telegram
en
en ruua

Interesting facts about Nepal

Nepal is a fascinating and unusual country that combines the incongruous and lives by very different principles and rules, unaccustomed to ordinary people. Two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, coexist here. On the territory of one country and there are majestic mountain ranges and fascinating plains, and even the wild jungle! The civilization of Nepal is too ambiguous – in some settlements people live in huts and do not even know about electricity or running water, while in other regions there are full-fledged modern cities with good infrastructure.

Did you know that the Nepalese flag is the only one of its kind in the world, because its shape is not rectangular like most countries, but consists of two triangles connected to each other?

Гималаи

Also unique to Nepal is the local time, which differs from Greenwich by 5 hours and 45 minutes. And the explanation is very simple: a long time ago, this small country was trying to show its independence from its large neighbor India and to this end moved the time 10 minutes ahead. But at the end of the twentieth century, the monarchs thought about it and decided to move forward another five minutes. And now we are confused about time))

типичные непальцы

This country neighbors India and China. The population here is very friendly and hospitable. And this manifests itself even in the fact that you can get a visa in 5-10 minutes immediately upon arrival at the airport or at any border crossing. Of course you have to wait in long lines to get the visa because there are a lot of people who want to come to Nepal!

Hindu neighbors can move freely across the border both on foot and in vehicles without bothering with passes, permits, etc.

One of the attractions for visiting tourists is public transportation. For the locals, it is of course the everyday routine, but for Europeans – a real extreme! After all, not in every country you can ride on top of a bus overcrowded with passengers without breaking any rules.

едем в Покхару

Despite its attractiveness and uniqueness, Nepal is a very poor country. It has no access to the sea, there are no rich natural resources, agriculture and transport infrastructure are very poorly developed. Therefore, Nepal is one of the poorest and most backward countries in the world. Nevertheless, the streets of Nepal are much cleaner and neater than in India.

вот так носят вещи

A third of the male Nepalese population is employed in the service of foreign tourists – guides and porters in the Himalayas. The work of the porters is very hard, there are cases when they die right on the route. Even considering this fact, Nepal remains the only country in the world where the average life expectancy of women is less than that of men.

The daily life of Nepalis may seem strange and incomprehensible to many of us. But they are so used to it and they can’t even imagine it any other way. For example, there is no heating in the homes of the locals, it is not even provided by the plan, so it is very cold in winter. The only exception may be hotels, where you can ask for an electric heater. And then, it is not always possible to use it, because electricity in different areas of Kathmandu is turned on on a schedule.

уличка Катманду

Another oddity in the furnishing of dwellings is the absence of glass in the windows. Instead, there are only bars, and for Nepalis that is enough. So don’t be surprised if you see locals who go home in winter wearing jackets, warm pants, and hats, and even go to bed with a blanket over them. But at the same time, wrapped in a hundred clothes, they can walk barefoot or in flip-flops, and because of this they often get sick.

In winter in Nepal there is a very big difference in temperature, from +25 during the day to -5 at night (this is in the lowland regions). This is probably why even more or less established Nepalis often go to sleep on the floor with the rest of their family members – it’s warmer that way.

Манаслу

Since electricity is a great luxury for the local population, in order to save money, they try to use the sun’s energy as much as possible. They heat water in black tanks, and try to wash during the hottest part of the day before it gets cold at night. All household chores are mostly done in the daytime outside to get as much warmth in the sun as possible. Well, and in the evening to save electricity, who has it. That’s why they have an active day around 5 a.m., and by 9 p.m. everyone goes to bed. For example, even classes at universities are held from 6 am to 12 noon.

If the weather is overcast, the Nepalese have campfires that they light wherever they want – near their home, near their store, near their work… They gather with friends and relatives and spend their days and evenings talking.

посиделку у костра под небольшим дождиком

Most locals have two meals a day – lunch around 10 a.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. There is not much time for breakfast, so they make do with a cup of sweet tea and milk. The daily food is not very varied. Partly because of poverty, partly because most Nepalis are vegetarians. As we have in every home you can eat borscht and potatoes – so they serve dal (lentil stew) and rice for lunch and dinner almost every day. By the way, note that eating is accepted only with the right hand. Their left hand is considered “unclean”, so to say hello, take something and give it to someone is not cultural.

In the cafes the choice of dishes is more extensive. But still do not advise you to order European dishes and meat. To be honest, Nepalis don’t really know how to cook it. And if you are so far from home, why not try the local treats? For example, one of the popular dishes is mo mo – something like our dumplings or dumplings, steamed or fried in oil, stuffed with vegetables or lamb.

