October is for exploring...

So... as I mentioned before, October is THE month for holidays/festivals in Nepal. Something else I noticed? October is high season for the tourists. Which means they are everywhere. Having spent the last week going back and forth between Patan and Thamel (not that close of a distance, but when you've got friends either staying there or working there or meeting up for dinner there, it's hard to say no), I'm definitely over the tourists overrunning the city and the country.

It's been a busy time here in KTM for me lately. Work has definitely picked up, which I'm very excited about. It looks like November could be just as busy, but with no holidays. :) Aside from work, I've been having a lot of fun seeing a little more of the KTM valley area.

Yogi, a coworker of mine, took a bunch of us on a great day hike near his hometown of Bhaktapur (you might have heard about this town in the news because of the recently picked Living Goddess). It was a fun, easy hike with great views of the valley and yay - mountain views! It was nice to get outside and hike and not breathe in KTM air. Whenever I leave KTM, I'm always amazed by how noticeable the difference is in the air. KTM is so polluted and everyone's constantly coughing and spitting (ew). You leave KTM and it's like all of a sudden you can breathe easy. It was nice to go with Yogi, though. He's named the hike Hanging Valley, but it's somewhere between Sangaa and Bhaktapur. He's a great guide and I'm trying to convince him to join me on my Mt Everest Base Camp trek in April (as well as you, Seth!). Here's some pics from the hike.

View of the mountains from our snack spot. Look there! In the clouds... those are mountains!


A Nepali woman harvesting.


Rice and the tiered paddies.


Tiered farming.


The valley we hiked through.


I explored Bhaktapur and Bhaktapur Durbar Square a different day with Natalie, Sam, and Luke (3 Australian friends - Nat and Sam are in Hetauda and Luke was visiting them and came for a trek). Now that I've seen all 3 Durbar Squares (Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur), I have to say that Bhaktapur's is very nice. It's really clean and quiet (or at least more quiet). I love Patan Durbar Square just because it's always bustling with people and it's fun to just people watch there. The four of us were undecided on if we should pay the 750 NRS (approx. $10) or sneak in, but then our crazy taxi driver dropped us right in front of the gate and so there was no chance to sneak in. However, I did get a marriage proposal. A guide who wanted us to use him told me I look Nepali (never gets old, does it?) and that I should "make Nepalese marriage". Luke, being the funny guy he is, asked the guy if he meant I should marry him. Thanks, Luke. And the guide said that he would, but he is too poor to offer me anything... implying that if we paid him to be our guide he'd have enough to marry me. Awesome. Sadly, I am unable to "make Nepalese marriage" since I've already got Gordon back home. Obviously, we chose to do without a guide and left my Nepali would-be fiance back at the main gate. :)

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a great place for photos. Lots of really cool architecture and locals running around doing their thing. Since it's so frequented by tourists (told you... high season, folks), the locals now charge 2 NRS if they see you taking pictures of them. Sam and I discussed the fairness of this and I guess he's right. Would I want randoms taking pictures of me everyday and all day long? I'd probably ask for cash money, too, if people wanted to take pictures of me all the time while I'm just trying to work or something. Or... you can take photos of people while they aren't paying attention, which is what I chose to do because I don't want them to pose or smile at me. So here's some photos of Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

A woman organizing her pottery to sell.


View of Taumadhi Tole with the tallest temple in Nepal - Nyatapola Temple (left).


I think this might be the Siddhi Laxmi Temple with statues of animals along the steps.


A building along Bhaktapur Durbar Square.


A cool statue outside of the National Art Gallery.


Pottery in Potter's Square - these are actually piggy banks.


Women in Potter's Square.


Enjoy... next post will be about Tihar or 3 days of lights and fireworks. :)

Check Rhino Off the List… But Still in Search of That Tiger

So also over Dashain because we were already in the neighborhood, Raj suggested I head over to Chitwan National Park. The park is a major tourist attraction in Nepal (coming after Everest and the other big mountains of course) and apparently THE thing to do in the park is an elephant ride through the jungle. Because I’m technically still a tourist (though don’t tell people… I’d rather they all think I’m Nepali!), of course I would go to the park and ride an elephant.

Without sounding like a guide book, Chitwan has lots of good wildlife-seeing. It’s one of the last refuges for the endangered one-horned Indian rhinoceros. And… it supposedly has tigers, leopards, and other big game animals like sloth bears. I say supposedly because it’s very rare to see any of those animals… which means of course I want to see them. My friend Seth who’s interning in Burkina Faso and I have spent a lot of time discussing the possibility of seeing a tiger (I’ve promised to name the first tiger I see after him). I REALLY want to see a tiger much like my sister Joy REALLY wants to see a bear. So off I went, into the jungle (seriously… it’s a jungle) atop a sad elephant with 3 other people and the mahout (elephant driver) in search of a tiger named Seth.

