I Heart Nepal

I would just like to take a moment to say how much I love Nepal. It might be my favorite place. Coming to Nepal from India was like a breath of fresh air. After a typical train experience; delayed for 7 hours in India, the usual crowd of men staring at us, cockroaches, just an unpleasant experience, we arrived at the hotel near to the border. This room had a rat and 4 huge cockroaches so we switched to one that only had some sort of suspicious blood/puke/shit stain on the wall, a clogged toilet and sheets with pubic hair that had not been changed it weeks.
From there was the bus to the border. I have never been so happy to be 5 feet tall, for that bus ride it all seemed worth it because I was the only one who could remotely fut my knees in., and it was still really uncomfortable for me. But we could tell as soon as we got to the border that things were changing.
The border officials were nice, helpful and kind. It was the easiest border crossing ever. We got into a decent bus and 12 hours later made it to Kathmandu. When we got to our hotel we really were speechless and for anyone who knows Colleen and I that comment is awe striking. Then they gave us toilet paper and our room had a hot shower and bedding and we really almost cried.
Just as a side note, we were a little miffed at the 15 min time difference, bringing the total time difference from my home to 11hrs and 45min, but once we figured out what was going on, it only added to the charm of Nepal.
The guy at the front desk laughed when we told him we came from India and he said that India stands for Id Never Do It Again. Agreed. Our days in Kathmandu were great. The traffic was so much better. The locals were friendly, shop keepers weren't pushy. Everything was more laid back. But I realize it is all about perspective, the people we met that had flown straight to Kathmandu were all a little dazed and thought it was quite chaotic and terrible while all of us from India saw it as a sanctuary.
It was interesting to observe the 11pm curfew the Maoists set for Kathmandu after writing a paper about the situation in college. I love how traveling for me the last year has brought once-seemingly obscure issues to my daily life. I would be interested to learn more, but there is an unspoken rule that you don't talk politics in Nepal. But even hiking in the Himalayas there are the symbols for the Maoist party on buildings. I couldn't get much out of people but after talking for a while if it seemed appropriate I would ask as much as I could.
Granted, most of the people I have been able to talk to in Nepal are quite poor- porters, guides, local people in rural Himalayan villages, but they all seem to feel positive about the Maoist government. The idea is a 10 year plan to redistribute wealth, though how they plan to accomplish this is unclear. Right now they are in the first two year "trial period." The Maoists wan to abolish the caste system. I learned that there are over 80 castes in Nepal, but am conflicted about their rigidity. One man said he think they are becoming more mobile with the influx of technology and media, while another man I met was ostracized by his family for marrying below his caste.
Dhak, a 24 year old man who lives in a rural village in the Himalayas was amazing. I met him while I was hiking up a steep pass. He was carrying a huge load of grass up to his water buffalo. We chatted and since we were staying in his village for the night he invited me to his home later that evening. We got to meet his water buffalo, his mother, and see the crops they are growing on their small plot of land. We went and hung out in his closet-sized bedroom, simple with mud walls covered with newspapers and a few photos. There was nothing else but a radio and bed. He proudly showed me his passport, certificate of completion of a cooking course, his school report cards, and a photo of his beautiful 22 month old daughter.
Dhak was brave for marrying for love and not caste and it cost him dearly. He was beaten bloody by his brothers and told never to come back. A few years have gone by and now he has been allowed back to care for his sick mother. His life seems difficult but he is cheerful, intelligent and funny.
One of my favorite parts about Nepal has been how easy it is to meet locals. They have all been incredibly friendly, curious and intelligent. Everyone I have met has had sense of humor, sarcasm and biting wit that would rival even the most sarcastic Australians or English. Getting a chance to really talk to and see what life is life for some Nepalese has been a highlight of my trip, whether it be an invite home, a chat over a cup of tea, a homemade bottle of wine, or a rest on a steep mountain pass. I feel so lucky to be here.
Even the expats are welcoming. I went to the US embassy to register to vote and to get more pages in my passport again and there were no marines guarding it! Its too bad because in Africa the marines would be so excited to see a girl from the US that it was a guaranteed free dinner, but much less intimidating to enter an embassy without a gun pointing in close proximity to you. The man working there was so incredibly efficient and helpful and even gave us some grandfatherly advice.
I just can't say enough good things about Nepal. (Which is good because right now as I type this later, we are both too sick to leave and have officially overstayed our visas, lets hope they are still nice to us on the way out!) The views are stunning everywhere, the people are nice. It has that exotic feeling to it but also feels safe and familiar. The Himalayas really are all they are hyped up to be. Basically, just love Nepal.