готовка еды

Meat dishes are rarely cooked and mostly from lamb, goat meat, chicken, buffalo, or yak. Beef is not consumed because the cow is a sacred animal. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see animals walking in the streets of Nepal in search of something edible, even discarded cardboard boxes can be used.

тот самый як

Dairy products are not very popular. And if they are consumed, it is mainly buffalo milk and cheese made of yak milk. Although, for foreign tourists there is always the usual cow’s milk in the stores. We want to warn you about frequent cases of cheating foreigners. The scheme is simple: you are walking, a poor unfortunate child comes up to you and asks to buy him food (mostly milk), you agree and he takes you to the store, where you buy a package of milk for fabulous money. You give the package to him and leave, and he gives it back to the vendor and gets his cut of the money. So be careful. All in all, begging and groping tourists is the daily life of Nepalis. But that’s not what we’re talking about now.

The interesting sights of Nepal, in addition to the Himalayan mountains, are also religious shrines, of which there are many. One of the sacred places is considered a stone, located in Lumbini. According to legend, Buddha was born here.

На фоне массива Аннапурны

One of the most visited and largest ancient Buddhist temples in the world is the Bodnath Stupa in Kathmandu. Often there are many monkeys running around the temples, and they are not at all afraid of people, and sometimes even behave very aggressively, snatching food and baring their teeth. One of the stupas in Kathmandu, Swayambhunath, is even called the Temple of Monkeys because of the large number of monkeys.

глаз Боднатха

Pashupatinath Hindu temple is one of the most revered places for Hindus. It is here that the sacred cremation ceremony is performed. According to tradition, only relatives of the deceased can be present at the burning. But tourists have found a way to watch this procedure – everything is perfectly visible from the shore opposite.

Кремация, Пашупатинатх

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is known not only for its religious shrines but also for its other famous places. For example, Durbar Square, on which there are about 20 different temples and palaces, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Thousands of tourists from different parts of the world pass through here every year.

Дурбар

The tourism business of Nepal has one characteristic, which for most foreigners is not very attractive. All the major attractions can be visited by locals for free or for a small fee. For tourists, however, the price can be 10, 20 or even 50 times more.

Almost every temple has sacred drums. And most tourists, taking the example of the Nepalese, find it necessary to spin them, not even realizing what this action means. But we will uncover a secret for you – prayer drums in Buddhism are used to connect your physical and spiritual activities, as well as to purify from negative karma. By the way, you should spin the prayer drum only with the right hand and bypass it on the left side!

Интересные факты о Непале

Just as the Hindus have their sacred Ganges River, the Nepalese have their own Bagmati River. Only it is much different in size and looks more like a sewage ditch. So, the first time you don’t recognize a sacred place, so be careful)).

Kathmandu is quite a large and developed city. Not bad things are made here well-known brands (Columbia, Deuter, North Face, Salewa). By the way, their quality is not so bad, as for fake goods. And prices will please everyone. So, don’t forget to bring a few extra dollars. We’re sure it will be hard to resist.

слоны на улочках Четвана

The most popular type of trade in Nepal is the pharmacy business, so you can find such a kiosk on every corner.

On the streets of Kathmandu, you can find residents everywhere wearing dustbands on their faces. Often they (the bandages, not the residents)) are not the white hospital-colored bandages we are accustomed to, but multi-colored, with brightly colored drawings. All the Nepalese are very smiling and loving tourists, always agree to be photographed with them (but most then demand a small fee for it).

фото на память

In general, Nepal is a very attractive country, with its traditions, its peculiarities, the unrivaled beauty of mountains, interesting routes and sights. Every person who likes to travel, should visit this country and, if not to conquer, at least to look at the top of the Earth – Everest. By the way, you can do it with us by trekking to the Everest base camp, and visit other places of this wonderful country by taking part in one of the trekking programs in Nepal.

с видом на восьмитысячники

Share

Facebook Twitter Viber Telegram

I want to participate

0/350
By clicking on the "Submit request" button, you agree to the processing of personal data.
Your application is accepted
The next step is
It is good if you fill it out now. Also, a manager will soon contact you and advise on all issues.
We will try our best to make you happier in the mountains. This is our mission. See you!
Your application is accepted. Our manager will soon contact you and advise on all issues.
Something wrong! Try again later Your application is accepted. Our manager will soon contact you and advise on all issues.
Якою продовжити?
Нагадаємо, що у нас є україномовна версія сайту, тож оберіть
Українською
20% від прибутку витрачаємо на потреби ЗСУ. Деталі та звіти KuluarHelp тут. Ходіть в гори з KULUAR - наближайте перемогу! 🇺🇦