Seti River and Chitwan National Park, Nepal

(see map) trin: River rafting was next on our itinerary and we debated between the adrenalin packed Kali Gandaki (four days) and the mellow Seti River (two days). We opted for the easy route down the Seti which would also give us time to visit nearby Chitwan National Park.

Getting ready to depart followed by waiting to depart. There was some sort of hold up (we never really understood what) and we got a late start down the river. While waiting, I took a little nap in the raft.

Sometimes it is such a small world. A few days back on the trek we met Jonathan and Brenda from San Mateo. We were happily surprised when they joined our river rafting trip as well. It's rare that we meet other Americans but when we do they're usually from Northern California.

Our camp on the river bank. On the second day we went through a series of five or six rapids and were done by lunch time.

We caught a ride with Jonathan and Brenda towards Chitwan National Park and were dropped in a town somewhere nearby. From there we took a horse drawn carriage the remainder of the way to Hotel Parkside. 

Included in our stay were outings and safaris. The first morning our guide took us down a much calmer river in a carved out canoe.

From the boat we spotted one gharial crocodile warming itself in the morning sun.

On the walking safari we passed through grassland and forest. We saw a group of monkeys and a tiger's territory marking claw marks on a tree. Our guide spotted a sloth bear and was more than a little annoyed when both Mike and I failed to see it.

Rhinoceros are the main attraction of the park and you're nearly guaranteed a sighting on our next stop, the Elephant Safari. It was us and a hundred other tourists riding in little wooden boxes on the top of elephants.  We quickly came across three Rhinoceroses with a baby.

The skin is so trippy. It really looks like plates of armour.

During the safari the elephants feed in the grassy areas while the tourist have their pictures taken.

Our elephant was small compared to the others but his tail packed a punch. He would occasionally give my feet a whip. I think they had clipped his tail to keep him from seriously hurting the tourists.

On the way back we stopped at the riverside to see the sunset over the jungle.

The following morning we were up early for the jeep safari. On that trip we spotted wild boars, different types of deer, an owl and two eagles.

Our final outing was the Elephant Breeding Sanctuary where all of the elephants are chained with the exception of the small babies who are coaxed by the guides over to the tourists. Most people seemed to be enjoying themselves but we thought it was sad.

Mike and I already knew we don't do well on guided tours. Now, we've discovered that we lack both the patience and interest to be good wildlife observers. Maybe it is something we'll mature into.