Dear Vic,
This one goes out to you as I know it will guarantee the best reaction of disbelief and disgust.
1. Spitting
EVERYONE spits in Nepal. One morning I was even woken up to the guttural sounds of someone hawking up a fresh one. More than once I have seen a lovely looking Nepalese woman on the street and thought, "Aw she is very pretty AND THERE IT GOES...". Spitting - totally unavoidable. The worst thing about it is that everyone in Nepal has a perpetual cough and I THINK it's because the dust picks up the spit particles and blows in back it our/my face. Yummy.
2. Cows
Cows are gods. No seriously, Hindus believe that the cow is a sacred animal and it cannot be harmed or killed. Doing so can bring about a greater punishment than killing a human being. For this reason cows are super blasé and lie down in the middle of peak hour traffic and enjoy their godly status.
3. Miscellaneous (toxic) Burning Rubbish
Your lungs don't like you here. Apart from the dust, spit and smog there are casual piles of burning rubbish with an assortment of toxic goodies. I've seen burning plastic, aluminium cans, lolly wrappers and other nasties. You can find these smoking piles of death burning on your local shop front and major roads (nice healthy touch as we walk the kids to school).
4. Dog balls. Balls of dogs.
This one goes out to you as I know it will guarantee the best reaction of disbelief and disgust.
1. Spitting
EVERYONE spits in Nepal. One morning I was even woken up to the guttural sounds of someone hawking up a fresh one. More than once I have seen a lovely looking Nepalese woman on the street and thought, "Aw she is very pretty AND THERE IT GOES...". Spitting - totally unavoidable. The worst thing about it is that everyone in Nepal has a perpetual cough and I THINK it's because the dust picks up the spit particles and blows in back it our/my face. Yummy.
2. Cows
Cows are gods. No seriously, Hindus believe that the cow is a sacred animal and it cannot be harmed or killed. Doing so can bring about a greater punishment than killing a human being. For this reason cows are super blasé and lie down in the middle of peak hour traffic and enjoy their godly status.
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| Cow chilling in Katmandu Traffic |
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| A WHADDUP COWS?! |
Your lungs don't like you here. Apart from the dust, spit and smog there are casual piles of burning rubbish with an assortment of toxic goodies. I've seen burning plastic, aluminium cans, lolly wrappers and other nasties. You can find these smoking piles of death burning on your local shop front and major roads (nice healthy touch as we walk the kids to school).
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| Here is an exemplar for you. |
Don't be mislead by the title. See below for full explanation.
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| Here is one. I've also noticed that almost all the dogs in Nepal look the same! |
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| And again. This dog lived/slept outside my accommodation. I don't think I ever saw this bastard awake during the day. |
5. Questionable Construction Practices
I don't think there are any safety standards in Nepal. Nobody wears safety gear and cows, dogs and ducks wander in and out of building sites. Similarly, on the way to Pokhara (a 7 hours bus ride through the mountains) I have seen workmen shoveling in the middle of the road as buses, cars and motorbikes weave in and out of them. Yay for being casual about life.
6. Squat Toilets
No matter how hard you try, you will encounter le squat. Let's be honest, your bowels dictate the course of a day in Nepal. Work dem quad muscles!
7. The constant feeling of impending death by vehicle.
Traffic in Nepal. I have no words. There are no road rules. Feel free to blast your horn as much as possible and don't forget to roar down a one way road despite oncoming traffic. Don't forget to pack 4 times the recommended number of people into car, bus and motorcycle. Good luck!
8. Namaste
Namaste translates to, "Hello, Greetings, I bless the Divine in you" and is used everywhere. Nepalese people are very friendly, polite and love when travelers engage in conversation. It is especially cute when little kids greet you with their palms together!
9. Blackouts
So this happens 'erreday. Blackouts are a daily occurrence (roughly 2am-9am and 6pm to 10pm) due to an excess of demand on the power system. You can even download an iPhone application that tells you exactly when the scheduled blackouts will be on!
10. Strikes
Nepal is currently experiencing political upheaval as the current Prime Minister holds too much power (or something or rather) and the people are striking to show protest. Unlucky for me, a strike was in progress the day I arrive in Kathmandu. Apparently strikes are very common and my guide laughingly referred to them as a 'national holidays'. This meant that my drive from the airport to the guest house was... interesting. At one point, my driver got out of our tiny van in the middle of a busy intersection and walked off to find directions. Keys left in the ignition of course. During this time I was mentally preparing myself should I need to 'King Hit'' an untouchable should they try to highjack the car. Crisis averted obviously!
So Vic, wanna go?! ;P
Much love,
M
Traffic in Nepal. I have no words. There are no road rules. Feel free to blast your horn as much as possible and don't forget to roar down a one way road despite oncoming traffic. Don't forget to pack 4 times the recommended number of people into car, bus and motorcycle. Good luck!
8. Namaste
Namaste translates to, "Hello, Greetings, I bless the Divine in you" and is used everywhere. Nepalese people are very friendly, polite and love when travelers engage in conversation. It is especially cute when little kids greet you with their palms together!
9. Blackouts
So this happens 'erreday. Blackouts are a daily occurrence (roughly 2am-9am and 6pm to 10pm) due to an excess of demand on the power system. You can even download an iPhone application that tells you exactly when the scheduled blackouts will be on!
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| You can see why they have outages. This is unbelievable! |
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| Pete and I eating by candle light in a restaurant on our first night in Pokhara. |
Nepal is currently experiencing political upheaval as the current Prime Minister holds too much power (or something or rather) and the people are striking to show protest. Unlucky for me, a strike was in progress the day I arrive in Kathmandu. Apparently strikes are very common and my guide laughingly referred to them as a 'national holidays'. This meant that my drive from the airport to the guest house was... interesting. At one point, my driver got out of our tiny van in the middle of a busy intersection and walked off to find directions. Keys left in the ignition of course. During this time I was mentally preparing myself should I need to 'King Hit'' an untouchable should they try to highjack the car. Crisis averted obviously!
So Vic, wanna go?! ;P
Much love,
M
