Crapping on a yak.....overland to the other side of the world and the rest: Day 80

This morning, Laurie, Brian and I go for boat and walking safari. As we wait to get on the boat, which is basically a narrow, weathered and not very stable gondola, we spot a crocodile in the water about twenty feet from the bank. This is only fifty metres or so away from where I was bathing an elephant yesterday. The boat ride is a pleasant dawdle along the river, although the jungle scenery viewed from the water does remind me a little of ‘Apocalypse Now’.

On the walk, we spot some more deer, as well as more crocs in the water. The highlight though has to be a huge male rhino which we glimpse only momentarily, but which looks like it is three metres high on all fours. It bolts off into the jungle as soon as it hears our exclamations as we spot it. Our guide signals to us to follow him to try to get another look, which we do with a notable hint of trepidation. The Rhino droppings we come across give a good clue to this creature’s size.

There are tigers in Chitwan NP, but they are only seen in a part of the jungle quite some distance from where we are and rarely at that.

After the walk and boat ride back across the river, we decide to go on a jeep safari. This is a longish drive on bumpy dirt roads with a number of stop offs along a trail known as the 20,000 lakes. The road is along the path of manmade irrigation canals, which the crocodiles frequent. There aren’t actually that many lakes, just a couple of large ones amongst some vast wetlands.

Stopping at one of the lakes, we follow our guide along a path between the lake and the canal with high march grass and other plant-life covering the banks. We come across some croc footprints that cross from one bank to the other. Our guide had earlier mentioned that he is the only one of the local guides to survive three attacks by sloth bears. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t the only one to actually be attacked three times by sloth bears. Against crocodiles, he might not be so lucky and I follow the others nervously looking out for any ruffling of bushes at each side of me.