Baby Elephant Walk – Chitwan 17th & 18th November

11.22.2016 by Trish // 1 Comment

I woke bright and early this morning, hoping the wifi would do the same, unfortunately not! It was not only slow but when I saved the post I had spent some time writing, it did the annoying round and round “I’m thinking about it” thing, then disappeared off into cyber space, never to be seen again! Oh bother I said! Wrote a condensed version with the same result. Oh bother, bother I said and gave up.

So here is the lite version of the condensed version

Jungle walk – animal count, 3 sets of deer’s ears seen through the jungle vegetation, 2 termites nest and assorted animal droppings, none tiger our wonderful guide assured us. Although he was armed with a big stick so I’m sure we were safe.

Elephant Breeding Centre – baby elephants, very cute. Bit sad to see the mothers chained up in their sheds, but with the wild elephant population of Nepal only 100 – 170, I know they are trying very hard to protect and increase the population.

Elephant ride – somewhat uncomfortable and a bit scary when a couple of the other elephants out the front started trumpeting and refused to go any further. “Probably tiger” our elephant handler whispered.” Probably part of the game,” I thought to myself, but I was glad we turned around.

We saw lots of monkeys, so cute but very small, about the size of a kitten. See if you can see mother and baby!

Water babies -the best time with the elephants was watching the babies being pedicured and cleaned and getting to wash them. One of the tourists soundly berated a handler for being cruel, but to me all the handlers seemed very caring with their elephants. Even when one of the elephants, despite being given the command several times, refused to squirt water over the couple on her back, they dismounted dry and disappointed!

A refreshing drink of lemon, marsala and soda, sort of like curry flavoured lemonade, but oddly enjoyable.

Is it just me or is this balcony a bit wonky?

Meandering home after a day’s work

The light is not very good becsuse of the sun, but its not too often you see elephants wandering down the street!

Where’s a proper piece of wood when you need it? Chitwan 16th& 17th November

11.20.2016 by Trish // 1 Comment

On my last evening in Pokhara I was walking down the street and chatting, actually I think I was bragging really , about my stomach which would accept anything I shoved down my mouth, from fried grasshoppers in China to fried bamboo worms in Thailand. I remember I did look around for some wood and much to the consternation of a gentleman in a travel agent (who probably thought I was there to book a paragliding experience, little did he know the chances of that!) I popped in and knocked on a table and popped out again.

I actually think it wasn’t a wooden table at all because about 20 minutes into our bus trip from Pokhara to Chitwan I began to feel not wonderfully well, and about 3 hours into the 5 hour bumpy, dusty, very bumpy, windy, extremely bumpy trip I was sick into my hat. (Sorry, you know I tell it as it is) So that’s all I have to say about the rest of that day!

The next morning I was feeling slightly better, there is nothing like a cup of tea and toast and vegemite when you haven’t been well. Although my grandma was fond of a nice cup of tea, a Bex and a lie down when she was feeling poorly *

Our morning activity was a trip on the river to see the crocodiles and a visit to the Elephant Breeding Centre. The last time I went on a trip to see crocodiles was in Cairns a few months ago and I actually thought this boat was a bit low in the water!

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw these at the river’s edge!

We did see quite a few crocodiles sleeping on the banks and even a few floating in the water, thankfully not close enough to take a reasonable photo with an iPhone, so I’ll spare you all a blurry photo of what could be a crocodile if you really squint.

But I have to include the obligatory reflection, even though I did sneak one in earlier

The guide did assure us the crocodiles were quite safe. I guess this guy believed that anyway.

The wifi is really, really slow and it has taken forever to get this far, so I will bid you all goodnight. Slow wifi and I are not the best of friends!

* I do have to share this though. While I was writing this post I Googled Bex and found this in Wikipedia. And I always thought this was Grandma’s saying!

Bex was advertised with the phrase, “Stressful Day? What you need is a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down”.[2] Bex powders were the housewife’s drug of choice in the 1950s and 1960s until they were shown to be highly addictive and responsible for causing kidney disease when taken in large doses.[2] It has also been linked to kidney cancer.[3]

Bye Bye Pokhara

11.16.2016 by Trish // Leave a Comment

I’ve had a lovely time in Pokhara, very relaxing. I discovered the most perfect place to be pampered, on a roof top overlooking Lake Fewa

I just had to have a meal here

And of course I had to include a super moon shot!

Let’s go Mama, we can do this! 12th November

11.14.2016 by Trish // 2 Comments

Every morning on Camino as we hoisted our backpacks and picked up walking sticks, Liz would say “Let’s go Mama, we can do this”

I needed her today as I tackled the 45 min climb to the Peace Stupa overlooking Pokhara.

I have to say it was a long hard walk!!I don’t mind the climbing so much if the track itself is evenish,but most of this track was stone steps that were higher than my little legs could manage easily. And each time I got around a curve and saw another set of stone steps spiralling forever upward my heart my legs cried. I don’t know many times I said to myself “Let’s go Mama, we can do this” And of course I did!

This was the easy bit, i was too busy breathing to take photos of the steps!

For the ladies it was hard going, for the guys used to carrying the luggage on trek, a walk in the park!

I didn’t make it up those last steps, mostly because I just couldn’t face taking my boots off, then having to put them on again! I was happy to be at peace from the bottom.

At last, my favourite drink in Nepal, mint lemonade. And yay! A taxi drive back down the other side.