Monday, April 16, 2012

Nature in Nepal-Flowers

Pine Forest just outside the Kathmandu Valley

I love nature here in Nepal. Even in the Kathmandu Valley there are incredibly beautiful places. There are even nice parks with flowers from all over the world. It's hard for someone like me to know which flowers are native to Nepal and which are exotics, so when I'm out enjoying nature I am always looking for familiar flowers and herbs. I even saw tulips in bloom last week and I'm pretty sure they aren't native to Asia.



Here is a field where many people work their own little patch of dirt. I see this view out my window. A few weeks ago the mustard greens were all in bloom and it was so colorful. The people grow various kinds of 'spinach,' cabbage, onion, cauliflower along with some unique edibles. One unique vegetable they grow here is radish, but not like back home. These radishes look like white carrots and they are very spicy. One day a Serpa friend invited me to a bowl of their traditional soup. It was primarily made with radishes and was so hot I couldn't even get a bite down. My friend admitted they had made the soup for themselves so it was a bit hotter than usual.

This little cluster of ground cover looked so familiar although I have no idea of the names. It just reminds me of how small this planet is and how there are really no borders. It's just one lovely home without any lines that divide. I guess that's what I like about seeing these flowers.

Rhododendrons are the national flower and they are very beautiful. I had never seen them growing on the trees before. There is so much wild life everywhere you look in Nepal. Yes, I know it's the same back home, but it just seems so manufactured back home and so natural here. This rhododendron tree was out in the wild. I doubt that anyone actually planted the tree. I imagine that a seed sprouted where the tree now stands.


 There is another plant that I see everywhere here that is seldom destroyed like back home. No, this plant may cause some irritation for the government because in order to get funding from my country I think they have to agree to use the money to destroy the plants, but it is a lost cause. I'm talking about ganja, marijuana, of course. It grows just about everywhere and because Shiva was a big ganja fan when he walked the earth as Shambhu people generally leave it alone. It isn't illegal on Shiva Rotri. You can take a look at my blog post for this celebration for more information. 
Nepal has the most varieties of birds on the planet. Nature is everywhere, familiar and unfamiliar alike. I hope to do a blog post about the birds because I am fascinated with the birds here. If you see no other bird in Nepal you should see the fabulous crows in Nepal. They are more beautiful than the crows in America and the Hindus in Nepal even have a special festival to celebrate the crow. However, it is seen as a harbinger of bad news during the rest of the year. 

Nepal, no matter how you look at it, is just beautiful. You do not have to go trek to Annapurna or Everest to enjoy Nepal's amazing beauty. It's just everywhere.

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

The Royal Kumari

This may be one of the most powerful beings walking among us. I love how the Hindu religion is full of oxymoron. This is one of the most beautiful examples of how this is what is impossible to be. 

You may be wondering what this 'little girl' did to make me so much of a fan. Keep reading because she actually showed me her power on a couple of occasions. 
Kumari Cho
Anyone who has read my book, or even the first chapter, will notice my fascination with the Royal Kumari, the only living goddess on the planet. How I came to the conclusion that this young child is in fact a living, breathing goddess was strange, even for me. I was riding along on my assistant's motorcycle through Darbur Square in Kathmandu. I noticed a figure in the window of the Kumari Cho and just asked myself, 'What is the Kumari? An abused child kept captive?' Just then, like a cosmic download, I understood. I became so fascinated by her that I clapped my hands like a child when I first saw her come to the widow. That was just a little bit embarrassing.

I would go see Kumari every chance I got and one day she looked at me briefly in the crowd; that was pretty cool. I could feel an energy I had never felt before. There seemed to always be a Nepali guide that would be spouting off some horrible things about Kumari and I got quite the reputation for confronting these men who try to make it something it isn't. "If she ever gets married it will be cursed. When she hits puberty she gets fired." First of all, the gods probably do not abuse children like that. Second, other than becoming a bit spoiled, the girl can live a full and productive life. No, she is not held captive. She could abdicate her position at any time by simply allowing her feet to touch the ground or by letting them know. 