The elephant ride was jostling 2.5 hour experience through the jungle. I saw deer, peacocks (not sure where they came from), and yay! Rhinos! And… more points because I saw a baby rhino, too! I’m pretty sure the rhinos I saw were the same two throughout the ride, but I’m okay with that. Have you seen a one-horned Indian rhino in the wild? Alright then. :) I’m pretty happy with my elephant ride experience. I would recommend it to all of you who come to Nepal (and visit me… who’s up for it?). Sadly, I did not see a tiger… but I’ve already decided that I’m going back to Chitwan before I leave and I will stay the night in the jungle (it’s like 500 NRS to stay in a wildlife viewing tower overnight) so I can find a tiger. I just want to see one… it’s not like I’ll take it home. This must be what Joy feels like. Grrr.

My rhino sighting(s)


The night before the elephant ride, Raj’s teenage nephew and I took in the Tharu cultural programme. I’m usually not into cultural programmes for tourists as it brings to mind the Growing Pains episodes where they vacationed in Maui and went to that just-for-the-mainlanders-luau. However, the Tharu cultural programme was pretty cool. I’m a sucker for stick dances (tininkling anyone?) and drum beats… and I was taking in by this as well. I think it’s great that the Tharu people are striving to preserve their culture. Sure they are dancing for the tourists, but… the performers are doing traditional dances that might’ve been forgotten otherwise. And come on… a guy was twirling fire! And the crowd was full of mostly Nepali tourists. So again, I’ve rationalized it and I’m okay with it. I'll post videos from the show soon.

Sunset over the Rapti River by the park. Nothing like a cup of tea and a sunset.


Stick Dancing at the Tharu Cultural Programme... they move SO fast!

Let the Festival Begin…

This month has two major Nepali holidays (at the beginning and end of October)… which means the office is closed and I get the chance to get out and explore more of Nepal and learn more about the culture. Last week was Dashain – THE holiday for Nepali people. I was told that it’s comparable to Christmas… but I don’t think so. It’s so much more… but maybe because my family’s Christmas is more about staying up after midnight mass and tearing through presents and sleeping at dawn.

Dashain is a 15-day holiday in late September/early October that celebrates the goddess Durga’s victory over a buffalo demon. So what does that translate into celebration-wise? Animal sacrifices and going home and visiting every relative you have to receive their blessings (with a little cash on the side as well). Most offices and businesses close for the last 7 days of the festival… and that meant one whole week off!

So for Dashain I headed to Chitwan region with my friend Raj to see how Nepalis celebrate Dashain in his hometown of Narayangarh. It’s a 4-hour motorbike ride from KTM to Narayangarh on one of the major highways of Nepal. Raj put his wife and baby on the bus and we headed out on the motorbike in what seemed like a mass exodus from KTM as everyone was heading to their village to celebrate Dashain. The highway was full of buses packed with people headed to the terai (the southern flat plains of Nepal) as most people aren’t from KTM, they just live there to make money. Lucky for Raj and I had the motorbike to speed past (safely, of course) all the buses with the puking-out-the-window women and children, peeing-into-water-source pit stops for men, and broken down buses with stranded travelers alongside the road.

Dashain is a big family affair… so we just hung out at Raj’s house for the most part. They slaughtered a goat (not Raj… he has no desire to do it himself) as a sacrifice… and because Dashain is also a holiday of excess, there’s enough meat for every meal for the week. We watched a lot of television and played with a lot of children (as his family has sprouted kids while still in their late twenties/early thirties). Kids love Dashain because you get new clothes, money, and there’s giant bamboo swings set up all over the place to play on. Seriously… giant.



kids at the swing by the Narayani River


Raj enjoying the swing.


The main event of Dashain, though, is the 10th day – Vijaya Dashami – which begins the marathon family visiting rounds. Everyone goes to visit their elders to receive tika on their forehead – a blessing symbolizing the third and all-seeing/all-knowing eye – which is a mixture of red powder, rice, and yogurt (to make it stick of course). When you receive tika, money is also exchanged (which I didn’t really get, but found very interesting). Sometimes you give money to the elder giving you tika, but then a lot of them gave me money and I didn’t even do anything. I felt bad taking their money… I mean, it’s not my religion, culture, or even my holiday! I was told to just take the money or they would take offense. So I got about 400 NRS (around $5). We started at Raj’s parents’ house and then motorbiked all over Narayangarh and the surrounding villages to sit and chat with his relatives and receive tika. Raj was telling me that on tika day it’s customary to visit all your relatives and accumulate tika by midnight, however because he has so many relatives, he gets 4 days to finish the marathon. That’s 4 days of family time, folks. Plus the 3 days before hanging out with the immediate family. It’s exhausting… and it wasn’t even my family! Can you imagine celebrating Dashain in the US?? It already takes like 14 hours from Boston to my hometown in North Carolina! Not to mention all the relatives out in California! No way.

