Fort Agra

Agra fort was an interesting British relic that was left when the British left sometime earlier this century. The halls and courtyards are actually kept maintained. Read more about it here. The only annoyance for travelers... "One Photo". I wonder how many slaves were used to build something like this, and I wonder where I can acquire that many slaves. I think I deserve a castle.

The Taj

On our second day in India, we took an early morning train to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. The white marble and architecture was impressive, but it cost 750 IRP (nearly 18 USD) to see (of course, it was only 20 IRP (less than 50 US cents) for Indians). While we were there, Derrick and I were in nearly 300 photos with Indians we'd never met because, apparently, white faces make for good profile pictures.

The Elephant Plantation

Derrick and I went to go see the Chitwan elephant breeding center. There, we saw several baby elephants - including a pair of twins, which nearly never occurs in elephants. I was able to pet another baby. We also saw a wild male elephant, who came looking for a mate; the guide instructed us to be cautious, as it had killed three Nepali people within the past few years.

The Culture Program

Right down the street from our Hotel, there is a culture program in a small community center. Boys from the village come to perform old dances from Nepalese history. They were sword fighting dances with a lot of choreography. The boys all had sticks and would dance around doing mock fights with each other all in unison. I thought it was pretty impressive.

The View

Near Chitwan park is a great little hotel called Tiger Camp. It would be highly recommended to anyone who wants to stay near the park. The staff is great and speaks good English. They can help you book any adventure you want to go on. This is the view from right outside our room on the river looking into the park.

The Elephant Bath

Today, I quite possibly had the most enthralling, childlike experience ever! Derrick and I went down to the river close to our camp, and we got in the water with an elephant for a bath! The trainer had her lay down so we could get on, then she stood up and sprayed us with water on command to give us an elephant bath! It was actually very refreshing! When we walked to the river, there were several spectators watching the elephants. When we said that one was for us, one guy scoffed and then watched in disbelief as we disrobed and walked into the muddy-bedded water. Even better was that it only cost us the tip for the trainer of $3.5USD. Surprisingly, no one else got in after us ... no idea why they missed out on this amazing opportunity.

The Elephant Safari

Yesterday, Derrick and I took a 1.5-hour elephant safari in Chitwan National Park. While the ride started out with rain, it was a great time! We got to see a rhino in the wild very close to our elephant, as well as a peacock and some Nepali deer. Unfortunately, some Asian tourists on other elephants in our safari may have been too loud to spot much more. However, the safari backdrop was much like you'd imagine if you ever played Amazon Trail as a kid (except here, it's Nepal). We crossed through a stream on the elephant and through a bunch of muddy forest floor (where their wide gait made the ride a little bumpy).