Nepal is one of the most spectacular countries on earth, inhabited by
the most friendly and endearing people. (pic below right; Mtn
Hindu Temple) For a country that lies 800
kilometres
from the sea, it has a scenic and altitudinal variety that is quite unrivalled.
It contains the highest mountains in the world, thundering rivers, magical
mountain forests and dense lowland jungles. The Kathmandu Valley - once the bed
of a large and ancient lake - is now a colorful mosaic of rice paddies and
quaint farmhouses surrounded by high forested hills supporting a fabulous range
of exotic bird and mammal species including monkeys, Muntjac, Jungle Cat,
Leopard and even Tiger. The bustling capital city combines medieval and modern
in unique fashion and visitors will be fascinated by the beautiful pagoda-style
Hindu temples, Buddhist stupas and elaborate royal palaces. The trekking
opportunities to be found in Nepal are unrivalled. The majestic Himalaya range
contains eight of the world's highest mountains, culminating in Mount Everest, (below
pic). Walking through magnificent forests of oak and rhododendrons
beneath the towering white summits, one can understand why some claim this to be
the most beautiful place on the planet.
Nepal Travel Network
If visiting Nepal for the first time or if you've enjoyed all this
fabulous country has to offer many times...it is and will remain an
overwhelming experience. Visitors must expect the unexpected and not
develop any specific attitude before taking the time to get out and
see and feel what is Nepal. Everyone will have some level of culture shock,
which is expected, and yes the air is quite thin and there is also a
high level of smog and pollution, but there is also excitement,
great adventures with endless trekking and tours that one can not
experience anywhere else in the world.
The country is a very religious one with thousands of Gods, rituals
and streets with strange names and many with none at all. Mountain
people, valley people a mix of international tourists and a flair
for living that engulfs everyone. Be prepared to be amazed and
confused at the same time and while challenging...Nepal is time
immersed while in transition from a long ago era to the modern and
visitors must be willing to immerse in this
cultural crossroads that is Nepal. Before arriving learn as much
about the country as possible and develop somewhat of a plan as to
what you want to gain from the trip. Our postings is to assist you
by providing a general information base of what to see and do and
what to expect in and of Nepal.
Everyone coming to Nepal desires to explore this stunning country
and climb every mountain, but this is not for everyone, as trekking
in Nepal is hard, tedious and at times...dangerous. Nothing is easy
there, especially when it comes to long and arduous trekking. Yes,
there are countless guides, agencies and pretty much anyone on the
street that will be more than anxious to give you false assurances,
while leading you around a country you know nothing or very little
about. Do not let anyone tell you it is easy to hike from Kathmandu
to the base camp of Mt. Everest...its one of the most difficult
treks in the world and takes up to 15 days. I'm definitely not
saying it's impossible, as hundreds do it each week, but it is also
definitely not something a person can take lightly.
There a few really good and very professional guide agencies in the
capital and we have heard good things about a few, one is
Nepal Visitors and one we befriended
during our long stay in Nepal...The Himalayan
Abode Travelers & Tours. LTD. Their email is;
himalayanabode@hlink.com.np. Tell them Mike Smith from
Travelers Digest referred them and receive a pretty good discount
and most assuredly...excellent service.
There is an endless of activities in
Nepal
Including; Local visits to the many temples; watching a human
cremation on the river banks, crying at the animal sacrifices, being in awe of
the painted holy men, feeling sadness at the level of poverty of the old people
waiting to die in the areas many Hospices, but always being appreciative of
having the opportunity to experience Nepal. For the adventurous and those in
good shape there are endless arrays of trekking,
rafting, adventure
biking,
short and long expeditions,
peak climbing, mountaineering,
and safaris.
Lodging;
The capital city itself is abode
with hotels and hostels and prices range from $5 USD per night to several
hundred. Choose carefully, as most are cramped, dirty, hot, no air-cons and a
rare few have elevators. Along with the daily and nightly blackouts...this can
be hazardous to say the lease. Taxis fares, like every where in Asia, vary
immensely and remaining firm, but polite, is crucial when dealing with them.
Always agree on the fare before getting in...When dining, especially after being
witness to their animal slaughters and lack of cleanliness, I highly recommend
sticking to eating meatless dishes, fruits and lots of veggies.
Myths
and Mountain Trails. There are companies offers up
to 16 treks
from the capital; which can be from short excursions into the foothills to the
more demanding challenges
of the large snow peaks. Nepal
is know and widely appreciated as a trekkers heaven and is besieged
with some of the most spectacular
adventure hiking in the world.
The local agencies offer
small or large group adventures, culture tours and vacations in Nepal,
including sightseeing tour in Kathmandu, Pokhara,
(my most favorite Nepalese city) Patan and Bhaktapur and also offer Annapurna
Expedition, Dhaulagiri Expedition, including the most arduous and
challenging Everest Expedition Kanchenjunga
Climbing, Langtang & Ganesh himal, Makalu Expeditions, Manaslu
Expedition...and more!
Adventure
Rafting
Nepal is also one of the best destinations in the world for white water rafting
and kayaking. Agencies, such as; Drift Nepal operates adventure rafting activities in
Nepal, Trishuli river, Kali Gandaki river, Sun Koshi river, Bhote
Koshi river, Marshyangdi river, Marsyangdi river, Seti river,
Karnali river, Arun river, Tamur river, Bheri river, Seti river,
budhi Gandaki river, Modhi Khola river, etc. In addutuin, they can
provide expeditions,
climbing, tours, hiking, wildlife safari, rafting & a pilgrimage
to Mt. Kailash.
