Chitwan National Park 21 February 2009

Another early start - who said this was a holiday?

Eerie canoe ride across the river in the morning mist to enter the park for a jeep safari.

Saw deer.

And a rhinocerus.

As well as buffalo and crocodiles. We allegedly saw a sloth bear but only the guide could see it; "It's about 10 metres beyond that tree and a metre to the right." If only it would move we might have a chance.

Continued to the Gharial crocodile breeding centre. Here we saw our only tiger of the holiday. Sadly she was in a pen as her mother was a man-eater who was shot before she had learned to hunt so she couldn't fend for herself in the wild.

Afternoon flight back to Kathmandu in a 18 seater plan with Buddha Air http://www.buddhaair.com/index.php . The flight was only short but turbulent. We were glad to have our feet back on the ground. We stayed again at the Shanker Hotel and had dinner at the Rum Doodle Bar - as used by Everest Expeditions (though what sort of a recommendation is that - these guys voluntarily go and camp at extreme altitude in sub-zero temperatures) http://www.therumdoodle.com/.