I awoke early to the sound of Bells - my iPhone alarm rather than any nice external life soundtrack. We slept fairly well, other than Dorothy walking into the table on the way back from the toilet and me sitting bolt upright thinking the standard lamp was in fact a man standing at the window!! Got down early for a leisurely breakfast, Kate and Cathy having voted to lie in a while longer and bolt a quick bite. However, when Mungo arrived to pick us up for the airport at 7:15am there was still no sign of them, so D went to investigate. Sadly they had set an alarm and it had gone off, but on English rather than Nepalese time and so they promptly fell asleep again until the dulcet tones of banging on the hotel door reawoke them.
We actually made the airport in good time and said goodbye to Mungo and the driver at check in. Safely through the check in desk at Yeti Airlines, whose motto is "You come first" - hopefully the plane doesn't come second!!-, and on through security which hasn't changed much - bags through the scanner and then a series of body checks - although not on the steps of the plane this time!
I then sat people watching for 30 or so minutes hoping to be able to hear the call our flight 412 to Nepalgunj (pronounced Ne-pal-gunge which does not sound at all appetising I must admit). A quick bus ride over the Tarmac and we got on the plane looking for our seat numbers which were in fact just passenger numbers and it was a free for all on the tiny 30 seater. I sat next to a very sweet lady who lives in Kathmandu but works in Sukre. An 80 minute flight later - no beer this time just the local Himalyan Times newspaper, cotton wool for noise dampening and a sweet to suck ..... Headline news: we came second in the World Cup 20:20 finals, disabled students are getting extra time in their exams and they daughter a man after 20 years for killing a tourist.
We were met at Nepalgunj by a smiling Bimh - who was on our first Elephant Trek in Chitwan in 2005 and kindly said D and I hadn't changed at all (except being 11 years older, several more grey hairs added and about 3 stone - actually to be fair D doesn't look much different!). We loaded onto a minibus and pick up a stray American girl, studying in Kathmandu for a Semester as a break from her American Studies Degree. Turns out she was in Nepal doing a project on the culture and political system and was going to stay with a Tharu Activist for a couple of weeks. The Tharu are a Nepalese tribe who feel quite marginalised by the government which is quite Kathmandu-centric and largely represented by the higher Caste Hindu majority. It was quite jaw dropping and inspiring that such a young woman was doing something quite so radical on her own so far from home. We had a quiet joke about the political upheavals going on closer to home with Donald and Hilary.
Before the metalled road ended we stopped for a quick walk on a bridge to have a quick hunt for Wildlife - the river is protected 3m either side of this large man made bridge and it didn't uptake long to spots some ducks and cormorants sunning themselves on the sandbanks, with enormous fish swimming around the feet of the bridge. We crossed the road and soon spotted a Guardial Crocodile patiently waiting for a large fish to swim by, a turtle and then two more crocs a delicate female with a slim nose and jaw and a mahoussive Male with a snarly old nose who dived to the depths with a flick of his muscular tail soon after he was spotted. After dropping Julie (the American) off at her Eco lodge, we headed to Karnali Lodge.
Lovely lunch, a room each, bag unpacking, shuffling repackaging. Walk to the goal leg at 5, tour of gorgeous mud hut not unlike my little cob building at home, full of home made wattle grain stores and large amphora like structures and a small corner dedicated to the gods to ward off bad luck - a chicken, goat and pigeon in little clay statues. The bedroom had a lovely table with an abacus for the children and lots of make up and nail varnish for Mum. The villagers are 75% Tharu Tribe. Polaroid pictures of the family and D cuddling the month old baby. Walk through the village and back via the Elephants to unite with Ram Kali - older, wiser and fatter - a bit like someone else we know!! Fed her a dry elephant sandwich and maybe she knew us and meet the grumpy elderly Lakshmi, very few teeth and a want to smack people on the behind with her trunk if they get too close!
Quick shower and an enormous dinner with discussion own art and medicine and then trial and fail for Internet and bed. The real adventure starts early doors tomorrow...... Very excited can't wait.
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