My birthday was coming up and I needed a new cell phone. I wanted to get one with a camera so I could take a picture of Kumari when she came out for her upcoming celebration. I got my new mobile and the day before the festival was to be, I accidentally dropped the phone down the stairwell at the guest house where I was staying. My first and only thought was that I would not get a picture of Kumari on my new phone. When I picked up the phone five stories below it worked perfectly. I know it was impossible for the cell phone to survive the fall, but it did and it still works and I have the pictures above on my own mobile. I know Kumari heard my disappointment and gave me my own miracle. No little girl could do that, so when you look at Royal Kumari look twice-once at the little girl and once for the goddess within. She is a loving goddess that doesn't need anything from humans. She just loves and gives like the benevolent goddess she is. I'm not even Hindu and she blessed me so freely because she is love, the personification of love. Many people pray to Kumari for help with their children when they are sick.

I had an idea about alum stones being used as a hand sanitizer and took the package of paperwork to Royal Kumari for a blessing. I am not allowed to be in her presence because I am not Nepali, but she came to the window just for me (and the crowd that had gathered) and it was pretty amazing. She just saw me, really saw me. It was like getting my entire soul read. I couldn't pray, think or anything. I just stood there drinking up her energy and feeling such power from this beautiful little girl/goddess. 

Another day I was going through some things and found a card game I bought a few months prior and thought Kumari might like to learn to play Uno. I took her the deck of cards and left it with her manager. I asked him if there was anything I could do for her. He explained that there was a festival coming where she would go outside. This actually happens with each full moon, I think. He said I could bring a sacrifice of fruit for the young men that would pull her chariot during the upcoming festival. I happily accepted and brought plenty of fruit  for the young men that carried Kumari the day before so she could bless it. 

We sat up on the temple while we watched her being carried out and around Kathmandu. Then we went to the Cho to pass out the fruit.

Here she is coming back
If you would like to read a book written by a former Royal Kumari I recommend From Goddess to Mortal by Rashmila Shakya and Scott Berry. If you've had your own Kumari miracle please leave a comment. 

My money saving tip for this blog post: If you are a student be sure to bring your student ID. Show it at UNESCO sites like Darbur Square and you can quite often get a reduced or free admission.

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

A Nice Surprise in Datteraya Square and a not-so-nice Surprise



It was chore time for me and I really didn’t know where to get business cards, one of the items on my list. Getting things done in Nepal can be a real adventure. So my assistant and I were pointed down the street to a place called The Peacock Shop. This factory is located in Datteraya Square, the largest of the centers in Bhaktapur. Look for the Peacock Window and the Peacock Shop is on the opposite side. There were pottery makers working outside in the back. This area is considered to be the mini pottery square. If you have only a short stay in Bhaktapur this area will serve you well. 

One of the reasons I hadn’t had cards made yet was because I wanted to get cards made on a natural fiber. Plastic coating is not attractive to me and this paper factory held the answer. After sitting down with the owner and his daughter who served as a translator, he invited me to have a tour of his paper making factory. This family owned factory also specializes in wood carvings, pottery and handcrafted paper masks. I was surprised to learn the paper masks are twice the price of the clay masks. They have a nice selection of woodcarvings and do custom work. The carved elephants  in the store were almost life size with bodies were made from one piece of wood.

Although pottery doesn’t always travel well, I found an excellent bargain to take home. Instead of buying the expensive thanka paintings a person could purchase a lovely silk screen print on rice paper that would be lovely in a frame. Instead of buying an expensive mat you could simply buy a color poster board and place the print on top of it in the frame. The prints were only 500 NRs. for 24X36 inch size.  Like most shops  carrying this type of item, The Peacock Shop provides shipping tubes at no charge.


The factory is located in a tall building and on the top floor is a beautiful, huge, temple with a near life size Buddha inside. Ganesh and Kumar are built into the structure at the front pillars. Due to the way the sun was shining I was not able to do the temple justice in this picture, but it was a lovely final touch on the tour. I am amazed at how intertwined Hindu and Buddhism are. To compare it to  Christianity it would be like seeing an Eastern Orthodox cross in a Baptist Church.

