Animesh turned out to be right and the movie was excellent. It was really funny and had good songs with great dance routines.
The monkey temple was great to see as we visited on a day that just happened to be a day of the week to worship Lord Hanumana, the monkey god. Consequently the temple was packed with worshipers and had an amazing buzz and vibe pulsing through it. Music was being played, chants were being said, people where writing wishes on the walls of the temple and chatter filled the line of people queuing to enter the temple.
India has been an amazing place to visit I have discovered so much about the Hindu culture that I didn't know, met some of the friendly people that I have ever come across on my travels round the globe and survived the heat and humidty with only a few grumbles here and there! I found out that the only Indian food that I like comes from south India and is called a Dosa. It is absolutely delicious and is a rice pancake filled with potato and vegetables. I am certain that I will return to this fantastic country as I want to experience the Ganges properly and return to Varanasi when the water levels are not so high. Also, a trip to South India may well be on the cards to eat some more dosas!!
Crossing the border in Nepal was a pretty hassle free experience, once we had got the right papers from the dodgy immigration men on the Indian side. The countryside in Nepal is lush, green and filled with rice paddies . It reminds me a lot of northern Thailand. We stayed one night in Lumbini and visited the place where Lord Buddha was born before heading to Chitwan National Park.
The park is located in the south of Nepal and home to rhinos, tigers, crocodiles, sloth bears and heaps of bird life. Once again the high water levels scuppered our plans and 2 days of jungle adventures was reduced to one. We took a jeep into the jungle, travelling though picturesque little villages with waving children, rice growing in the garden and corn drying from the eves of the houses We got dropped off in the middle of the jungle at a check point and began our walk. It was hot, humid and threatening rain. Luckily, within the first 5 minutes we found a one horned rhino not too far from where we were and got a few pictures. Then the rain began and we headed to shelter.
The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion but the walk was pleasant, if not a little too hot. All of the high levels of rain made the terrain wet and muddy. At one point we found ourselves wading through mud that was knee deep. It was an odd sensation as one step would put you ankle deep and the next had you sinking down to your knees in cold, slimy mud! Leeches were also a huge problem and not a jungle creature that I enjoyed having an encounter with! The two fantastic guides Suc and Lashmi looked after us, although they did think that my reaction to the leeches was pretty funny.
Overnight we stayed in a little guesthouse on the edge of the Rapti river and watched the sunset over the river. Ladies collecting grass, children fishing and elephants going for an evening cool off in the river provided a picture perfect image of local life in the jungle.
Next day we returned to the tranquil village of Sauraha to enjoy the views over the river, indulge in a little shopping and meet a few more of the locals. Heather and I wandered into the village and found a cute group of children sitting outside what was labelled as an orphanage. However, with lots of hand gestures and some broken English, we discovered that it was a family of four children, grandma and mum. The children were so lovely and keen to take pictures with our cameras. One of them took the one below! We think that the family had fostered some of the other children. I got ushered into the house when I said that I was hot and made to stand right in front of the fan! It was a jolly interaction with a delightful Nepalise family.
The monkey temple was great to see as we visited on a day that just happened to be a day of the week to worship Lord Hanumana, the monkey god. Consequently the temple was packed with worshipers and had an amazing buzz and vibe pulsing through it. Music was being played, chants were being said, people where writing wishes on the walls of the temple and chatter filled the line of people queuing to enter the temple.
India has been an amazing place to visit I have discovered so much about the Hindu culture that I didn't know, met some of the friendly people that I have ever come across on my travels round the globe and survived the heat and humidty with only a few grumbles here and there! I found out that the only Indian food that I like comes from south India and is called a Dosa. It is absolutely delicious and is a rice pancake filled with potato and vegetables. I am certain that I will return to this fantastic country as I want to experience the Ganges properly and return to Varanasi when the water levels are not so high. Also, a trip to South India may well be on the cards to eat some more dosas!!
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| The river Ganges. |
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| A rather full load on the bike! |
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| Colourful sweets and sices! |
Crossing the border in Nepal was a pretty hassle free experience, once we had got the right papers from the dodgy immigration men on the Indian side. The countryside in Nepal is lush, green and filled with rice paddies . It reminds me a lot of northern Thailand. We stayed one night in Lumbini and visited the place where Lord Buddha was born before heading to Chitwan National Park.
The park is located in the south of Nepal and home to rhinos, tigers, crocodiles, sloth bears and heaps of bird life. Once again the high water levels scuppered our plans and 2 days of jungle adventures was reduced to one. We took a jeep into the jungle, travelling though picturesque little villages with waving children, rice growing in the garden and corn drying from the eves of the houses We got dropped off in the middle of the jungle at a check point and began our walk. It was hot, humid and threatening rain. Luckily, within the first 5 minutes we found a one horned rhino not too far from where we were and got a few pictures. Then the rain began and we headed to shelter.
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| Everyday life in rural India. |
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| Sheltering from the rain. |
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| My jungle guides in Chitwan - Lashmi and Sooc |
The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion but the walk was pleasant, if not a little too hot. All of the high levels of rain made the terrain wet and muddy. At one point we found ourselves wading through mud that was knee deep. It was an odd sensation as one step would put you ankle deep and the next had you sinking down to your knees in cold, slimy mud! Leeches were also a huge problem and not a jungle creature that I enjoyed having an encounter with! The two fantastic guides Suc and Lashmi looked after us, although they did think that my reaction to the leeches was pretty funny.
Overnight we stayed in a little guesthouse on the edge of the Rapti river and watched the sunset over the river. Ladies collecting grass, children fishing and elephants going for an evening cool off in the river provided a picture perfect image of local life in the jungle.
 |
| Collecting grasses. |
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| Local boys fishing. |
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| Elephants heading for their afternoon swim. |
Next day we returned to the tranquil village of Sauraha to enjoy the views over the river, indulge in a little shopping and meet a few more of the locals. Heather and I wandered into the village and found a cute group of children sitting outside what was labelled as an orphanage. However, with lots of hand gestures and some broken English, we discovered that it was a family of four children, grandma and mum. The children were so lovely and keen to take pictures with our cameras. One of them took the one below! We think that the family had fostered some of the other children. I got ushered into the house when I said that I was hot and made to stand right in front of the fan! It was a jolly interaction with a delightful Nepalise family.
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| Helping mum with the laundry. |
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| Corn hanging to dry, ready for grounding. |
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| Heather and I with the children at the 'orphanage'. |
With the two weeks from Delhi to Kathmandu over, we went out for a final meal in Kathmandu before parting ways.
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| This foot resides on the wall in the 'Rum Doodles' restaurant in Kathmandu! |
So pleased to hear you found at least one thing you could eat in India, and definately a good enough reason to go back to South India in the future.
ReplyDeleteCan only say one thing about leaches - yeuw