30th January 2017

Up again at the crack of dawn (5:15 am). An early start was essential for our journey to Chitwan, as part of the road closes to all traffic after 9 am for six hours. The government is carrying out much-needed road improvements following the 2015 earthquake.

Unfortunately, I woke up with a ‘dicky’ tummy, a sign of more unpleasant things to come! I took some Imodium before a very light breakfast, hoping it would see me through the journey, and thankfully, it did. Despite being bounced around inside what felt like a tin can, travelling along the worst tracks I have ever experienced (you can’t call them roads when there’s no tarmac), it was even rougher than yesterday’s ordeal. This time, the journey stretched on for hours. Traffic was nose-to-tail on a single-track road in both directions, and any mistake could have meant a drop of a couple of thousand metres for someone. Fortunately, not for us today.

We eventually arrived at the Jungle Crown Hotel, which, through bleary eyes, I gathered is located somewhere outside Chitwan. It seemed to be a very nice hotel, even boasting a pool. While we waited for our rooms to be allocated, I pressed reception to give me one immediately; I simply couldn’t stay awake any longer. While Sue chatted with the rest of our group, I went straight to bed and slept until she woke me at 6:30 am the following morning.

While I was dreaming of waterfalls and elephant dung, Sue joined the rest of the group on an afternoon safari. She saw what felt like a million different types of birds, plenty of elephants and crocodiles, and even some water buffalo. I wish I could have been there, but unfortunately, nature was calling, and not in the way I’d have preferred!