Bharatpur is a small city within the Chitwan Valley in southern Nepal.
The bus ride here was a harrowing one through narrow, muddy streets winding up and through the mountains. As frightening as it was at points, the scenery was amazing. The mountains here are incredibly green from all of the warmth and rain, and the way people have managed to live within them are impressive.
We passed many little stores and villages on the way, some poorer than others, but all established. I made a friend with an elderly Nepali gentleman who was sitting next to me on the bus. We hardly spoke until I couldn't resist but take out my iphone to take a picture, at which point he asked me where I was from. He helped me through the rest stops and guided me when I couldn't understand the man directing everyone in Nepali.
I was picked up at my stop by the father and mother of the home where I am staying, Bishnu and Tabita. They seem nice, but I haven't been able to interact with them much. The home is a moderate ways walk from the town, but not too far. I have a small “room” in the corner of the first floor, separated from the rest of the beds by a low, wooden wall and sliding wooden door. It's actually quite nice.
The weather here is much warmer and wetter than in Kathmandu, which makes exploring the area a little more difficult. Still, I prefer the quiet villages of Bharatpur over the constant noise and pollution of the big city. Here, I am surrounded be fields spotted with homes and small shops, with forests and mountains as the border. The children have told me that a rhino has been spotted in the evenings at the forest edge.
The sky seems so much bigger here. Without huge buildings to obstruct the horizon, the clouds and stars seem endless.
Samantha Yu, undergraduate student, Environmental Science & Management, UC Davis
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