20 June - Nepal - Lumbimi Off we depart making sure our bags are waterproofed with plastic bags this time. It's about a 5 hr drive. We start driving along the valley for a while then start snaking our way up the hillside. The road is busy & we have buses desperate to have head on collisions with us. It's pretty hair raising. It's getting hotter & hotter, by the time we reach Lumbini which is the birthplace of Lord Buddha its 37 degrees. The authorities...

19 June - Nepal - Chitwan National Park Our 6am call ensured we were ready for breakfast & departure at 7am ... Although it did not rain much overnight the river is flowing fast & 'dear leader' has decided that a 'jeep' is in order to take us to the crocodile farm. Off we judder ...... Not good for backs...into potholes, spraying red water everywhere, then bounce bounce bounce.. No suspension to be felt. We get led a very circuitous route towards the cr...

18 June - Nepal - Chitwan National Park It's poured all night & we all wonder what we will do today! We assemble as planned - & discover we are on track for the canoe down the river, 6 hour trek through the jungle to the ' bush camp'. So off we go .....Monsoon or not ... We climb into our canoes, fortunately for me here are 8 to a canoe and we have a crew, just as well as the river is flowing very fast & is murky & brown. We see a few birds &...

17 June - Nepal - Chitwan National Park Today dawned monsoon wet!!!! Our itinerary had stated public transport ( read local public bus for 8 hrs) to the accommodation in the park but our leader offered us the option of a van for an extra US$4 each. Fortunately no one wanted to be that 'Intrepid ' & take the local bus so we left around 9.15. It took a good 2 hours to clear the outskirts of Kathmandu. The rain is turning the roads into rivers of rubbish mix...

16 June - Nepal - Kathmandu It poured with rain last night & we were awakened at 6.30am with the loudest clap of thunder I have heard in a while. The rain stopped & we were informed that tourist buses were allowed to travel in spite of the strike so we set off on schedule to see the biggest Buddha stupa in Nepal, and then on to the monkey temple. The strike is by the Communist party who intimidate the population to stay away. The benefit to us was tha...