I was very impressed with how well the employees seemed to be treated. The women were chatting casually as they worked on the sewing machines or paper trays. They all had good chairs to sit on. If you are not impressed with this as outstanding, take a look at the following picture to see how employees are treated in other professions.

The Peacock Shop
Tattatraya, Pujarimath, Bhaktapur, 977-1- 6610820
Email:
peacockshop@yahoo.com  

As it turned out, they over-charged me by double what the business cards should have cost. This led me down a long and dark path into the inner workings of the Nepali mind. Don't go there...it doesn't make any sense at all. 
  



Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Meat, Eating Out and Farming in Nepal


When I walked down the street and saw pig heads and blood sitting on tables open to flies and dirt, I decided to eat vegetarian. I just didn't think too much of the way I saw food cared for here in Nepal. I just ignore meat. Do I miss it? Sometimes. Especially since apartments don't come equipped with ovens, cooking can become a bit dull.

Eating in Nepal is just different. For example, this picture of me below is one of the best places to find a samosa in Kathmandu. Never mind that you have to stand up to eat it; it's worth it. There is a sink for washing hands and some cocktail type tables attached to a couple of the walls inside, but it's just plain rough. This is the same favorite place I talk about in my book, Nepal On A Budget. There isn't even a sign outside. Just look for Tip Top Tailors while you are in the New Road area (very close to the Peanuts building) and go into the alley behind it. It's amazing! You can also get a great selection of Nepali sweets there, too. 

Here is another one of my favorite places to eat. This one is next to the Tourist Information Center and Tourist Police office in the Ratna park area. It's amazing. Two people can eat for about 100 NRs. That would include rotis, rajma (bowl of delicious bean soup) pickle and milk tea. It's served fast and hot. It isn't very hygienic but I've never had a problem there. Go at meal time and enjoy. Just sit where you can find a seat and the boy will come over to take your order. You can have them prepare something, but I think it's safer at places like this to eat whatever is fresh and hot. Really, this is a great place to eat when you are in the mood for it. Some days I am just not up to seeing people wipe with a rag that is dirtier than the table.  But life on the planet is shared with many bacteria and most are harmless. 

So, back to the meat issue. Living in Bhaktapur, one day I saw a pig farm and had to stop to check it out. Why? Because if I hadn't looked over to see a pig I wouldn't have known I passed a pig farm-no odor at all. I was so impressed I almost went back to eating meat. Imagine a clean pig farm!


Isn't this impressive? They were just so happy at this farm. I'm in a third world country and the pig farms are cleaner than back home. I walk past a chicken house every day on my way to the old city of Bhaktapur and I didn't even know there were chickens there, they were so quiet and little to no odor. 

So, on the one hand, Nepal is a third world country where westerners need to take a few extra precautions to keep from getting ill, but on the other hand the way some things are done are an improvement over the west. It's a country of opposites.

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual




Friday, April 13, 2012

Shopping Values in Thamel - No, I'm not Kidding.


I stated in my book, Nepal: A Tourist's Manual, that the Thamel district in Kathmandu can be very ruthless to unsuspecting tourists. The merchants seem to be waiting for you to walk by with too much money and not enough brain cells. I have to admit that I wasn't prepared to purchase my first pashmina scarf and that scarf's price seemed to be determined by the country I came from. 

I learned a lot about pashmina since that day and I've found a few places to buy silk and wool scarves/shawls at excellent prices. One of those places is just outside of Thamel in the Arson Chowk area and one is in Bhaktapur. However, there are some bargains to be found in Thamel and if you have the energy for it, it can be a lot of fun to shop and haggle with the merchants. 

