I was told that there are also over 100 local languages spoken
across the country, but they are starting to die out as young people
communicate primarily in Nepali and English. I keep thinking about how much fun it would be to speak a language that is only understood by such a select number of people worldwide. I could travel with my friends and talk about people without them understanding a word of our conversation.
2) Dates
I opened the newspaper one morning and saw an advertisement for
an event in the year 2070...
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| Time to get out your 2070 planner! |
I’m sure people do not plan their social lives 55 years in
advance, so I asked about it and learned that Nepal follows a lunar
calendar.
Fortunately for me, there is a
website that will convert dates from Nepali to the Gregorian calendar.
I’m thinking I should embrace the culture and
start celebrating my Nepali birthday in addition to my Gregorian birthday.
3) People
Unlike neighboring India, the locals do not have a
consistent “look”.
Some people have more
Asian characteristics while others look more Indian, which makes it somewhat
difficult to look at someone and say that they look distinctively "Nepali".
From a personality perspective, most people seemed to be very serious at
work, and they don’t joke around with each other like Americans and
Europeans do with their colleagues.
Despite the serious approach to working, everyone I met was graciously
hospitable and eager to assist whenever they were called upon.
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| A shopkeeper quietly awaits his next sale |
Most women wear western-style clothing and men wore a lot of
athletic attire. North Face seems to be
the brand of choice, but don’t get confused about authenticity - there are many
“label shops” that can brand generic clothing to whatever people request.
4) Air Pollution
Air pollution in Kathmandu is among the worst I have ever
experienced, which is ironic for country known for its outdoor activities. The majority of people justifiably wear facemasks as they
walk or drive through the city. I honestly
could not even roll down the car window without feeling like I would be sick
from the fumes.
5) Tourism
The area of Thamel is home to most tourists who are stopping
in Kathmandu.
It is lined with shops,
which mostly sell various souvenirs and sporting gear.
The one thing I will remember most about
Thamel is the overwhelming number of signs lining the roads.
This reminded me of a less
cosmopolitan version of Japan – especially since commercial space extended to
the upper-floors of each building.
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| Signs everywhere in Thamel |
We went to Thamel one evening for window-shopping, but I had no desire to stay long because the roads are narrow
(with no sidewalks) and pedestrians have to constantly be aware of rogue
motorbikes speeding past them. Unlike
some parts of Asia, there are a lot of foreign tourists around, so I did
not look or feel so out of place.
6) Hotel
I was thrilled to see that the mayhem of the city streets
does not extend beyond the gates of my hotel.
Once you
enter the resort grounds, it feels like a Nepalese palace.
The hotel has a 1,600-meter
running trail through the gardens, outdoor terraces for dining, tennis courts,
and beautiful pools.
It almost feels
too extravagant for the hotel to have so much land while local people live in such
cramped quarters.
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| Here's the view from my room |
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| Hard to believe this hotel is near the center of a city |
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| Great place to enjoy al-fresco dining in mid-March |
7) Food
Sorry to say but Nepali food is terrible and I have no
desire to revisit any of the culinary “delights” I was served over the past two
weeks (except maybe yak cheese). The most common local dish is a
runny lentil “soup”, which is poured over rice. There also seemed to be a lot of curry-spiced
potato (which I refused to try) and mystery meat that is literally impossible
to chew.
The most famous Nepali food is called “momo”, which is
basically a loosely filled dumpling, served with a tomato and garlic sauce and
eaten with a fork (no chopsticks). Aside
from the scary food that made me sick in the mountains, momos were the only
thing I was willing to try whenever I ate with people outside the hotel. Next time I go to Nepal, I will most
definitely be bringing energy bars with me!
8) Religion
I was surprised to hear that the majority of the population
of Nepal is Hindu, considering that Buddhist prayer flags and temples (“stupa”)
are so prominent in the city. I even saw
a lot of Buddhist monks walking around with their easily distinguishable
robes. I learned that temples in Nepal are often
shared by both religions, which explains why the Muslim population is not so
evident to tourists like me.
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| Prayer flags proudly displayed around Kathmandu |
Just a short walk from my hotel was a large stupa that was
constantly filled with people. They walk around the base of the temple in a clockwise direction, spinning the
wheels and burning incense. Some enter the temple to pray but the majority just continue walking around in circles.
