celebrated on different days before a final party night of fairy lights and candles.
During the early spring, trekkers may witness Losar, the Tibetan New Year, celebrated primarily at Boudhanath. Tibetan drama and colourful masked Cham dances can be seen; the Black Hat dance celebrates the victory of Buddhism over Bon. Mi Tsering, the goblin-like clown, mocks the crowd with great mirth.
In spring at Pashupatinath is Shiva Ratri: the night of Shiva. Holi is another festival celebrated across the country. Watch out during this festival, as coloured dyes are thrown at passers-by; tourists and trekkers are fair game! The cavalcade of the white Seto Machhendranath idol also takes place in spring, when a tall wooden chariot housing this rain god is dragged through old Kathmandu, often pulling down power lines and brushing the top storeys of the old brick houses of Asan. A similar festival takes place in May, when the red Rato Machhendranath is hauled around Patan and back out to Bungamati.
Cultural considerations
Despite contact with the outside world since 1950, Nepal remains a conservative country, especially in the remoter hilly districts. Avoid overt expressions of affection and always dress modestly – anywhere in Nepal – to avoid causing offence. Skimpy shorts and tops are fine in St Tropez, but wearing such attire here could cause embarrassment (and invariably some lewd comments from the locals behind your back). In the icy confines of the high mountains, an inappropriate state of partial undress is unlikely to be an issue – unless you have already become an ascetic!
It’s a rare thing for a non-believer to be allowed into the inner sanctuaries of Hindu temples anywhere across the country; remember that leather apparel, belts and shoes are not permitted inside. When visiting monasteries, remove trekking hats and boots before entry. Small donations are appreciated in monasteries and photographers should ask before taking pictures inside. On the trail, keep to the left of mani walls and chortens (religious devotional structures: see Appendix B) and circle them in a clockwise direction. The mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ – Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus – is inscribed on these walls, on stones and on prayer wheels.
Buddhist chortens, Tange, Mustang (Trek 5)
If you are invited into a local house, remember that the cooking area, hearth and fire are treated with reverence. Do not throw litter there. Never sit in such a way as to point the soles of your feet at your hosts, or step over their feet. Avoid touching food, and be careful to eat with your right hand if no utensils are available. Never touch a Nepali on the head.
Begging
Begging is endemic in Nepal, possibly putting a brake on development and local initiative. Seen from the Nepalese point of view, all foreigners are rich, and therefore fair game to be enticed into parting with some of their hard-earned cash. Ordinarily no one will mind this, but in the long term local people need to be helped to help themselves; simply handing out money is not the answer.
Begging is not confined to the poverty-stricken lower classes; even the higher echelons have the same attitude – there will always be some rich overseas government to build a road or desperately needed hydro plant, and so on. Western governments, the UN and large donors continue to ignore the unaccountability of bribery and slush funds, while boasting about how much they give to the poor.
The world still seems to see Nepal as a begging-bowl case. In fact, the wealth of talent in the country is amazing; the ‘make something from nothing’ and the ‘make do and mend’ culture shows a level of ingenuity that has almost disappeared in the throwaway societies of the developed world. Given the opportunity, Nepal will flourish and prosper.
Helping the community
The world’s big donor organisations and charities hold a soft spot for Nepal. This is in no small part due to its welcoming and charismatic people, many of whom are exceedingly industrious. The effect of these multinational donations is not often felt directly by the majority of the people, so there is plenty of scope for small initiatives to be implemented by visitors who wish to help. Often it is these projects – improving village water supplies or local electrification, for example – that really make a difference. Check out some of these local projects below.
Autism Care Nepal (www.autismnepal.org) There was very little knowledge of this condition in Nepal when their son was diagnosed with autism, so two Nepali doctors founded this organisation to raise awareness and help others in the same situation.
Beni Handcrafts (www.benihandcrafts.com) products are made by women forced to move from the hills to the city, providing them with training, employment and income for their families. Beni and her team collect sweet wrappers, inner tubes and other waste from the streets of Kathmandu as well as mountain trails. The rubbish is then made into attractive and functional products. View and buy them at the Northfield Café in Thamel.
Steps Foundation Nepal (www.stepsfoundationnepal.org) is a charity supported by profits from Beni Handicrafts. It works on the step-by-step principle that through education for all and increasing awareness of hygiene, the health and well-being of families will be improved.
Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) (www.keepnepal.org) was established in 1992 to ‘provide education on safe and ecologically sustainable trekking methods to preserve Nepal’s fragile eco-systems’. Based down a lane off Tri Devi Marg in Thamel, they give vital information to trekkers, harness tourism for development, run environmental seminars, manage a porters’ clothing bank, and help to promote a more professional ethos while improving the skills of tourism professionals. They run volunteer programmes and conduct wilderness first aid training.
Local school in the foothills of the Annapurnas
Community Action Nepal (www.canepal.org.uk), co-founded by mountaineer Doug Scott, seeks to improve the infrastructure of villages in the middle hills by building schools, health posts and clean water projects, and developing cottage industries.
Choice Humanitarian (www.choicehumanitarian.org) is seeking to end poverty by concentrating on sustainable village development through tourism. The aim is to empower village people, generally with neither funds nor skill, to improve their own prospects.
Mountain People (www.mountain-people.org) ‘Helping mountain people to help themselves’ is an independent, non-profit, non-political, non-religious and cross-cultural organisation. They help with schools, porter welfare, women’s projects and bridge building. Their operations centre is in the Hotel Moonlight in Paknajol, Thamel.
The International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) (www.ippg.net) was started in 1997 to raise awareness about the conditions and plight of all-too-frequently exploited porters. Their task is to focus on the provision of clothing, shelter and medical care for often-overlooked working porters in Nepal.
PORTER WELFARE
Look after your friendly porter
Every