The best way I've found to shop in Kathmandu is to just walk down the street and see what you pass along the way. Have a mental list and see what you can check off. I have a habit to peak into any box or sales rack I see along the way. It isn't unusual to find out of season hats and gloves, scarves or paper products at the front of many stores in boxes from about 20-100 NRs. However, sales and clearances can be a bit of a let-down. "30-70% off entire stock," for example, will not necessarily yield the savings you'd expect. Also, there is no shame in the merchant's mind (at least as far as I can tell) about lying. They do not even apologize to you when you catch them in a bold faced lie. So, don't be shy to call them on what they say, put a match to a thread to check the fiber or just just challenge them with a bluff.

Tip: If the item is a natural fiber like wool you can take one strand and put a match to it. If it acts like your own burning hair would it's a natural fiber. But if it gets a black ball at the end it is not natural. When you take a lighter out the merchant will either come clean to the 'miscommunication' or he will help you with the lighter.  

I came upon a Gorkha Knife shop on my last shopping trip and really enjoyed the day. The shop keeper was so enthusiastic, proud to be Gorkha. The Gorkha people have been known for their fighting abilities for centuries and the Gorkha knives are high quality and beautiful. I noticed a very impressive knife with an inscription and realized what a lovely gift one of these knives would be for a veteran or police officer. The knife shop is called Ex-Gurkha Khurkuri House, located in Thamel and Lazimpat. Tele: 977-01-4005079, www.nepalkhukurihouse.com Email: info@nepalkhukrihouse.com

This sign says, "If a man says he is not afraid of dying he is either lying or he is a Gurkha."

As I walked down the street I noticed a little shop that had some lovely rose quartz and other simi-precious stones in crystal-ball shapes. They were about 30% or so of the price I remember from the US. They also have some nice necklaces of varying quality. That is what interested me about this shop. Not only was the proprietor kind and not pushy, but he has enough of a selection to help you chose the price and quality you are looking for. He can help you to understand the differences in quality in stone, seed, bone and resin. The proprietor, Mr. Baniya, is from Lumbini and is quite eager to encourage tourists to see that part of Nepal. 

Lumbini Export House is a manufacturer and wholesaler of Bodi Mala, Rosary Beads in crystal coral, Lotus seed, Sandal, Rosewood, Guru beads, Bangles and bone, Horn, Wood beads, Neclesh and Handicraft items. 563/8 Thamel Marg, Kathmandu, Tel: 01-443 0395, 984 127 7516 or Email: lumbinirosary@hotmail.com

If I were a young person coming to Nepal I'd get lots of stuff to take home; a down jacket and sleeping bag, trekking poles, wool hat and gloves, etc. There is actually the official North Face store, but it has what looks like western prices. I'd almost be tempted to get a knock-off and then have someone take a picture of me coming out of the North Face store. That store is at the entrance to Thamel near the Garden of Dreams.

There is a plethora of shopping and money saving tips for just about anything you will need while you  are in Nepal in my book, Nepal : A Tourist's Manual. You can even learn where the king had his suits made and have something tailor made for you and high quality for so cheap! You can get a peak of the book to help you get your vacation off to a great start at: http://bit.ly/2bO9zkC

Where Can You Find My other Blog Posts? You can find a lot of money saving things to do in  the Kathmandu Valley and get insights into the culture of Nepal and learn about projects I'm associated with and get some great shopping values at https://WhatAboutNepal.com If you are on Youtube just #WhatAboutNepal to get tips for Nepal that you won't find anywhere else.
Money saving tip from my book, Nepal: A Tourist's Manual This shopping areas is near a temple or chowk. These places are where the local people shop. Although the merchants seldom speak English, they are a bit easier to work with since they are unable to negotiate well enough to play games. The problem can be that they may have never done business with a tourist before and don't speak English well, so they will say a price they don't mean or maybe they believe the myths about us that we have so much money we just throw it around. Either way, it can be difficult, but enjoyable if you know what to expect. You can find great prices on peacock feathers 20-50 NRs. each, incense 1-2 NRs. each stick and some nice local sweet shops in these areas.

Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog you will enjoy the over 200 pages in the eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.

Read a sample and purchase here