trunk. A wicked experience. (Again I'll put pics on soon! - Knew I should brought my card reader with me today!) Whilst on the jeep safari I saw crocodiles, spotted deer, monkeys, storks, peacocks and kingfishers. Unfortunately I didn't see any Rhinos but Steve found the Rhinos loo! Some other guys did an elephant walk through the jungle and saw Rhinos, I was a little disappointed that I hadn't seen any but it's the luck of the draw! Oh and on my jungle walk it started to rain. Proper massive rain! All of a sudden we were all drenched through to the skin and walking through newly created streams and puddles! It was a little mad but we were so glad of rain we carried on! And for the first time in ages I had a hot shower which was absolute bliss!

We left the national park in two groups. 11 people chose to visit another national park and the rest of us headed onto Pokhara which is where I am now. It was very strange having just 15 of us on the truck yesterday but it will be even stranger when everyone returns in Kathmandu and there is 30 of us again! I have 5 days in Pokhara and I intend to make the most of it! Today I hired a bike and did a 15K ride in and out of the town to the campsite that we were hoping to stay at. (We are all in hotels). I really enjoyed taking a ride on my own, with the villages being really spread out and everyone I passed saying "namaste" (hello/welcome). Just as the road suddenly became a river and I thought I had missed the campsite I heard a little shout of "mush' and found Sos drinking a coke. She had walked there and looked more knackered than me having cycled! We had a coke each before making our way back.

Tomorrow I'm off on an overnight rafting trip and I'm thinking about being really naughty and booking myself in for a 1/2 day at the only international standard spa in Nepal. Four treatments for 60 quid is hard to ignore!

I've really enjoyed spending a bit of time on my own the last few days. I feel safe to walk around and explore in Nepal even if it's just having breakfast or going for a bike ride. Fantastic!

Happy as larry!

Love from Nicole xxx