Captivating Chitwan

The stifling heat of the savannahs and the distant call of the wild elephants was our warm welcome to Nepal’s Royal Chitwan National Park.

A winding dirt road past vast green pastures, lead us through a small village to our hotel. It seemed absurd to Deep and I at first that we were situated in the very heart of this renowned wildlife sanctuary, buffalo grazing outside our hotel window and yet daily life continued as per usual for the town's people, who would dodge a herd of elephants walking down the main street and not blink an eyelid.

Our four-day wildlife adventure allowed us to get up close and personal with many animals, you normally only get the opportunity to see behind a glass wall at Australia Zoo. So to experience a real jungle safari, with our vantage point from the top of an elephant was a dream come true for both of us. Walking through the national park on this enormous creature, our eyes remained peeled for any sign of wildlife, in the hopes of spotting a rare Asian Tiger or rhino. After a few minutes walking through the dense jungle we were soon surrounded by the calls of nature and the faint squeals of excitement from foreign tourists who didn’t quite grasp the concept that to see a wild rhino, you needed to remain silent, otherwise the only one they would see was on a mural in the hotel reception. Silence has been a godsend for us after two months travelling through the hustle and bustle of India.

Thousands of tourists from all over the globe flock to this part of the world in an endeavour of getting a glimpse at a wild beast though as we soon learnt it really is a game of luck and being in the right place at the right time. On our second day in the national park we began our day by paddling down a fresh water river in a traditionally made canoe, spotting the odd freshwater crocodile sunning itself on the bank. After our canoe ride we ventured into the jungle as wild deer bounded past as at record speed. Everywhere you looked, the jungle consisted of some form of wildlife or rare species to be marvelled at.

One of the highlights of this trip was our visit to the elephant breeding centre, the second biggest of its kind in the world. We were fortunate enough to see two curious baby elephants who walked right over to Deep and I, demanding a good old back scratch. They walked up and down the fence that separated us from them, lapping up every bit of attention they could get.

By the afternoon, the jungle heat had taken its toll on us and we were led to the river bank where fully grown elephants waited for us to join them for bath time. This was an extremely unique and exhilarating opportunity, climbing on to their backs as they splashed us with cold spurts of water from their trunks. It was the perfect way to cool down after a day trekking through the jungle.

By day four, we had walked, cycled and rode an elephant around the entire national park and were even lucky enough to see a rare glimpse of a wild rhino bathing in the river. One of my fears when venturing into the national park was coming in contact with a hairy jungle spider. I made Deep check our room from top to toe, making sure there wasn’t one hiding in the bathroom. Luckily it wasn’t until we were leaving the national park that I saw one in the hotel restaurant, I guess he just came out to bid us farewell.

By Kerryn Anker

Picturesque Pokhara

It took an overcrowded local bus in stifling heat to get here, but the picturesque town of Pokhara was well worth the journey.

Lush rolling mountain ranges meet the fresh water lake shore, with trendy upmarket restaurants and cafes lining the main street. Pokhara is definitely a hub for international visitors who begin their trekking expeditions here. The town also offers a vast spectrum of activities from white water rafting and paragliding, to the simple pleasures of hiring out a row boat and exploring the many Buddhist temples (known as a Stupa) on the shore front.

This is exactly how Deep and I past the time, paragliding one day from the mountain tops to cruising down the lake the other. Our welcome to Pokhara began with a severe thunderstorm, including some heavy hail. Through the drizzle of rain we saw the outline of the lake, though it wasn’t until we woke to sunshine the next day that we saw why this town was a hot spot for holiday makers.

 After enjoying the highs that Pokhara had to offer with our paragliding experience one our second day, we decided to experience a bit of the night life that evening. We were pleasantly surprised by the array of musical talent the locals provided with a number of pubs and bars offering live performances. But it wasn’t until we ventured into a Nepali night club that we were really given the local experience.

To all my girlfriends back home who know how hard it is to drag a man on to the dance floor, well this place is the opposite. The men love to get their dancing shoes on and dance to…. remixes of Taylor Swift.

