Day 20 - March 12 - Temple Tiger Lodge and Village

Day 20 Tuesday - March 12 - Nepal Temple Tiger Green Lodge

Our nickname for the local naturalist is "R2."  He is a member of the Tharu people of the village and took particular pride in showing us the tools and ways of the village displayed in their museum homestead exhibit.  The Tharu probably moved to this area hundreds of years ago from the Thar desert in India, escaping the wars there for the malaria here.  DDT got rid of the malaria mosquitoes by about 1960 so now the place has more people.  

The mosquito problem drove their house design… cook inside to keep the smoke and drive out bugs, small windows, etc.  The nice pile pictured in the courtyard is a mixture of cow dung and earth to make a very appropriate plaster to cover the elephant grass for walls. We walked through the village and enjoyed the working elephants, smiling children (school holiday) and appropriate technology.  

Remember that the Nepal government expelled the Temple Tiger camp from the Chitwan National Park?  Well, the lodge facilities are still there so today we take a truck, walk, boat, truck ride to the old campsite, overlooking a lake.  We shared the site with a dozen French birders who were particularly excited to see the Oriental Scops Owls, some blue pigeons and the local rhino in the lake.  We enjoyed a great lunch and "G2", the Tharu naturalist, gave an elephant talk using a mother elephant and her 4 year old baby as visual aids.  Special.  Then a hike through the jungle to see lots of plants… few animals.

Back to the 'Green' camp via open truck (momma rhino charged us), flat bottom boat with pole and paddle across swift river (crocodile and whistling duck), hike to ox cart area, slow cart ride back through village, past rice and wheat fields, the Tuesday 'farmers market' and children walking to 'tuition' school.

For our last evening members of the village presented a delightful folk dance and song program.  They made us join in at the end.  Dinner was not elegant, but totally fine for us.  Even had little cakes for dessert.

Off to the old camp for a picnic, elephant talk and nature walk