Chitwan

It’s been a week and a half since we got back from our trip a 6 hour drive away from Kathmandu. We were in Chitwan National Park and stayed at Jungle Tourist Camp for meals and Nepali language class. Chitwan was the San Diego equivalent of Nepal with its tourist attractions, exotic animals, warm weather, and “beaches” (these were along the river and no one was in a bathing suit tanning, but there was sand and a beautiful sunset each night nonetheless).

Highlights of the trip:

-       Bees! We learned about bee farming and how intensive (or not intensive depending upon the season) honey harvesting is. Gopi, “the bee guy” chooses to harvest honey as a hobby and for an alternative source of income. We tasted 3 types of honey: one was rich, runny, and sweet just like honey at home, BUT BETTER! Another looked like frosting and TASTED like frosting too. It is spreadable, sweet, and mild. The last honey we tried was actually mixed with mustard seed and had a bright yellow color to it and a tangy sugary taste. I ended up buying the second frosting-like one because it was unlike any honey I’d had before and it seemed to be the most versatile. Hopefully I’ll have saved it to share when I come home!

Gopi "The Bee Guy" (Sauraha, Nepal)

 Tharu culture! Tharu people are just one of the indigenous groups of Nepal and we got to tour their cultural museum a few villages over from ours. They have deep traditions in fishing, dancing, and tattooing (for women). We talked with a few people in the Tharu village and they expressed their concern for their culture’s wellbeing, as the government of Nepal does not seem to respect their history, traditions, and livelihoods. My favorite part of walking through the village was seeing all the handprints decorating the houses. These prints are meant to bring good luck and prosperous crops to the family.

Tharu Hands (Tharu Village, Nepal)

-       Bikes!  Chitwan has quite a lot of landmass, but the places we traveled to were manageable by bike. It was so fun seeing all of us hop onto these rickety old bikes with fixed gears, baskets, and kick stands and navigate dusty and uneven roads. We sang songs from The Sound of Music and kept saying we felt like the Von Trap children biking free and happy.

Bike (Sauraha, Nepal)

 Elephants! Called haati in Nepali, elephants were everywhere we went. They’re just amazing creatures. Not only are they the largest land mammal alive today, but they’re also arguably one of the smartest (an elephant’s memory is flawless and they can remember a route or recognize a face after seeing it just once). Four of us climbed atop an elephant and squeezed our legs out of a small wooden ‘frame’ that we sat in. While it wasn’t the most comfortable position, I could stretch my feet down and rest them on the elephant’s skin and feel the rough yet strong animal below me. If only I could travel by elephant everywhere I went. 

Me and Mel with Ellie (Sauraha, Nepal)

 Elephant Ride (Sauraha, Nepal)

Kelsey, Emma, Mel, and Gyan on the Elephant (Sauraha, Nepal)

River (Sauraha, Nepal) 

In terms of school, our lectures vary, but tend to focus on themes of religion, development, research strategies, and social change in Nepal. We’re currently developing our ISP (Independent Study Projects)  ideas for the last month we’ll be here. I’m currently thinking about analyzing the Peace Corps volunteer in the Nepali context. (I figure I love volunteering, Nepal and people so why not see how effective this program is?)

We’re still learning Nepali every morning and though our teachers express frustration at how slow we’re learning, everyone else we talk with (shop keepers, our family members, etc.) is impressed. We can bargain, take a taxi (give directions), describe what we’d like to buy/eat/do, learn about another person’s traits, and talk about our daily schedules. I’m sure we know more, but I’m definitely not fluent yet.

pheri bheTaula! (see you again!)

Camel by the Beach (Sauraha, Nepal)

The River (Sauraha, Nepal)