Well now I am back in Kathmandu and in less than 12 hours I will be on the plane home! This 6 weeks has gone so quickly!

After my very eventful getting to Chitwan I can say the day I spent there was very relaxing and extremely fun! I got up at 6 in the morning to have breakfast - porridge followed by fried eggs and toast and then off with Ranjan my guide in a dug out canoe along the Rapti River. I saw two crocodiles (one of each kind!) and lots of different birds - it was really warm for first thing in the morning which I had noticed as soon as I had stepped out of my room - its the kind of heat that just hits you and seems to take your breath away. There were a couple of other canoes going down the river but I was the only person in mine which made it all the more relaxing. The river seemed to be alive on its own accord as well - I really couldnt tell which way the current flowed and at several point it bubbled and swirled and it was so murky I was longing to see what was underneath - although I was told to keep my hands inside the canoe as the crocdiles like "sweet forgiener blood!"

As Ranjam was pointing out different birds to me - I saw three different types of kingfisher and cukoos as well as an eagle - he pointed out a crow - and proceeded to say the funiest thing - "there are three things in the world you see everywhere: crows, potatoes and indian people - they are everywhere!" I had to hold back a giggle as he was being deadly serious!

Getting out of the dug out canoe we began out jungle walk. This was not without forewarning though - he took me to one side and told me what I should do if I encountered a rhino, or a sloth bear... but seemed to leave out any tactics if we saw a tiger simply saying we should run - I feel this would somewhat have not helped. I was intigued that the only thing he had to protect us was a small bamboo stick which he said he would hit on the ground - now I felt really safe! As we started to walk he told me some stories of how he had almost been attacked by rhinos and that only the other week he had to ward off an angry crocodile - just as he was saying this he stopped at the crocodiles nest and then proceeded to try and find her by poking the stick into the water - luckily she didnt appear!

Walking through the jungle was a great experince though - the elephant grass came way above my head and as it had been raining the mud puddles made the most statisfying squelsh under my feet. We walked a different way from the other people who had been on the other canoe and I saw the most beautiful red drangonfly and we stopped by some termite mounts which were interesting. Although it would have been really great to see something a little bit more "wild" I think I am rather glad we didn't as I didn't much fancy my chances against a rhino!

After about an hour we ended up at the elephant breeding centre and by this time it was getting really hot. There were about 15 elephants in total and some really cute small baby ones - the youngest only being 2 months old! Although the enclousers were rather small - and they were tied with chains - which did at first make mea bit sad I learnt that from 10 til 4 every day they were taken ito a set part of the jungle to eat and bathe - which made me feel alot better.

To get back to the hotel we walked for a little while then got in a canoe back over the river where there were water buffalo bathing and then into a jeep. By the side of the river there was a little old man carving rhinos from wood - he was just putting the finishing touches to one and it was fascinating to watch and when he said it was only 100Rs I bought it as I thought it was really lovely.

Back at the hotel I had half an hour to get changed and then I was going down to the river again to go elephant bathing! By this time it was about 10.30 and it was so hot! I had noticed that the night before the sky was completely clear as well - and you could see loads of stars - something which had only happened a handful of times in Pokhara and a very beautiful sight. As we sat by the river in the same place I had watched the sunset the elephant came down and she was so big! I watched the man jump down from her back and then he showed me how I was going to get up - grabbing hold of both her ears and standing on her trunk! I will admit it took me a couple of goes to get the balance right but eventtually I managed to sit on her back. Getting into the water was fun - a very odd feeling being sat atop an elephant! As we reached the waters edge she stopped for a drink before going all the way in - even though I knew she was going to spray water over me I was completely unprepared for it! I just saw he trunk rise out of the water and felt the cold water cover me from head to toe in one blow! The force in which she blew the water out was rather spectacular! This happened about 10 times and was sooo much fun I couldnt stop laughing. Then without warning she lowered herself into the water and just turned over - I jumped off in suprise - can you imagine what an elephant falling on you would be like?? I then got to wash her - and it was so much fun - she kept blowing bubbles out of her trunk too! i got back on and washed her back as he sprayed more water over me. To get down she laid down again - I think the time I was a little bit more prepared! Ranjan had taken almost 90pictures of the whole thing! They really are amazing and really capture it too.

