From Chitwan to Varanasi

Friday 2 January
Hi or as we say over here Namaste
Sorry I haven't been on for a few days but I was in the jungle and then the internet wasn't working in Chitwan when we came out of the jungle and Lumbini didn't have internet so this is my first opportunity. I have just arrived at the hotel in Varanasi and saw the internet cafe next to the hotel so rushed over.
Nepal has daily electricity stoppages for about 6 hours from 4pm. Cold showers are the norm and hot ones a rare luxury. But Nepal is a lovely country and the people are really friendly. The trip into the jungle was interesting. First we travelled by canoe ( a bit like the one we went in at Buon ma thuot Ellie). The canoe trip was great as we were able to see lots of birds including kingfishers with brilliant blue wings, crocodiles and ghariols ( a different type of crocodile), deer and 1 rhino. Then we started walking...for some insane reason the guides thought it an absolut necessity for us to find rhino. Considering that as soon as you come anywhere near a rhino they invariably tell you to run for your life, it all seemed a bit questionable. Even more questionable when it meant that we were forced to bush bash through thick jungle for 4 hours, and you can just imagine how much I loved that..not. Especially as the closest our group got to a rhino was hearing it crash about in the long grass eating its lunch apart from avoiding the enormous piles of poo it the rhino leave everywhere. I was so busy avoiding poo and trying not to fall and injure an ankle or knee that all I saw was the ground and the branches thwacking in my face. Eventually I suggested that we had enjoyed the search for rhinos more than anyone deserved and could we find somewhere else to walk. Lol, everyone else seemed thrilled about the idea, though the guides seemed surprised. What really will make you laugh is that the other group ran into a rhino while strolling along the easy path!!!
Once on the easy path we saw deer, butterflies, and monkeys during our 1 1/2 hour walk. Then eventually we made it to the village homestay which was quite nice though primitive.
Next day we only had to walk about 2 hours during which time we spotted some deer having breakfast and tiger tracks from tigers that probably wanted deer for breakfast, which took us to a crocodile breeding centre, and the jeeps to drive us back. Our jeep was from WWII literally and just shows how well some things last. On the drive back we saw a whole lot more animals which just goes to show how unnecessary it was for us to go bush bashing in the jungle the day before, and even more so when you hear what we saw on the elephants.
Elephants really are the way to do a jungle tour. You sit up on its back and view the jungle in comfort. And in the first 10 minutes out on the elephants we came across a mother and baby rhino. The rhinos seem unfazed by the elephants so you can get up really close. The baby was as cute as a rhino can be and I got some good photos. I felt very raj like on the elephant and really enjoyed the return through town to our hotel on the elephant.