Nepal: Chitwan National Park, Inside the Jungle
Sitting in a lush garden in Sauraha, Nepal inside the Jungle in a restaurant, open at 7AM. With wifi and espresso.
This. Never. Happens. Here.
So I’m eating my fried eggs with locally made yak cheese in this stunning botanical landscape when I hear from one of the servers, “Rhinos show up here quite often.”
We’re talking wild rhinos. Not the mechanical kind at Disney Land. In this garden.
The actual location of the photo above is a mere few feet from the edge of the jungle so elephants, tigers and rhinos often roam over this line.
It’s the wild animals’ home, not ours.
I was instructed last night by a local who was born inside the jungle before it was a national park what to do if you’re chased by a wild rhino.
You have to run away zig-zagging as the wild rhino likes to run in a straight line.
Important fact to know.
Before this particular visit to the jungle; I was almost crushed by a few elephants who were fighting.
Dying on my vacation? Nope.
Sometimes things are too exciting in my life.
Here’s the link to the near-crushing. On YouTube.
And more videos of the twin baby elephants born here the last time I visited.
But the most fun thing to do is hang out with the villagers.
I was sure I didn’t hang out anymore but discovered this is what people do here.
Rest, relax, and don’t kill themselves working. This may be just for the men; the women look like they’re toiling non-stop.
We had an incredible day yesterday working on the land being developed for Beyond the Four Walls, which many of you know empowers women.
Wolf Price, the Founder and my Son has been here in Nepal for 10 years. Directing his social venture, raising the money, and creating the programs of housing, education, and medical care for women.
It takes a team to get anything done. The fact that plumbing and electricity get installed is a huge undertaking.
The workers don’t always know how to do it even when they say they do. So you have to know people and get help from others in your network.
This is not easy.
But it’s similar to any business, where you must cultivate a network of people who you like and want to spend time with, so your business evolves.
I’m learning tons.
Yanking rusty nails out of recycled bamboo to be used to build a fence, is what I did yesterday. Never did this before.
Every single thing gets recycled here.
I’m also eating food I can’t identify but it sure tastes good.
Many of you ask me where to stay in Nepal. I’ll recommend one place I stayed for several weeks at a time.
Stay in Bhaktapur, which I highly recommend as you wake up in a UNESCO world heritage site and get to walk around among the ancient temples before the onslaught of tourists arrive.
