I had my plans in Kathmandu mapped out, but it wasn't geared toward tourism at all. One mistake I made in planning this trip was not factoring in being a tourist. It seemed selfish to schedule days out embarking on tourist exploration.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Being a tourist in a new land is a treasure unlike any other. The first great treasure I explored was the Boudha Stupa where I stayed my first and last few days in Nepal.
Here are two things I learned about being a tourist in Nepal.
1. Nepal needs your tourism.
I had a really hard time understanding this until a person who runs a business as mission explained it in a very tangible way. I wrote a brief note about it on a Facebook post December 8, 2017
In a developing country like Nepal, I hadn’t understood how critical tourism was for this country until now. In Pokhara, people from all around the world come for the tourism. One major takeaway I learned from someone was this- "we cannot 'save' people here from poverty. One of the greatest ways that Westerns can help a country like Nepal is to come and support their tourism. The tourism industry here opens up jobs for people, allowing them to stay in their own country, provide for their families and relief from poverty." One source said that an average of 1,000 people leave Nepal every day for foreign employment.* This doesn’t include the thousands of people who are trafficked over the open boarder into India. There just aren’t enough jobs for people here which leaves people vulnerable.
Having never been a person of wealth by American standards, I associate tourism with lots of money. Almost all of the traveling we have done as a family these past few years has been for work, so I make the most of the adventure on a very slim budget. Even if that means packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, walking farther and van camping to avoid the super high costs of food and travel during peak tourism season here in the States. The United States is super expensive on so many levels. Eating out is a luxury for our family.
In Nepal, I was thrilled to be able to feed myself for a fraction of the cost it would be in the USA. I loved finding little hole in the wall places that made my food to order, spoke no English, was family run and being able to support their business with my purchase.
Nepal, is one of the cheapest places to be a tourist. You can find accommodations for $10 USD a night including breakfast and order a cappuccino for less than $2. Of course food and accomidations will very in cost depending on the experience you are looking for.
2. Nepali people want to share this gift with you.
Nobody wants to receive a gift out of obligation or feel like a burden. When we are given a gift, we want it to be given with joy and anticipation!
This is the best way that I can describe the overall culture of Nepali people. They want to share their beautiful land with you. They want you to enjoy your time there. They desire to see you fed and happy. They want you to have their best.
Hospitality is highly important. This is something you will experience in a persons home or at a restaurant.
My taxi drivers who spoke English well enough to have a conversation would ask, "How do you like Nepal?" Of course, I would gush my love for the country, the people, the food, the culture. I would tell of my friends back in the States and how I loved Nepal before I even came to the country! With delight and surprise, they would want to hear more. I would laugh and say "sure, I'd like the smog to lift so I can see the mountains though." To which they would boast about the beauty of the mountains on a clear day, sorrowfully express their concern for the dust filled air, but quickly turn it back to wanting to dwell on the things I have experienced and loved. This was with a taxi driver. Whom I had bartered with before agreeing to get into his cab.
My taxi experiences were some of my favorites. Like the one I waved down on an early morning deserted road. He didn't speak English conversationally, but instead was teaching me vocabuarly words for "bridge" and "dog" and so on. The smell of the waste filled river we drove along made me nearly vomit, but the conversation was too delightful to sour the fun ride.
Nepal is breathtaking. Nepali people are gorgeous. Their culture makes me heart ache with longing to return. The food, oh the food! I mean, we already eat mostly Asian style food at our house, but there is nothing quite like true Nepali made food. Thankfully, even though I expressed no real restraint or discretion with where I ate, I never got sick!
Next time...
What's on my tourism to-do list for next time I go to Nepal?
The Helambu Cultural Trek with Red Panda Expeditions!
I mean come on! Cultural experience AND trekking. #swoon Why didn't I plan this before! Who wants to join me!?
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| My very first morning in Nepal. As stated in the first few sentences, I had no expectations for this. I was blown away. |
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| One of the best views in the city from the second floor Himalayan Java coffee shop. |
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| From on top of the stupa |
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| From on top of the stupa |
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| On top of the stupa, looking out to where the people worship. |
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| From on top of the stupa |
I apologize for not being able to capture the full striking beauty of this place. All photos were taken on my iPhone, and frankly, even in seeing good quality photos of this area, none can fully capture the wonder of this place.
*As I was flying out of Kathmandu for my international flight, hundreds of very young men wore big smiles and carried folders that contained employment paperwork. They were heading to various countries throughout the middle east to jobs that had been lined up for them. During my time in Nepal, I heard many stories from people who had either gone to other countries for work, or were the spouse of someone who did. Spouses often left their families for 1-2 years at a time, sending money home. The experiences of workers who shared with me varied, including a few horror stories I will never forget. On a good note- I met many Western workers who had moved to Nepal to start businesses so that they can create jobs for Nepali people. I saw many beautiful examples of this at work, creating a positive impact on individuals, families and communities.
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