Up market and now surveying

So since my last blog, I have moved upmarket into a tourist Lodge. "The Rhino Lodge". which happens to be run by a man that works here in NTNC building i'm in. Its a marked improvement in that i am now sleeping (thanks mum for the wet towel covering you while you sleep advice.. works a treat) also not having to navigate 200m to the bathroom at night through the snake infested grass (dont tell Sach, there were two snakes lurking last time i went) certainly is a big plus. Oh, and not bumping into the wild elephant in the middle of the night, that likes to munch the grass in the NTNC grounds (apparently v v dangerous).

I'm still only in a room with a fan, but cooler than the oven i was in at the NTNC, hopefully I can move in a few more days into a room with A/C... that will be real luxury.

So i have a jolly 10mins walk through the blistering heat to get to work and back, past a field of marijuana! which apparently grows here like a weed..

closer...

But i have discovered the 'Spot' for watching the sun go down.. a collection of what you might call beach bars that are on the edge of the river, with a beautiful view over into the national park, and the setting sun (see below)

Also today was the official start of my survey, we have it written in english and nepalese and Rajesh (spelling now correct) came and picked me up at 7am. we did 10 questionnaires before it got too hot and had to stop at about 11:30! crazy crazy heat!

this is us doing the questionnaire, and the kind of livestock management practices in place here. This is standard. (anyone with a cow is very rich, anybody with 2 cows is... a liar. its usually a buffalo!

and this is how we get around! me riding pillion on the back of the motorcycle...(no helmet yet for me, but that is coming tomorrow). We manage about 10mph max put put putting along, swerving between domesticated buffalo and tractors and carts being pulled by cows... on really basic dirt tracks)

this is me escaping the heat, writing my report over lunch!!