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climate was perfect, the landscapes were breathtaking, the locals
were extremely warm and friendly (on par with Sri Lanka, Thailand,
and Cambodia), drivers used their horns only sparingly, there were
virtually no beggars, and the touts, rickshaw drivers, and
shopkeepers didn't endlessly harass us.
opportunities are unparalleled. But you’ll find all sorts of people here: aging hippies,
dreadlocked backpackers, couples well into their sixties, etc. We stayed mostly in Thamel,
the main traveler's hangount. Thamel is a quaint town, crowded with all sorts of shops,
guesthouses, restaurant and bars. Its narrow and windy streets are bracketed by narrow
buildings many stories high, eventually spilling out into small squares (making it feel a little like
an Italian hill town).
Dipendra gunned down the “beloved” King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya and eight other members of the Royal
Family before turning the gun on himself. Why? Because the King threatened to give the crown to Dipendra’s
younger brother if Dipendra married his “unsuitable” girlfriend. The massacre sent shockwaves through this small
country, and the tumultuous aftermath included: a) internal strife between the prime minister and new king (King
Gyanedra, who was fortuitously out of the country at the time of the massacre); b) a disruptive uptick in the Maoist
insurgency; and, more recently, c) King Gyanedra’s unconstitutional dissolution of the government and suspension
of all civil rights. As bad as all of this sounds—and is—the State Department stern travel warning seems overly
cautious (and might help explain why we met only one other American while here). Although the Maoists will
“request a donation” if you travel through their area, and your travel plans may be disrupted if they call a strike
while you’re in their area, there appears to be little danger (at this point, at least) of physical harm (certainly no
more than crossing the street anywhere in India or southeast Asia).
upon the annual Rato Machhendranath Festival. In an attempt to appease the rain gods, the town’s
men drag towering chariots of pine trunks precariously balanced chariots through Patan’s narrow
streets. The streets were completely packed (99% locals) and it was quite rowdy.
a public cremation (top right) were taking place (both according to Hindu tradition). Note the body
wrapped in white fabric to the right of the smoking funeral pyres (this place did not smell good).
match, in which Krygyzstan dominated
Tajikistan 3-0 (Nepal was tragically
eliminated in the semi-final). The crown
prince was in attendance, and when he
stood up—presumably just to use the
bathroom--the announcer would announce
something over the P.A., and the entire
crowd would immediately jump to their feet
and reverently turn their attention to the
Crown Prince, completely ignoring the
ongoing game.
to recite all sorts of trivia. Several kids have
impressed me with their ability to name the
capital of every country, and these kids
(pictured) were especially adept at naming
American movie stars and musicians.
We went on an overnight river rafting trek down the Bohte Kosi river, hailed by the Lonely Planet as one
of the best raft trips anywhere in the world. It was a great river, and we had a lot of fun with the Dutch,
Danes, Israelis, and Brits in our group.
guys revealed their passion for milkshakes)
We wrapped up Nepal with a two-night, three-day trek through Nargarkot and Dhulikhel. I hesitate to use
the word “trek” for something less than a week, but since my legs are exhausted, I was forced to wake
up at ungodly hours, and we saw the Himalayas, it counts. The scenery was spectacular.
And I witnessed humans de-licing each other.
(my photos don't do it justice)
Area: 140,800 sq km
Population: 26.46 million
People: Newars, Thakalis, Tibetans,
Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais,
Limbus, Sherpas, Bahuns, Chhetris, Tharus
Language: English, Nepali
Religion: 90% Hindu, 5% Buddhist, 3%
Muslim, 2% other
Government: parliamentary democracy and
constitutional monarchy
Head of State: King Gyanendra Bir Bikram
Shah Deva
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sher
Bahadur Deuba
GDP: US$27.4 billion
GDP per capita: US$1,100
Annual Growth: 6%
Inflation: 2.1%
Major Industries: Tourism, carpet, textile,
small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills,
cigarettes, cement & brick production, rice,
corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk,
water buffalo meat
Major Trading Partners: India, US, Germany,
UK, Singapore, Japan