On our first day in Nepal we knew that two months would not be enough. Straight away we decided we would be able to use our full three month visa. We instantly liked the friendly Nepali. We also knew there would be plenty to keep us busy in the Himalayas and Nepal is very affordable. In between trekking we split our time between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Our three visits to Kathamandu could not be avoided. We preferred spending our time in Pokhara. It took us a few months but we finally figured out a few important things to consider while traveling/living in Nepal.
Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, is insanely smoggy, dusty, loud and dirty. We stayed in Thamel, the fake gear mecca of Nepal. Tour agencies are a dime a dozen. While there we visited the Swayambhu Stupa (monkey temple) and Bouddhanath Stupa, two important Budhist monastaries. Durbar square is the home of Kumari the Living Goddess. The Pashupatinath was the first cremation site we have visited. If you can get past the pedal-rickshaws, motorbikes and touts there are several interesting sites in Kathmandu but a few days in the city is more than enough.
Pokhara is a lovely lakeside town and a breath of fresh air after Kathmandu. We spent over a month there eating and recovering from our Everest and Annapurna treks. Parker and I both lost weight from the exertion and the cold. Sunny Pokhara is laid back and has plenty to do. It's the hub for the Annapurna treks. There are also many day walks, biking and paddling. Pokhara is popular with paragliders who stay for a month or longer. It was nice seeing the same faces for a few weeks and we made some really good friends.
In Pokhara I spent a few hours a day in Tarah's shop. She is the owner of Chetana Women's Skill Developement Project. She operates a two year program where she teaches women how to weave and make purses, mats and other crafts. The vast majority of Nepal still uses the caste system. Tarah is of a higher caste and women she hires are of a lower caste. She does not care for the caste system. I did random tasks and put my awesome selling skills to good use. I informed the customers of Tarah's mission and on downtime I taught the girls English. On my last day we made a cute little ragdoll in the likenes off my three nieces.
After a month or so we figured out a few things to key things to make us more comfortable in our daily living and developed a routine. In Nepal there is no central heat/air. So first, sunlight was king. Sunshine to heat up our room made all the difference in the world. Second, we had to time things around the power schedule. Blackouts are common in Nepal but by our last month the country was down to 12 hours of electricity a day. If our room did not have an emergency light we used candles and our headlamps. Next, solar showers were tricky. We had to wait until 3pm for the sun to warm up the water. Finally, restaurants are also open air so we chose our restaurants wisely. Not only did Zinnia Fans have the best breakfast but it also had direct morning sun. In the evening we chose restaurants based on availability of seats next to the open fire.
We were lucky at the end of our stay to rent our friend Iona's flat while she was away. We had an awesome patio and a place to call home for a bit. Finally, we were able to have a routine. Our hotel said that we were no longer guest, we were family. People around town knew us and we were not hassled to by souvenirs anymore. We had our favorite grocery store, internet cafe and grocery store.
We came to Nepal to play around in the Himalayas but will be coming back because of the friendly Nepali. I loved that they were totally convinced I was from Nepal. They said I was their sister and Parker was their brother-in-law. The country's unstable government and political unrest has kept travelers away. In our time there we did not feel in anyway unsafe or threatend. The country needs tourism and they are very welcoming. It's easy to see why "Nepal Naturally, Once is not Enough" is the county's motto. No one visits just once. We already know what treks we will do on our next visit.
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