On our last day in Pokhara, Deep and I decided to relax and unwind by hiring out a row boat on the lake. Half way around the lake is a mountain climb to a Buddhist Stupa which overlooks all of Pokhara. From the shoreline it didn’t look too far, though two hours later we made it to the top, gasping for air. That’s right we are the couple who are meant to be conquering Everest Base Camp in a few short weeks.

 So we left behind Pokhara with wonderful memories and plenty of beautiful photographs. We now embark on our two week trek though Nepal so will be out of action from the blog until we return. We look forward to sharing our trekking stories with you all then.

By Kerryn Anker

Through the thick smog you find the real beauty.

Only three days in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu and already the pollution is so intoxicating to our lungs, we are literally gasping for some fresh mountain air. With an estimated population of 700,000, it has been quite surprising to Deep and I that a city surrounded by the Himalayas could be so smog infused.

Kathmandu was always just going to be our base for our trekking expedition to the Annapurna conservation area, in central Nepal, though I must admit through the murky haze there has been some specks of beauty. The town centre is lined with stores filled with a colourful array of scarves, woollen socks, hats and jewellery and I was definitely in my element here.

The Buddhist temples and hill top shrines are breathtakingly stunning, laced in gold and Tibetan prayer flags. Though the stand out of this city for me was the people, who would continually greet you with a smile, offer assistance at every corner and not seem to want anything in return (this was a completely foreign concept for us). It hasn’t just been the men, the women are just as friendly wanting to know everything about us including where Deep and I met and whether our relationship is a “love based relationship” or an “arranged relationship.” We couldn’t help but laugh when we were asked this question by our taxi driver.

Even though we both don’t practice the Buddhist philosophy, monks were more than happy to explain their way of life, their prayers and meditations. Despite the cloud of thick smoke surrounding this city, you don’t have to dig too deep to find the pure beauty of the people. Deep and I hope that this is a sign of times to come on our travels through Nepal.

We are now off on our trails through the hills of the Himalayas and will hopefully update you in a week.

By Kerryn Anker

Off the beaten track

The hilltop town of Mcleod Ganj is one of the most picturesque and fascinating places we have seen during our travels through India, with its raging rivers deep in the valleys to the snow-capped Himalayas which tower from above.

McLeod Ganj is situated in the Himalayan foot hills north of the main city centre of Dharamsala. This town is quite unique as it offers both an Indian and Tibetan experience with hundreds of Tibetan refugees having fled from their country in the late ‘40s in an endeavour to escape Chinese persecution. Colourful Tibetan prayer flags are hung from the cliff tops, store fronts and rooftops providing blessings to the town and the people living there.

 

The air is crisp and fresh, with the smell of Tibetan momos now replacing the rich aromas of Indian spices. Despite the fact that we are still in India, you could easily be mistaken for being in Tibet, with shaven-headed monks walking the streets towards the Dalai Lama’s residency and the Indian presence now close to non-existent.

 

Deep and I spent close to a week exploring the hill tops, winding roads and alleyways of this town, as well as the surrounding villages. We spent an entire day uncovering the Buddhist philosophy by visiting Tibetan villages, monasteries and the Dalai Lama’s residence. Unfortunately we missed seeing him by only a few days. We also got the opportunity to explore the school where Deep went for a year when he was eight years old.

But none of these experiences compare to our adventure in the forest, a few kilometres out of a small village called Nadi. We decided on our last day in Mcleod Ganj to go for a walk to the river just below Deep’s old school. We began our journey just after lunch with our picnic bag and rug in hand. After a gruelling two-and-a-half hour trek through dense forest and a steep dirt track we made it to the river.

 

As the sun began to set we both came up with the bright idea that it would be a lot quicker to follow the river upstream than to walk back the way we came. At first it began as an exciting adventure, clambering over large boulders, making bridges across the raging river with rocks and tree branches. Though the further we went the more strenuous and dangerous the trek became. In some sections the river was moving too fast for us to cross so we had to trek up the side of the mountain on all fours.

