Things I’m Learning About Nepal

As you may know, Gideon and I are planning a month-long trip to Nepal.  We leave at the end of this month and stay until the end of March.  This trip to Nepal seems to be ordained.  Gideon’s cousin Amy, her husband, Mike, and their son, Ethan, moved to Nepal from Maryland this past June.  Mike is working for the State Department in Kathmandu, or something along those lines.  Of course, when we caught wind of their plan to live in Nepal for a few years, we knew we’d do all we could to get over there for a visit.  Additionally, we have met a number of Nepalese folk right here in Sonoma, California.  The majority of the staff at Meritage, Polly’s restaurant, are from Nepal.  Polly’s co-manager, Nima, has become a good friend and he is heading back to Nepal for a visit with family and friends in March as well.  Being a Sherpa, he has offered to lead us on a trek to Mt. Everest base camp.  Let me repeat that; we will be trekking to BASE CAMP.  We are NOT climbing Everest.  I just wanted to make sure we get that straight.  So, not only do we find ourselves with a number of unlikely connections in Nepal, but we also happen to have the time to go during this break from our work-a-day life.  As soon as Gideon takes the California Bar, we are off to Kathmandu.

In preparation for our upcoming adventure, I have been reading the Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal.  Here’s a list of a few interesting things I’ve learned so far:

1.     Nepal is a diverse country populated by a number of ethnic groups.  Sherpas are a well-known ethnic group from the mountains of eastern and central Nepal.  Tamangs are another large ethnic group in Nepal.  Despite what you may think, most mountain porters in Nepal are Tamang; Sherpas “focus mostly on high-altitude expedition work”.
2.    According to the latest census (2001) Nepalis are about 81% Hindu, 11% Buddhist, 4% Muslim, and 4% other religions.
3.    It’s considered bad luck to start a trek on a Tuesday or to return on a Saturday.  Got that, Nima?
4.    “If you are given a wrong direction or told a place is much nearer than it turns out to be, it may through fear of disappointing you.”  Hmm… I’ll keep that in mind when Nima tells us it’s only a few miles to the next town.
5.    I may be treated to jan-la (raw steak with the skin still attached), ti-syah (fried spinal bone marrow), or swan-puka (“lung filled through the windpipe with spicy batter and then boiled, sliced, and fried”).  I will give bizarre food guy, Andrew Zimmern, a run for his money.  Or maybe not.
6.     And here is the last little tidbit of the day.  This one really got my attention. The video below shows planes taking off and landing in Lukla, Nepal.  Gideon and I will be flying from Kathmandu to Lukla where we will start our trek.  The video has made me think that maybe I should stop researching.  Sometimes knowledge is a scary thing.  At least they have a sense of humor about things…