Nepal Handicrafts.
Nepal 1 Craft Centre is
a small conglomeration of companies manufacturing and export high quality products,
such as products made from;
Felt, Garment Wool, Glass Pipes, Yarns and Cotton Products. They
export at
wholesale prices around the world. Their products are
environmentally friendly and do not contribute to deforestation and in fact
help reduce it. Their unique products are a high standard of
quality and are
assued to be 100% free of child labor.
Enjoying
all of Nepal.
As a guest to this beautiful country you are welcome to trek among the
world's highest mountains, along ancient trails, or just roam the
miles of shops and vendors while encountering the warmth and
generosity of the Nepali people. The land is bathed in culture,
warmth and generosity, and the people are as diverse as the planet
itself...city dwellers, valley, farmers & mountain tribes, such as
the Ghurkas, which are selected as soldiers in the British military,
and may I add...with a reputation at being very competent warriors.
Nepal is a country somewhat suspended in time and is positively
unforgettable...just remember you are a guest and be respectful.
Next stop
India?
Obtaining An Indian Visa in Kathmandu is a nightmare
On the 6th of April I headed to the India Embassy in the
heart of Kathmandu at what I considered early; 8:AM, but not knowing their
screwed non functioning system of immigration procedures....I was soon quite
surprised. There were close to 80 people from around the globe lined up at the
gate. They were sitting, singing, playing guitars, smoking, sipping bottles of
water and laying around in such a way as to appear they had been there all
night. There was a Nepalese police check point in front of the heavily gated
compound, which seemed to be somewhat of a focal point, so I ventured over and
began a conversation with one of the middle-aged guards. We chatted about many
things, but nothing was ever mentioned that I would need a number to get into
the compound.
The gate was due to open at 9:am allowing the flood of people
into the group of old shady buildings where they issued the Visas. Again...not
to be. It was nearly 10:AM when they decided to let us in, I shouldn't say we,
as I soon learned that without a number...you didn't get in. As the herd of
pushy and belligerent people piled up in uncontrolled chaos a young and really
obnoxious guard starting shouting and manhandling people to get in 2 separate
lines. Not knowing where to stand, but wanting to be as near the front as
possible...I was one such person that got quite firmly pushed by the guard. I
have never allowed anyone to put their hands on me in any form of aggression and
this was not to be my first. Turning back to face the man I told him to keep his
hands off of me. I try always to be polite, but there are exceptions and this
was one of them. We had locked eyes for a few brief seconds when the older
guard, that I had befriended, yelled for him to leave me alone. I walked away
and headed in his direction. He explained, somewhat, how the system worked and
informed me that I would need a number. He also added that there were no more
number for the day and I would have to come back at 6;AM tomorrow. Well, to me
that's like pouring whiskey on an open wound...it may help, but it still hurts
like hell, so I firmly asked if there was some way he could get me through the
gates, as I was scheduled to leave the city in a few days. So...he did.
He actually put me in front of a whole lot of others,
incurring their anger, but that I could deal with, as long as I got my damn
Visa. Piling in and going through a metal scanner I followed others over to an
old depilated concrete building. I quickly noticed that there only two small
windows where the agents actually dealt with the people and both were closed. To
me, while not surprising, was still annoying and I pondered why the USA and
Europe move their industries to India when it was apparent they were not
sufficient in even dealing with what should be a simply issuance of Visas. Total
chaos seems to be somewhat a mild word in describing this mess. I got in line
behind about 30 or so people and started a conversation with a couple of
men...one from Amsterdam and another from Texas. As the minutes turned into
hours all the while the line had been creeping toward the small window with the
Indian man in a tired grey suite. It seemed to be a one-man operation and I
couldn't help but ponder if India was broke or just uncaringly callous in not
being able to staff the embassy? One or both...it still adds up to being
ridiculous.
While in line I filled out their form, but unknowingly, as
there was no information posted anywhere, I had filled out the form with my only
pen, which happened to have blue ink. That was not acceptable I was bluntly
informed, so holding my place in line I asked for another form...there was no
more!!!. A lady behind me handed me an extra form she had and a man further
behind gave me his pen with black ink. I hurriedly filled it out and received
yet another form from the India agent to hand to the next window. This form was
an invoice to pay a fee for them to fax my personal details back to my home
country, the USA, for verification that I was not a terrorism or whatever. In my
25 years of globe trotting...this was definitely a first. Knowing my country I
also knew this was bogus, as why would the USA hire hundreds of additional staff
to sort out the countless annual faxes received from Indian Embassies around the
world without compensation? The answer...they wouldn't. So this was just another
totally uncalled for delay and means of generating even more revenue. The man
took my money and said to come back in 5 days, which was on a Friday, the 11th
of April, a day after Nepal's first-ever election. Coming back at 7:AM on Friday
the lines were shorter and in 3 hours I had my Visa. It was not, however, the 6
month Visa I had applied for, but was for 4 months. When asking why I was told
that my country had not replied to the faxed inquiry about my personal record.
That was no surprise as I knew full well no fax had ever been sent!!!
Read -
Our March-April 2008 Kathmandu Review
&
Pokhara
Info
& Pokhara Review
