BANDIPUR AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

BANDIPUR AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS On Wednesday, March 14th, we left Sauhara (Chitwan National Park) and headed for Pokhara with a overnight stop in Bandipur.  The road followed the river and the  terrain became very mountainous. Not many villages  along the way and those we passed were very primitive..outdoor kitchens and mud houses. CBandipur  is an old mountain town with 18th century architecture and really hasn't changed much as it is 6 km. off the main highway up a windy mountain road. We walked through the town in the afternoon watching the locals go about their business.  A group of men playing a card game throwing down the cards with loud exclamations, old grandmothers looking after small children, kids coming back from school with arms wrapped around each other and some boys taunting one another.  Saw a group of children climbing a tree to eat fruit, people sitting in their shops waiting for someone to stop by and purchase something.  A lot of children in school uniforms when we arrived  so asked why they were in the playground we  were told that it was  "tiffin time". Tiffins are used to carry their lunches, so it means lunch time. Probably only a handful of tourists in this town, so nice and quiet here. Beautiful views of large rolling hills however can't really see the Himalayas, as cloudy over the mountains.  The next morning up at 6 a.m. to watch the sunrise and we were welcomed with a mist hanging over the hills and the sun hitting the peaks of the Annapurna range, yes some peaking through the mist.  Some general comments about things we have noticed in Nepal and India which we think are interesting and worthy of mention. At all airports, train stations and some museums, you need to pass through security. There are always two lines, one for men and one for women.  In India and Nepal it is natural to see men holding on to one another with hands wrapped around each other, just a sign of friendship. In Nepal, March is classified as a lucky month, so a lot of couples are getting married; and by the way, still very much the custom in both countries to have arranged marriages.  I believe I mentioned that in Nepal, electric power only exists for about 10 hours a day. Most hotels have generators, but even then, they only turn them on when it starts to get dark; so at times, no power at all.  Also most hotels have minimal lighting in hotel rooms to save on electrical costs. The other day we stopped at a gas station and as the power was out, the attendant had to come out and use a hand crank on the gas pump so that we could fill up with gas. We got a kick out of the street hawkers in Kathmandu. You are approached for several types of merchandise and services...small purses, tiger balm seems to be a big one (maybe could have used some for my back!), rickshaw rides, taxis, massages and finally the big one " you look in my shop, no pressure to buy". The other night we went for dinner in an authentic Newari restaurant and indulged in a desert called Shikarni..a thick yogurt whipped and mixed with cashew nuts, coconut and cinnamon, very yummy.  Also we noticed that the older Newari women have tattooed ankles. In years gone by, this was thought to attract men.   Sanitation in this country is a real problem. The government and charity organizations that do work in this country are trying to educate people on good sanitation habits. They have designated "free open defecation zones" where they are encouraging people not to practice open defecation.  Most villagers do not have toilets and we have read in local papers that due to this about 40% of Nepalese practice open defecation.  This causes pollution in water sources, which are so polluted, it is really sad to see.  Even the sacred river in Kathmandu is so polluted it can hardly flow! Common diseases that have been eradicated in modern countries still exist here. Tuberculosis, diarrhea ( fourteen thousand die from diarrhea each year), malaria, etc. They also still have leprosy. This is a real problem, as leprosy can be cured if caught early enough. The problem is that there is still such a stigma attached to leprosy, people do not come forward until it is too late. Our friend, Elsie James who works in Nepal for 6 months of the year for Medical Mercy, says that they include information at their medical clinics in remote villages about leprosy as part of other programs to educate people. If they had a leprosy clinic, no one would attend.  Another issue here in Nepal is the lack of safety standards surrounding  large propane tanks which are used for cooking in almost every household and all restaurants, due to power shortages.  They simply re-use the tanks, would never be allowed back home. The Government is aware of the situation, but has done nothing about it and has failed to act on this matter. Nepal has the largest standing army (based on percentage of population in all of Asia). The army is everywhere and you get used to the presence of heavily armed troops in the cities, villages and even the National Parks. We wanted to understand what is happening politically, however it is simply too complex an issue to try to explain. The bottom line is that this country has so much potential but is hamstrung by corrupt government officials, lack of political leadership and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.  Notwithstanding the political and economic chaos, the Nepalese people stand out as a warm, caring,generous and friendly people. This is in sharp contrast to the Indian people who are still caught up in their caste system...rude, greedy and pushy.  Having said this, we did meet some nice Indian people in our travels.