We Canadians are few

A big long post with hardly any photos

It is quite apparent that the majority of foreign people I meet here are German, French, British and Dutch, with the odd Japanese, Russian and possibly American.  But nothing sounds so sweet as a very particular lilt in speech that indicates that the new friend you are talking to is none other than a good old Canadian.  Admittedly Canadians are a special breed, but we number very few here in Nepal and I started to wonder why.

Why is such an outdoorsy, adventuresome group of travellers not here in Nepal, the mecca of trekking and traveller’s trots and truly cheap exchange on the dollar?

Perhaps we are not educated, I conclude.  Perhaps I need to devote a few words to pitching you on coming here in the future.  Even though my breadth of experience in Nepal is limited, I feel I have put in good enough time that I can tell you with certainty, you should come here before things change, or they figure out what they’ve got here and start charging appropriately for it.

Just 'cause its cheap, doesn't mean someone ain't paying

On that note, travelling in a developing country is cheap.  Food is cheap. Getting from one place to the next is cheap.  Souvenirs and local clothing are cheap. Your dollar goes a lot further here than it does in Copenhagen, or Barcelona or Paris or Warsaw or any other major city I’ve been to recently.  But beware, there is a social cost to that cheapness though.  I asked a rug dealer in Kathmandu recently, where his rugs were made.  “In my factory!” he proudly exclaimed.  To which I countered, “Yes but are the people happy working in your factory?” and he looked me straight in the eye and unflinchingly replied “Yes of course!” which I barely believed. I googled ‘fair trade rugs’ and found a place in Patan to shop when we’re in Kat next.

But I think it’s a good point to make though, often when things are cheap it means that someone is paying the price for your choices.  Cheap food at a restaurant means low wages, no social safety net for employees and low wholesale prices for farmers.  Cheap souvenirs can mean child labour or really crappy working conditions for those making the goods. So I try and think about that as I go through my days here.

The airfare to get here is certainly expensive, but that’s true when you want to fly anywhere these days, however when you arrive here it’s quite affordable, shall we say, so then what?  Well, Kathmandu is a huge sprawling city that nearly ate me alive, but I’m glad I went there because the capital is often the centre of activity for a country. 

A quick and dirty take on things to do

This time around, the SAARC meetings are happening next week when all the South Asian countries meet to hash out a unified future for their countries.  This has also brought to light some of the social issues in Nepal such as the ill-advised spending of the government.  Why does the government need to spend such a huge and special budget on things that the Village Development Community funds (VDC) or the VAT tax money should be continually updating anyway, just to impress their friends?  I guess, that’s they way things are here for now and this is one of the reasons it’s still a developing country.

But for the average traveller, Kathmandu offers historical and religious sites like Pashiputinath, the oldest Hindu temple, and Kathmandu Durbar Square, or Patan Durbar Square with its ancient architecture or Swayambunath Temple with its monkeys or nearby Bhaktapur or Nagarkot (by hiking or taxi ride) for the sunrise. There’s lots to see and it’s easily accessible if you’re patient and ask a lot of questions—but don’t let that deter you because getting there is half the fun!

After that there are other larger cities that can easily be reached by plane (usually late and a little scary) or bus (less scary, less expensive and a full day) and shows you more of the natural splendor that this country has to offer.  Most people head to Pokhara as a launching pad for trekking on the Anapurna mountain range and a plethora of famous treks.  Palpa (aka Tansen), where we were this week is considered ‘off the beaten path’ has a little less to offer as a city, but some pretty manageable ‘walks’ that don’t require a bunch of gear and overnight commitments.

Lumbini being close to the Indian border is a destination for pilgrims and school trips alike.  It’s also located in the Terai region, which is astonishingly flat compared to the hilly region of Kathmandu and Pokhara.  After spending 6 weeks in the hills, it’s really, really flat and the agriculture is evidently different (you’ll see why when you get there).

Insight on the people

And what else?  Nepal wears its culture on its sleeve while quietly keeping the integrity of the everyday life of its people a little discreet.  Home life is different than Canada or western culture.  Most marriages here are arranged marriages rather than love marriages.  Families with similar outlooks often strike a deal to marry their children who are probably compatible but mostly ‘family-culture’ compatible.  The couple most often moves into the home of the groom’s family, where he possibly grew up, and the wife often is subject to the mother in law as well as the males of the household. 

There is quite a lot of literature specifically looking at this dynamic, whereby women in many developing countries with arranged marriages are always on the bottom:  as girls, as brides, and then as wives (for more accessible reading on this look up “Unequal Citizens: Gender, Caste, and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal” and other papers written or managed by Dr. Lynn Bennett).  It is only after the mother in-law passes on that the girl then grows up and takes over her own household when her children marry she can be in charge of the incoming bride.  She essentially spends her life waiting for the power to shift in her favour, so when it finally arrives, who can blame her for taking advantage?

The long standing expectation for women and men here in Nepal is you will marry whom your parents choose, do the bidding of the household, later bear children, and carry on the cycle after the previous generation passes on.  It’s a scary prospect for some young women, who are either influenced by western culture, or by the notion that perhaps a bit more choice in their own destiny should be allowed.  Its also a strong part of the social culture here, and this approach to marriage is not to be underestimated in its importance to broader society, no matter which role they are playing in its construct.  The literature I have read only sometimes touches on how important the integration of two distinct families is in a broader societal sense, and as such we can sometimes walk away with a one sided, western-driven view of it all.

Either way you cut the pie, marriage is a commitment of two people for life, and the current divorce rates in western marriages would certainly stand to say that its not a perfect system we have developed by any means.

Wrapping it up

While I do avoid going out at night, it’s mainly because I am a solo traveller wary of the dark when nightlife happens with alcohol and emboldened men and children working in dubious trades—it’s just not my scene. But overall I feel safe moving around and I often see people with their kids on vacation here.  I really enjoy the simplicity of village life that is easily observed: the early morning feeding of goats and buffalo; the hand crank fans used to clean the chaff from rice grain; women washing their hair at a roadside fountain, always dressed in brightly coloured clothing, muted colours not being preferred at all in Nepal because that simply wouldn’t suit their dispositions.

While I am not sure I did this sales pitch justice, I will conclude by saying I definitely recommend you visit Nepal because its much more accessible than you would think. The climate is ideal, the people are open and friendly, and if you play your cards right, you probably won’t come down with the trots at all, or at least not that badly anyway.