Wild Nepal

Last night, I opened the bedroom door to visit the toilet. I gripped my torchlight ready to face off cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, caterpillars, ants or grasshoppers. But, instead, I found a tiny frog leaping repeatedly up at the door. Every day, it seems, I discover some new, bizarre wonder hiding in these remote Nepalese hills.

There are so many species of birds yet to identify and far more insects than I care to hang around with. There are plants for all kinds of remedies and one that closes its leaves upon being stroked. This is named the Do Not Touch Me plant or the Namaste plant because it resembles the palm to palm gesture that accompanies Nepalese greetings.

I mostly find all new discoveries really exciting, even the earthworm, to the point that my Nepalese counterparts will point to a cockroach or ant and squeal ‘ooh, so cute!’ in mockery of me.

They were amazed when I picked up a frog and they point blank refuse to let me near the lizards that roam the walls. Apparently, these are poisonous. Red ants, however, are supposedly good for your eyesight. But they draw blood when they bite me!

Then there’s the livestock which is equally vicious. I have a bruise the length of my thigh from a moody cow because I didn’t get out of its way swiftly enough! (The offender is on the left.)

The absolute highlight (so far) has been the eagle that flies through the valley and directly over our host home. It flies so low that I can see the individual feathers in its wings and hear it’s thrilling cry.

#explore #wildlife #travelwriting #outside #Photography #wanderlust #Wild #Asia #nature #adventure #Nepal