Rafting and Chitwan National Park

On a recent Monday, I took the day off work and got myself a river fix. I told work I would write a story on "adventure sports," in return for a day off. I am usually on the river in the summer for about 65 of the 90 days of summer in America, hence I miss it a lot. Anyway, I gladly paid the standard day trip fee of about $50, hoped on the bus with a bunch of first time foreigners and played "customer," not guide, for a day. After stopping at The Last Resort Lodge, near the Tibetan border, famous for outdoor activities, watching someone bungee jump down a 500 ft river gorge(!), we hit the Bhoti Kosi river for some awesome class IV-high water- monsoon action! Great whitewater, great guides, great time. Although no excursion like this can go off without a hitch in Nepal; we got stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam right outside of Kathmandu due to a bus stuck in the mud. Nothing like 10 singing French-men on a hot, crowed bus to pass the time!

For four days I went to Chitwan, with my teacher's son Brendan, for a jungle experience. We had a blast! Although, according to guide books, we broke every rule possible, some of which are:
1. Don't take a bus anywhere in Nepal (not trying to sound like a hero, but I take at least two buses everyday).
2. Don't go to Nepal in the monsoon season, which is now (too late for that, already survived 8 weeks of the monsoon!)
3. Whatever you do, DO NOT go the Terai area (which is where Chitwan is located) because of (old) political tensions and malaria
4. Forgot to take the malaria pills

But hey, you live and learn, and I'm still doing both! We stayed at a little jungle lodge with good food, all activities and a guide for only $70. We went on two elephant rides, saw one rhino in the wild, along with deer, birds, wild boars, and crocodiles. My favorite part was the elephant bathing in the Rapti River. The most depressing part was going to the elephant breeding center, where they have to chain the babies up so they don't run off into the jungle. The baby elephants could have possibly been the cutest things I've ever laid eyes on. But their eyes glazed over, just wanting to be by there mom's was heart wrenching.

It also really bothered me how the elephants are treated (hit with wooden and metal sticks if they don't listen or go fast...it's an elephant, they don't walk fast!!) Is this eco-tourism or animal maltreatment?! (I feel an op-ed piece brewing inside me...) I may be a little backwards when this bothers me more than poor, hungry village families, but I can't help it.