It wasn’t until we could see the sun slipping from the sky that we started to realise we were running out of time in the race against the light. I tried to climb a large rock to get up the mountain side though I slipped and came crashing down into the water. When I look back now I can’t help but laugh at my stupidity, though at the time, falling into that freezing cold water was quite scary. Luckily Deep had a spare jumper in his bag which was quickly replaced by my soaking wet top. We decided to give up on following the river and head up the mountain side.

I’m not trying to be all Bear Grylls here, but there was no track to follow, nothing to cling on to, just a sheer cliff face and a decreasing amount of day light. Half way up the mountain we saw the lights of the hotel on the main road and we began to feel a lot more confident that we were almost there. However by this point we had completely run out of all day light and began the difficult task of blindly making our way to the top.

After hobbling on a sore knee and being cut from head to toe by tawny bushes, we finally made it to the main road. I have to say, I have never been so scared in my life and am extremely grateful to my amazing partner Deep who step-by-step helped me up the mountain, staying positive the entire way. I didn’t think I would have quite the adventure that Deep and I had that day, but the funny thing is we both said we wouldn’t take back the experience. Bring on Everest I say. (Just a little note to my parents, please don’t worry, next time we go on a trek, we will take an experienced guide with us).

By Kerryn Anker

Monkey Madness in Serene Shimla

At the foot of the Himalayas features the quaint township of Shimla, renowned as the summer holiday capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Shimla is the largest and most well-known hill station in India as it was originally “discovered” by the British in the 19^th century, who used it as their summer holiday haven. The original presence of the British men and women is evident in the colonial style architecture of the buildings throughout town.

 

I had no expectations of what Shimla would be like, other than the fact that the temperature would drop considerably compared to our journey through Rajasthan. Our trip from Haridwar took 9 hours by car up a long windy road, leaving behind the plains for the mountain tops. We arrived at 1am in the morning and quickly got inside our accommodation, away from the evening chill. So when morning came, the view and beauty of the township, cascading down the hill side was a sight for sore eyes.

It has been an adjustment getting used to the stares and comments from the locals, though this was amplified in Shimla as less westerners come here. I knew that staring was common in this country but the lengths people go to, trying to see what Deep and I are up to is hilarious. We had one man earlier on in our trip, who stood right in front of our faces at a train station and despite us staring back, he didn’t budge.

Anyway back to the beautiful, unique township of Shimla. Once a small village, Shimla has grown into a trendy place, with upmarket brand named stores and restaurants. We were amazed at the structure of the town, with the main shopping square continuing all the way down the hill side. You can literally spend hours walking down the winding road with no end to the array of colourful stores.

One of the popular things to do in Shimla is to venture up to Jakhu Temple, also referred to as “Monkey Temple”. An incredibly large statue of the monkey god Hanuman, towers above the town and is surrounded by real life monkeys, ironic, I know. Now previously on this trip, Deep and I have had wonderful encounters with playful, friendly monkeys, though these monkeys were clearly not taught to play nice. I just have to say that before I came on this trip I told Deep I had a slight fear of monkeys, fearing that they will jump on me and claw my eyes out (a slight exaggeration, but you understand the point I’m making). As we arrived at the temple a monkey jumped onto my back and stole my sunglasses off my face before scurrying up a tree. He then spent the next 10 minutes trying to work out what they were and ended up just chewing on them.

 

I was able to get the glasses back but had to give money to a local man who retrieved them. It was as I was handing over the money that I realised I’d been scammed, by the man and the monkey.

Aside from our monkey encounters, Shimla has been a wonderful travel destination, offering panoramic views of the hillside and satisfied my shopping addiction for now.

By Kerryn Anker

Holy Haridwar

The Holy city of Haridwar, known as the “Gates to God’s Kingdom” is a sacred destination for thousands of Hindus who take the pilgrimage from all across India to see where the mountains meet the Ganges.

This is truly a magical city, situated on the banks of the river Ganges, nestled in the valleys of the rolling Shivalik Hills.

One of India’s seven sacred cities, Haridwar is such a popular place for Hindus and western tourists alike as it marks the spot where the raging Ganges leave the mountains and enter the plains. By day people bathe in the dedicated ghats and worship the holy power of the river, by night the evening rituals take place around the Har-Ki-Pairi temple.

