Jungle Fever...
30 Nov, 08 - 06:24
Prakash and I took the 7am bus from Kathmandu to Chitwan on Saturday morning. The Nepali buses are made for people half my size...so I always have to unfold myself from one of them at every destination. Everything is in 'mini' version over here...including the taxis and motorcycles.
Prakash in Chitwan
We tore around on little 150cc motorcycles...which wasn't a bad way to see Chitwan. The little Suzuki Baja S is a tin toy compared to the 1100cc Time Machine, but it served its purpose.
Phill and the puny Suzuki Baja S
I just returned from a four hour elephant safari...which was rather good. Punamkally was the pachyderm and Gudo (which I believe roughly translates into English as 'elephant beater') was the driver. I wasn't really expecting anything too fascinating...maybe the sight of a distant rhino or some fire ants in my pants!? I was pleasantly surprised by our outing...
We wandered around in misty, dense jungle for the first hour or so...just the three of us. They normally pack four passengers on the beasts...but I managed to get my own creature. Hmmmm...actually...every other elephant I saw was loaded with four bodies and a driver. Why was I so lucky!? I just am! =^]
Punamkally seemed particularly calm after I fed him a bunch of bananas that a young girl had sold me at the park entrance. I've never been keen on green bananas, but the young entrepreneur said, "elephant eat bananas" while she threw then up to me. Good plan. =^P
We saw peacocks, deer and crocodiles...but the elusive rhino was hiding. As we came into a clearing where some Japanese folks were packed onto the trunked wonders, a Japanese lady gave me a perplexed look...a massive smile...and rambled off a question, directed at me, in her own language. I'm sure she was asking me how I got my own elephant. =^]
Spotted deer are intrigued by us
Besides the people of the tiny island nation there were some rhinos in our midst. They are odd looking creatures...and I realized that though I've been a few places and seen few things...I had never seen creatures quite like this.
The two young, uni-horned, armoured rhinos were making all sorts of aggressive noises and looked like they were going to charge. The elephant drivers backed up and some Japanese folks looked genuinely concerned. Punamkally casually grabbed the base of a tree that was about a foot thick and snapped it off with his trunk. Impressive. The rhinos snorted and ran off. This was good and bad...as I didn't get a very good picture of either animal.
Fortunately, I was to have some much closer encounters soon thereafter...
I hope you are enjoying virtually exploring Nepal with me via the dispatches at www.secretspoteverest.com and/or my blog!?
If you have not subscribed...you should...right now. I invite you. =^)
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Prakash and I took the 7am bus from Kathmandu to Chitwan on Saturday morning. The Nepali buses are made for people half my size...so I always have to unfold myself from one of them at every destination. Everything is in 'mini' version over here...including the taxis and motorcycles.
Prakash in Chitwan
We tore around on little 150cc motorcycles...which wasn't a bad way to see Chitwan. The little Suzuki Baja S is a tin toy compared to the 1100cc Time Machine, but it served its purpose.
I just returned from a four hour elephant safari...which was rather good. Punamkally was the pachyderm and Gudo (which I believe roughly translates into English as 'elephant beater') was the driver. I wasn't really expecting anything too fascinating...maybe the sight of a distant rhino or some fire ants in my pants!? I was pleasantly surprised by our outing...
We wandered around in misty, dense jungle for the first hour or so...just the three of us. They normally pack four passengers on the beasts...but I managed to get my own creature. Hmmmm...actually...every other elephant I saw was loaded with four bodies and a driver. Why was I so lucky!? I just am! =^]
Punamkally seemed particularly calm after I fed him a bunch of bananas that a young girl had sold me at the park entrance. I've never been keen on green bananas, but the young entrepreneur said, "elephant eat bananas" while she threw then up to me. Good plan. =^P
We saw peacocks, deer and crocodiles...but the elusive rhino was hiding. As we came into a clearing where some Japanese folks were packed onto the trunked wonders, a Japanese lady gave me a perplexed look...a massive smile...and rambled off a question, directed at me, in her own language. I'm sure she was asking me how I got my own elephant. =^]
Besides the people of the tiny island nation there were some rhinos in our midst. They are odd looking creatures...and I realized that though I've been a few places and seen few things...I had never seen creatures quite like this.
The two young, uni-horned, armoured rhinos were making all sorts of aggressive noises and looked like they were going to charge. The elephant drivers backed up and some Japanese folks looked genuinely concerned. Punamkally casually grabbed the base of a tree that was about a foot thick and snapped it off with his trunk. Impressive. The rhinos snorted and ran off. This was good and bad...as I didn't get a very good picture of either animal.
Fortunately, I was to have some much closer encounters soon thereafter...
I hope you are enjoying virtually exploring Nepal with me via the dispatches at www.secretspoteverest.com and/or my blog!?
If you have not subscribed...you should...right now. I invite you. =^)
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Posted by Scott Stanko at 11/30/2008 8:37 AM 
Categories: SecretSpot.TV, secretspot7summits.com, Nepal, Surefire, Sherpa, Kathmandu, Oakley, Everest, SecretSpotEverest.com, SecretSpot.NET, Tilman Trek, Medtronic, Phill Michael, Seven Summits, Frick, Food, tibet
Categories: SecretSpot.TV, secretspot7summits.com, Nepal, Surefire, Sherpa, Kathmandu, Oakley, Everest, SecretSpotEverest.com, SecretSpot.NET, Tilman Trek, Medtronic, Phill Michael, Seven Summits, Frick, Food, tibet
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