After walking back to the hotel I had an hour to get showered and changed before lunch - which was vegetable soup, pasta and then a banana. I then went for a little walk around the village and came back in time for the rain to start - which was such a welcome break form the heat - and made the most amazing smell as it hit the ground as everywhere is so green. The rain stopped as we reached the place by jeep to start the elephant safari - I got on one with two other american girls. We made our way into the jungle which was an entriely different experience to anything I had felt before - the elephant plodded though the mud - almost gracefully. As we got to the first clearing there was a rhino there - blissfully unaware of the fact we were there and we got quite close. As we carried on we saw some deer and then two more rhinos which we got really close to again. We then made our way further into the jungle and the sunlight streamed through the trees making beautiful patterns and mist into the trees and the water that had formed because of the rain. One girl was feeling really poorly - and we had to stop twice to let her get off the back of the elephant so she could got to the toilet - honestly I really really didnt envy her! She couldn't go far as our guide kept shouting rhino - but thankfully nothing came of that! The elehpant really didnt like being down on the floor for such long periods of time though and I honestly couldn't blame her - all that weight on her knees! I think she was hungry too and you could feel her belly growling and every now and again she blew her trunk and made the most loudest and amazing sound - apparently it was beacuse she could sense the rhinos and was ready to fight! We did get back all in one piece though and it was a great couple of hours riding through the depths of the jungle on the back of the elephant.

Once I was back in the hotel I went for food - which was french onion soup, chicken sizzler and then chocolate pudding! It was rather nice as someone new (Kearan) had arrived and so had someone to chat to. He was from austrailia and had the most amazing slr camera - he showed me some of the pictures he'd taken as he had been travelling for such a long time and they were fantastic! Went back to my room to pack and have an early night as I was feeling really sleepy. Kearan brought me a book he had bought in Kathmnadu called tales of a Nepali frog - he said he had read it and though I might be interested in it - it looks really good.

Went for breakfast at 8 - it was cornflakes followed by omlete and toast - and then took some pictures of the hotel before I left. Ranjan took me to the bus park - again on the back of his motercycle and although I didn't have a helemt this time I enjoyed it more rather than holding on as if my life depended on it - and I got on the tourist bus to leave for kathmandu. Thankfully I was sat at the front and had quite a bit of leg room. It was a tourist bus rather than a local bus that I got on - although I really don't know what the difference was! We stopped half way for some food and reached Kathmandu at about 4. I slept alot of the journey- and for a bit also taked to the Nepali man who was sat next to me - a student in kathmandu - and was interested in reading the blurb on the back on my book.

Getting back into Kathmandu I remembered, and was shocked by, the heat and the noise and the dirt. It has begun to rain and I think even the rain is dirty as the mud on the floor began to bubble and swell and run down the roads. The one thing about the rain here that always amazes me is how quickly the roads become almost stream like - and how almost as instantly as the rain comes it can stop and it will look like it never rained in the first place. It was a choice between having the windows open and breathing in the smoke and smells - or having it closed and being stifilingly warm - but once the rain began the conductor made the choice for me and the windows were closed. It was rather fun to look out though - at all the traffic and there was so much of it! All honking their horns and spitting out of the windows - and people sat in the streets roasting corn. Again there were so many different smells and noises. In the back of my mind I did remember what Kathmandu was like - but still after all the time I have been in Pokhara it shocked me and I was rather glad I was staying only one night. Thats not to say kathmandu is horrible as its not - just it feels a world away from Pokhara - especially Lakeside - and is very overwhelming.

Once we had fought our way to the bus park I got into a taxi to the holy Lodge where I was staying the night. The room was really nice and basic and looks out over the narrow streets of Thamel - and directly into the dancing girls club over the road. After I had a shower I crossed over and went into the closest place to have some food - chicken butter masala with rice and chapati and sat and watched the rain fall and had the TV on in the background - I realised that was the first time I had watched TV the whole time I had been away!

Stopped to get a carton of mango juice before I went back ot the hotel - also tried to get some money out but my bank card didnt seem to be working - but I did find 500Rs that I had put aside for the taxi back to the airport so that was ok. Just sat and read my book for a while and listened to the busy souds of Thamel outside. Can't remember what time I fell asleep but I woke up with my curtains still open and and the light on and it was about 2 in the morning - Thamel must never sleep as there was music coming from what seemed like everywhere and lights coming from the numerous dancing bars along the street.

When I got up this morning everywhere was silent apart from the sound of a few women sweeping the muddy water down the street - everywhere was closed up and for the next hour or so I laid in bed reading and listening to the people opening their shops.

Now I am going to go back andhave a shower and I have to leave my room by 12 - I found a man who said he would take me to the airport for 350Rs so he picking me up at 5.30 as it takes half an hour and my plane leave at 9.10 tonight. Apart from that I'm going to find somewhere to have some food and pass away the last part of my time in Nepal. These last few days have been really great fun - and the last six weeks have been nothing short of life changing in every way. Volunteering was amazing - all the children were so full of life and smiles and so willing to learn. And the people I have met along the way have been so great - me and Philippa certainly developed a really good friendship - and in the 10 days I knew Rob we got on really well as well - even if it was only for him to laugh at me!

Certainly looking forward to getting the flights out of the way now and being back in England - even though I will miss Nepal.

Much Loves and Cuddles

Rachel xxxx