 

 

When the sun sets this religious ceremony of Ganga Aarti is undertaken by thousands of Hindus. This auspicious practice, dedicated to the life bestowing goddess Ganga, involves the circulating of an 'Aarti plate' or 'Aarti lamp' as well as flower offerings sent down the river. This was a very unique experience for Deep and I, watching priests perform blessings to families and children, while the Ganges lit up with thousands of candles. We were both blessed by a priest and sent our own flower offering down the river, wishing for health and happiness for our family and friends.

 

Whether you believe in the river’s healing powers, surprisingly my severe stomach bug ceased the very next day after my river cleanse, though maybe it had something to do with the doctor’s medication as well.

Haridwar was a truly inspiring experience on our journey through northern India, from the river channels teeming with activity, to the glow of the candle lit Ganges by night, this has been a spiritual awaking for both Deep and I.

By Kerryn Anker

Joyful Jaisalmer aside from the man eating bugs.

The golden city of Jaisalmer, situated in the Thar Desert is an oasis in the middle of rolling sand dunes. A sandstone fort cast shadows over the bustling town below, as well as offering sensational views of this magnificent city, nestled in the western corner of the state of Rajasthan. 

The entire city of Jaisalmer is made out of decoratively designed sandstone buildings and homes, providing a cool relief for residents when temperatures reach into the high 50s during the stifling heat of summer.

This is where all of India’s stereotypes come to life, where men wearing bright coloured turbans walk the pavement trying to sell their goods, while a rainbow of saris pass us in the street, as women do their daily fruit and vegetable shopping. The sun beats down and lashes its rays on our bodies, though surprisingly as soon as we step out of the sunlight, we are met by a cool breeze.

Deep and I were very lucky as we booked a hotel which was situated in the heart of the fort. It offered panoramic views of the town allowing us to peak into the lives of locals below. We were even lucky enough to be invited to the hotel owner’s niece’s wedding. It was the traditional Indian experience Deep and I had been longing for the entire trip and now we could experience firsthand one of the most sacred ceremonies in India, the wedding ceremony.

Deep and I were taken to a series of local stores in town trying on and bargaining for a beautiful sari for myself and a traditional men’s outfit (a kurta) and turban for Deep. With our wedding attire bought and the excitement building, we were told that the ceremony would not kick off until 10.30pm, while I was to visit the women’s quarters to have my sari fitted correctly by 9pm.

As the clock struck 10.30pm, a single firework lit up the sky, signifying that the celebrations had begun. The groom, who rode on a decorated white horse was led through the streets of town as men danced to loud music behind him. An hour later, the groom arrived at the bride’s family home though he stayed on his horse for 45 minutes longer. The men and male children of town continued to dance merrily into the night to the beat of four loud drums. The funny thing about the entire experience was that Deep and I were more dressed up than the bride and groom. The looks we were getting from the wedding guests were hilarious.

 After our wedding experience, Deep and I headed into the heart of the Thar Desert, outside of the town centre for an overnight camel experience. We envisioned a night under a sea of stars, as a camp fire crackled in the distance. It was a beautiful experience and I am very grateful to be able to say that I spent a night in the Indian desert; however the bugs, snakes and ticks kept my eyes wide open with fear all night. So let’s start with the man eating bugs (slight exaggeration but really not too far from the truth). These black “dung beetles” would literally chase you up the sand dunes, somehow curious of our presence in desert. Then there was the snake in my blanket and the mass amount of ticks crawling around the dunes. I know I sound like a princess, but if that’s the case then I’m happy to take that title as those desert creatures were bloody scary.

 

After our encounters with the desert creatures, I managed to get sick from the dinner we were served and am still recovering a few days on. Aside from the experience in the desert, Jaisalmer was amazing, a truly beautiful golden city which lived up to every expectation. 

One thing I would like to mention in this post is how welcoming and kind the people of Jaisalmer were. We were welcomed into stranger’s homes, some opening up to us with their tales of pain and heartache, of loss and love. We definitely made friends in Jaislamer and look forward to our return one day.