Me getting tika from Raj's dad.


I was really happy that Raj invited me to his family’s home in Narayangahr. It was great to really get to experience Dashain with Nepalis. His family was so nice to me and so welcoming. They seemed happy to share their culture with me. Kind of makes me regret not living with a Nepali family back here in KTM… then I remember the pros and cons of living with a host family in Uzbekistan.

The ride to and from Narayangahr once again made me so happy to be living here. It was so beautiful. The highway travels alongside a river through the hills back to KTM valley. Here’s some pictures that don’t even do this place justice. You really have to see this place to believe it.

Me, Raj, and his little nephew riding around Narayangahr on Raj's bike.


Morning view from the temple on a hill above Narayangahr


The temple with a queue of all the folks who also hiked up... but for obvious better reasons than mine.



Views from the back of the motorbike on the highway.

Out of the Valley

So a few weeks ago (I know… I haven’t posted in a long time) I had my first real chance to get out of Kathmandu Valley and see the real Nepal. I don’t consider Kathmandu to be “real” Nepal because as it’s the capital it’s already different from the rest of the country and it’s crazy. And you don’t really have to speak Nepali here because most everyone knows enough English to get by. So my first real chance to see Nepal was this trip to Hetauda. I spent a week in Hetauda (Makwanpur district) attending focus groups and meeting up with local producers and listeners of SSMK and Naya Nepal (another EA Nepal radio program that focuses on the political situation of Nepal and how youth can get involved).

First of all… I loved Hetauda. Since it is out of the valley, it already wins major points with me, but there’s just something about the small town feel to it that I really liked. I liked how everything was centralized and easily findable. There was one or two major crossroads… and all shops, markets, internet cafes, and restaurants were along those main roads. In the Lonely Planet guide for Nepal it says that there’s not much to see in Hetauda (true) and that most people only stop there to change buses (also true). But that can be said for any small town in the states. There’s not a lot of foreigners in Hetauda… you could probably count the number on one hand. And I think that’s another reason why I liked it so much there.

Hetauda was just Nepalis living their lives and going about their daily routine. There’s not a pack of tourists roaming the streets looking for western food. Kathmandu is full of places trying to accommodate the westerners because every tourist comes through. Hetauda’s not looking to impress the tourists because there aren’t really any.

The trip really drove home the fact that everyone thinks I’m Nepali. Every local I met in Hetauda automatically assumed I was Nepali… and would speak to me instead of to the other girls with me (an Australian who lives in Hetauda and my French roommate… both of whom speak Nepali well). So I spent a lot of the time having other people or myself explaining that I’m not Nepali (Ma Nepali hoina.). It’s kind of cool, though, you know? I don’t really get harassed as much as I did in Uzbekistan. A few Uzbeks mistook me for Uzbek… but my American clothes definitely gave me away. Here, I’ve started a small collection of kurtas (long, light, dress-like shirts) so what gives me away is my lack of Nepali skills… or at least my embarrassment of how little Nepali I know after 1 month or so of living here.

The best part about the trip? The drive to and from Hetauda. From Kathmandu, it is a 4-hour jeep ride driving on curvy, curvy bumpy roads up and down hills. But it’s all through beautiful hills (what we would call mountains… but since they’ve got the Himalayas which they call mountains, you can see why you’d call these mini-mountains hills!). If I was into the whole religion and god thing I would say that this place is God’s country. I mean everywhere you look is just so beautiful and amazing. Unfortunately… I didn’t take many pictures (or any really at all). I went back to Kathmandu alone… in a jeep full of Nepali men. After living in Uzbekistan and suffering through some roadtrips with sketchy Uzbek men, I’m wary of traveling with all men and drawing more attention to myself by breaking out my camera and acting like a tourist. So I didn’t take out my camera (sorry… but I’m already planning another trip to Hetauda anyway, so I’ll get pictures from that trip).

The trip to Hetauda was just what I needed. After a month of settling in to my new life here and getting over jet lag, sickness (stomach and flu/cold), and just getting used to Kathmandu, a trip out of the valley completely rejuvenated me. I’m much happier (which my roommates have noticed) and am finally ready to enjoy my time here. I’ve been promised at work that I’ll have more field visits… if it’s anything like this trip to Hetauda, I already love my job and my life here. :)