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We were warned about riding Nepali busses at night; this unfortunate scene we passed emphasized the point.
| A brutal monsoon season ruined much of the road on the way to Chitwan; this double lane bridge is now single lane.
| Hotel touts swarm the bus as it arrives at Royal Chitwan National Park.
| The sun pokes through the morning mist on our early canoe ride downriver.
| A working elephant moves its way across the river.
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"Wow, that's a big nose you've got there!" Raj tries out her binoculars from the dugout canoe.
| Padma, our super guide, had more field experience with wildlife than any other individual we've met. Here, he surveys the tall grass in search of animal activity.
| This large crocodile didn't want to be bothered by the cameras and quickly crawled into the swamp, disappearing in seconds.
| Not much escapes the eagle-eyes of Padma, our Chitwan guide.
| Padma climbs a tree to take a picture of a resting rhino from a closer distance.
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This sleepy rhino was actually wounded in his left flank.
| Our jungle walk through Chitwan took us through all kinds of terrain, including mud, tall grass, and yes, even rivers.
| The tall grass was REALLY tall... and sharp too; many of us had little nicks and cuts on our arms after the jungle walk.
| Cindy takes a deep sniff of tiger pee; tigers spray trees to mark their territory.
| Time for a scrubbing; this elephant relaxes as his driver washes his ear.
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Getting ready for our ride on a pachyderm... going by elephant is a great way to go on safari!
| Hey guys, the rhino is on the other side; Ray and his fellow passenger have spotted something else on our elephant ride.
| The one-horned rhino in Asia is quite different from those found in Africa.
| Ray and Raj atop their elephant in the jungle.
| One of the largest deer in the world, this sambar deer munches on some foliage.
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The eye of our elephant; we have a new-found respect for the abilities of these gentle animals.
| Flowers adorn our accomodations at the Royal Park Hotel in Chitwan (which we highly recommend).
| Local villagers perform a flaming stick dance for us at night.
| It was an entertaining performance, especially when we all got up and joined in, to the singing of "Resham Firiri."
| The river boat man starts work early to bring us to the Elephant Breeding Center in the early morning.
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Mist floats along the river surface in the morning light.
| An elderly man strolls to work carrying his tools.
| This little one-month old tyke was going nuts trying to scratch an itch that he couldn't reach.
| Jen has a close encounter with a young elephant.
| This little guy is itchy too! Raj plays with this three-month old baby.
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Do YOU have any bananas? A mother elephant reaches out with her trunk.
| Winston and this rambunctious youngster have a pushing match... the elephant won.
| Brilliant yellow mustard fields grow all over the area around Chitwan.
| Sun rays break through the forest canopy on a morning elephant ride.
| The thick folds of skin on the sides and back of a rhino look like armour plating. There were many to be found in Chitwan.
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