10 Fun Facts About Nepal
#1 You can’t just “go to base camp at
Everest.� I wondered why we kept getting laughed at when we would
ask about going to base camp…then I found out that in order to get
there, you must fly to a remote village and then trek 12 days,
acclimatizing yourself on the way. Did I mention all I have in the
trekking gear department is a pair of worn-out tennis shoes, some
short sleeve shirts, a pair of blue jeans, and a stinky Nalgene?
Also, the trek comes with a hefty price tag of around $2,000! Guess
we’ll have to settle with “I’ve been close.â€�
2. Automobile horns are a great way to
express yourself creatively. The mini-bus horns here are whole
strings of notes, which when waking you up 25 times throughout the
night, become a sort-of iPod to the common World Racer. I think I’ll
be disappointed when I get behind the wheel of my car back home and
press the horn to only hear a boring monotone blaring.
3. Eyeliner is IN! It’s become a
cultural norm for mother’s to don their babies/small children (both
boys and girls) in heavy amounts of eye liner. If you’ve never seen a
3-month old that reminds you of the lead singer of Green Day, come to
Nepal!
4. America is NOT the only place with
funnel-cakes! They sell these deep fried, funnel-cake-looking
scrumptious bites all over the place. They are crunchy, unlike its
American cousin, soaked in sugar water to infuse the sweetness
factor, and are every bit as horrible for you as the fair fare back
home.
5. Electricity is on? SWEET! Nepal has
developed a system called “load shedding” which, in
essence, is its answer to a crappy infrastructure that has not been
able to withstand the addition of millions of people using electrical
devices, thus leaving the city on a scheduled electricity regimen. On
an average day you get 2-3 hours in the morning, and then 5-7 hours
at night. But the schedule changes daily, so you’ve always gotta be
on your toes…or just get used to not having it.
6. The Laughing Cow really does exist
in Nepal, because, like it’s southern neighbors, you’re more likely
to find a Baskin Robbins here than a beef burger. Because of the
heavy Hindu population, beef is simply avoided at all costs. Looks
like we won’t be getting our hands on that double cheeseburger until
we venture to Eastern Europe. But for real…there’s a Baskin Robbins
here!
7. Weed is truly a weed. Marijuana
plants grow in gardens, on the side of the road, in ditches, on
mountainsides, pretty much everywhere here. On our way to a leper
colony the other day we found hundreds of the plants alongside the
road.
8. Wear your Saturday best. In Nepal
church is on Saturday and Sunday is the day off. I actually prefer it
this way…who knew?
9. Go ahead and buy that doghouse. We
learned, while visiting a village this month, that tigers are common
visitors at night. The previous night’s victim: a dog.
10. Nepal truly is God’s playground.
The country is absolutely beautiful. The landscapes here are stunning
and leave me simply standing in awe before my mighty maker.
