Our visit to Chitwon National Park had been decided on a whim whilst trekking, wanting to see a completely different side to Nepal so we could really get a sense of this amazing country. We were pleasantly surprised when Suyra and Sao decided to join us! Over lunch of a debatable noodle soup, we had a chance to really get to know about Nepalese culture and history. After looking at Sao's student card, we learnt that the Nepalese calender is different to the Gregorian; where the former starts at 1A.D, the latter begins at 57B.S, representing how old one of their 'great kings' was when he died, and thus how old he's be today.
We also learnt the tragic recent history of the Nepalese royal family. As recent as four years ago, Nepal had a bad, selfish king that was widely disliked by the Nepalese. In an attempt to overrule him, the majority of Nepalese civilians had a 19 day strike, where they sat in the streets and were willing to die for their cause. Apparently, there were around one million protesters on Kathmandu Road, one of the country's major roads. Suyra and Sao were both there- and both had near-death experiences to tell. One day during the protest, Sao was sitting with his two friends at the end of the street, when another boy pushed his friend out of the way to get to the front. Seconds later, the army opened fire at the front line, and the little boy who pushed to the front was shot in the neck and killed. Suyra's friend was hit by a rubber tea-gas ball, twisting his arm- Suyra was seconds from being picked off the floor and arrested, which basically means shot dead. But the people were successful- the King was thrown off the throne, and his brother, a good man who advocated for peace in the civil war ridden country, was instated in his place. However, greater tragedy was to ensue; not long after the strike, the King, 13 of the royal family, and around 600 soldiers were killed in a brutal massacre, with many of the latter being tossed in the river. Unsurprisingly, the usurped brother and the King's son are the main suspects as heirs to the throne, but it has yet to be proven. I cannot imagine being face-to-face with this sort of brutality and danger as a child. The bravery, resilience and determination of the Nepalese people is something that I witnessed first-hand on the mountains, and it is those qualities that helped them to stay strong for their cause, with no complaint. Incredible.
We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the sunset by the river, and experiencing an cultural dance show Tharu-style- a Nepalese tribe who have survived modernization by, interestingly, developing an immunity against malaria. The rhythmic drumming was contagious, and the dancing itself energetic, using long bamboo sticks and even fire as props. There was a chance to join in at the end, which unfortunately we didn't take- I enjoyed the efforts of the 60-something white man who did though, even if he did not possess any rhythm!
The next day, it was JUNGLE TIME! First, a peaceful, bird-filled canoe ride to the jungle, then before we entered by foot, a pep talk/warning on how to react to charging animals. If a rhino was to charge, our guide Kumar said, climb the nearest tree, or if in a tree-less area, then run in a zig-zag formation. In 1996, a man had been killed by a rhino, so this advice was not to be taken lightly! He had a wooden stick especially to scare away the sloth bears, and tourists, haha. If a tiger pounced, we were to stare it down and walk backwards slowly; however, this only applied with males. If it was a female and cub duo, then we were basically screwed! With these words lingering in the humid air, we ventured single file into the wild jungle.
After traipsing through the greenery for about 2 hours, we finally caught sight of a rhino coming out of a waterhole! The lush trees prevented a good view in the jungle, but once we'd stepped out, we saw one taking a bath in the river! Our riverside wildlife spotting did not stop there- we saw a pack of wild animals, otherwise known as naked children, frolicking in the river in all their glory! Photos of this moment were a big no-no if I didn't want to end up in jail...
In the afternoon came the activity I'd been looking forward to- the ELEPHANT RIDE! So the four of us clambered into the back of Lucky-Kali, all facing outwards, and headed into the jungle. To be honest, the first part was not as enjoyable as I'd hoped; we felt part of a massive elephant production line, with a long line of elephants solemnly carrying tourists. However, once Lucky-kali had had a quick bath in the river, we escaped the tourist trail and went alone into the deeper jungle, where I really began to enjoy the bumpy elephant-riding experience! It was even worth being constantly whacked in the face with branches to have this sense of jungle solitude. Despite following rhino tracks, we didn't see any wildlife, and our driver started to head back, when we saw a group of elephants gathered around one spot. We moved a little closer, and were delighted to see a mama-and-baby rhino duo! These creatures are amazing to see close up, with their angular armour and prehistoric faces! They didn't seem too spooked by the elephants either, as they just carried on doing their own thing. Pleased to have seen an animal at the last minute (just like Ranthambore in India!), we headed back to our hotel, ending the day with one of the best dal-bhats I've tasted in Nepal, eaten the Nepalese way, of course!
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