Back in California

We're back in the land of the free! We arrived safely to San Francisco after a long 16 hour plane journey. What's next? We'll start life up again ... at least for now. I'm off to Google and Rashmi returns to her cushy job at SWAPE. Thanks to those who have been following the blog this whole time. I hope you've enjoyed following us on our adventures! Take care and happy travels!

Last days in Bangkok

We stopped by Bangkok for about a week before we headed back home to California. While we were there we met up with A (aka Karita) who we met while volunteering in Chiang Rai. She made us feel very welcome in the big city of Bangkok. One night she invited us to her work's Halloween party. She teaches at an English language school for college-level and above students. They put on a Halloween celebration similar to what you'd find in the states.

There was free make up to make it look like you had been brutally slashed and burned. They also entertained students with a mummy race and ... a Thai superstar band! They performed a few songs and then stood by as fans rushed up to take pictures with them. It was fun to see Thai people exposed to the wonders of an American Halloween party.

A(Karita) and me in our Halloween makeup

Hanging with Thai popstars

A few days later was a very special event in Thailand: the Loi Kratong festival! On the full moon in early November Thais flock to riversides and lakes to float kratong, which are small baskets that hold candles and incense. You make a wish before putting it in the water and then lower it in for the currents to take it away. Kratongs are usually made of banana leaves, but can also be made from bread for a more environmentally friendly snack for the fishes. The skies were also dotted with floating orange lanterns. I think they used the heat of the flame to make themselves rise up in the air. It was a very busy time around the waterfront but it was great to see a local festival in action.

Near the bustling waterfront

Posing with the kratong before setting it loose

Turtle-shaped bread kratong on sale!

Chitwan National Park

We spent our last few days in Nepal at Chitwan National Park, one of my favorite parts of the whole trip! Chitwan is home to many high-profile endangered species, including the one-horned rhino, Bengali tiger, Gharial (crocodile-like reptile), and the Gangegtic river dolphin. We signed up for a day-long hike and a 2-hour elephant ride through the jungle in hopes of spotting some of these rare animals.

The hike was really exciting because it was just me, Leslie, and two guides tiptoeing through the jungle trying to sneak up on things without being seen. We would take small game trails into the riverine forest or bushwack our way through grasses over six feet tall to track the animals down. Our lead guide, Gonus, was really good at spotting things. Within the first hour we had spotted our first rhino, a fatty about the size of an elephant, wallowing in the mud. We crept up to the riverbank to get a closer look, making sure to remain hidden behind some bushes because rhinos are known to charge without warning if they feel threatened. The rhino must have heard us, because it got up and ran into the tall grass. The guides were not sure which way it went, so they motioned us to stay behind them as we backed our way safely into the forest.

We were about 10 meters away from the rhino's head!

The rest of the morning we saw a number of other cool jungle animals, including the common languor, spotted deer, many red cotton bugs. We also spotted a bunch of birds: kingfishers, trans-Himalayan ducks, a crested serpent eagle, a woodpecker, and a chestnut-headed bee eater.

Common Languor

After lunch we spent a good 2 hours wandering through the forest not finding anything. At one point we heard a sloth bear lumbering in the grass, but it failed to reveal itself. Then, when I had just about given up hope of seeing anything more, Gonus spotted a Gharial poking its head out of the river. He was able to recognize what it was by it's unique elongated snout. For the last hour of our trek we followed our guide through the grasslands. I wasn't sure where we were going and thought we were getting ourselves lost, but then Gonus found what he was looking for...two big rhinos grazing contentedly a hundred feet ahead of us. It was really impressive to see such massive creatures in the wild. We climbed a fallen tree to get a closer look and watched them them in awe for a while.

Leslie got a really great shot of the rhinos from the tree we were hiding in.

The next day was elephant day, starting out with our elephant ride in the morning. We chose to go on an elephant ride because we had heard that it was the best way to observe the rhinos up close. Apparently, most jungle animals aren't afraid of elephants so one can get a really close look with neither them or us feeling threatened. Unfortunately, we did not find any rhinos on the ride, but we did get to see some good views of other animals, including 3 different species of deer, wild boar, and, of course, lots of birds.

After the ride we participated in elephant bath time. At 11 am every day the Mahouts (elephant handlers) take their elephant for a bath in the river. For a small fee you can take a ride on their back while they bathe, allowing them to spray you with their trunk and roll you into the water. It was really fun getting to interact with them in this way, and the cool water was definitely refreshing. I couldn't help feeling giddy afterward!

In the afternoon we visited the elephant breeding center, where elephants are bred as beasts of burdan. I have mixed feelings about the breeding center. As I have mentioned in my previous entry regarding our last elephant ride, it makes me sad to see elephants under human control. They are too intelligent and sensitive to be chained up, and one can see it in their eyes that they are not happy. However, the breeding center prevents elephants from being captured from the wild, which is the more common alternative. It also gave us the opportunity to play with adorable baby elephants! They let the baby elephants mingle freely with the visitors to get them used to human interaction. And the calves come right up to you, nuzzling you with their trunks in search of food. Leslie and I must have spent an hour petting them and admiring how cute they were.