C hitwan has been great. I went on a Jungle Walk, gave an elephant a bath, visited the elephant breeding center and rode an elephant through the jungle and ran into an endangered one horn rhino and her baby. The hotel had air conditioning, fluffy pillows and hot water. I also could take a shower as often as I wanted, which was great b/c I’ve never sweat so much in my life. It’s over 100 degrees here and has the humidity you’d expect from a jungle, along with the bugs. There was a tarantula in the lobby and I screamed like a little kid. I don’t have anything planned this morning, so I’m hanging out in the air conditioning, writing a blog post and singing along loudly to some Old Crow Medicine Show.
The best part of the trip was swimming with the elephants. I didn’t have a bathing suit so I just swam in my pajamas. I felt like a kid again. You could tell that they really like being in the water, and when you get up on their backs they spray you with their trunks. They are such enormous creatures but they just lay down in the water and let you scrub behind their ears, occasionally trumpeting in gratitude for getting that hard to reach place. I climbed up on one with its guide. It stood up at least 9 feet from the water. He asked me if I could swim, and I said yes and then he started shouting "pattak pattak pattak" and the elephant began shaking its entire head and sent me plummeting into the water. I may have pulled a muscle, but it was fun. I’m having some trouble walking, so I think I’ll just limp to the river and watch the bath time today.
The breeding center provides employment for several people in this village. A baby elephant at the breeding center would lift it’s trunk up every time you said "Namaste." It was super cute. They start training them for work when they are two or three and it takes them about a month to learn the basics.
I went to the internet café, which was slow, but hey, it’s the jungle. The power went out so I discussed the issues in the Terai (the region I’m in now) with the clerk. He said that the government is giving the indigenous people here free education, books, and materials and providing families with 1/3 of the income generated from the park. This area is known for Maoist rebel activity, agriculture and heat. It sounds like the government is doing a better job with providing for the people in this region. Most of Chitwan is employed in the tourist industry, and numbers are down right now due to the insane temperatures and the Maoist. He mentioned that Nepal is the second richest country in regards to water power, but isn’t utilizing it. The German engineer I met last weekend, Frank, is working to harness some of this water power into electricity, which would really help the Nepalese people. It would also be great if the government provided the same support for school children in other areas. There isn’t a problem with domestic labor here, but there is a problem with child labor in agriculture. Since school and supplies are free, it does reduces child labor in the Terai.
Most of you know I wrote a big paper about child labor before coming here. I think I’m going to revisit that and modify the solutions to what I’ve seen while working here. It would be good for me and CWISH to combine research and experience.
I’m headed to Pokhara in the morning to see the "real Himalayas". I love that the giant mountains I’ve seen so far are technically the "hills." The scenery is breathtaking. I’m glad I’m getting to see the other areas of Nepal. I was going to go horseback riding for half a day, but I think that elephant may have changed my mind.
The best part of the trip was swimming with the elephants. I didn’t have a bathing suit so I just swam in my pajamas. I felt like a kid again. You could tell that they really like being in the water, and when you get up on their backs they spray you with their trunks. They are such enormous creatures but they just lay down in the water and let you scrub behind their ears, occasionally trumpeting in gratitude for getting that hard to reach place. I climbed up on one with its guide. It stood up at least 9 feet from the water. He asked me if I could swim, and I said yes and then he started shouting "pattak pattak pattak" and the elephant began shaking its entire head and sent me plummeting into the water. I may have pulled a muscle, but it was fun. I’m having some trouble walking, so I think I’ll just limp to the river and watch the bath time today.
The breeding center provides employment for several people in this village. A baby elephant at the breeding center would lift it’s trunk up every time you said "Namaste." It was super cute. They start training them for work when they are two or three and it takes them about a month to learn the basics.
I went to the internet café, which was slow, but hey, it’s the jungle. The power went out so I discussed the issues in the Terai (the region I’m in now) with the clerk. He said that the government is giving the indigenous people here free education, books, and materials and providing families with 1/3 of the income generated from the park. This area is known for Maoist rebel activity, agriculture and heat. It sounds like the government is doing a better job with providing for the people in this region. Most of Chitwan is employed in the tourist industry, and numbers are down right now due to the insane temperatures and the Maoist. He mentioned that Nepal is the second richest country in regards to water power, but isn’t utilizing it. The German engineer I met last weekend, Frank, is working to harness some of this water power into electricity, which would really help the Nepalese people. It would also be great if the government provided the same support for school children in other areas. There isn’t a problem with domestic labor here, but there is a problem with child labor in agriculture. Since school and supplies are free, it does reduces child labor in the Terai.
Most of you know I wrote a big paper about child labor before coming here. I think I’m going to revisit that and modify the solutions to what I’ve seen while working here. It would be good for me and CWISH to combine research and experience.
I’m headed to Pokhara in the morning to see the "real Himalayas". I love that the giant mountains I’ve seen so far are technically the "hills." The scenery is breathtaking. I’m glad I’m getting to see the other areas of Nepal. I was going to go horseback riding for half a day, but I think that elephant may have changed my mind.
1 comment:
That looks so amazingly fun! It really looks like you are having an experience of a lifetime. I'm so happy for you (but, of course I miss you and want you to come home soon too :) ).
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