• The population of Nepal is approximately thirty-one million.  The country is bordered by India and China/Tibet.  The average elevation is 10,712.  The Himalayan Mountain range runs through Nepal and Mt. Everest is on the border of Nepal and Tibet.  Nepal is about the same size as Florida.    
• The official language is Nepali. Many people in the main cities and in hospitality positions speak English. 
• A civil war took place in 1996, when the Maoist faction of the CPN launched a series of attacks on police posts. The Maoists’ goal was to overthrow the monarchy and establish a communist government. The war lasted until 2006 and killed around 13,000 people.  In 2001, the King, Queen and seven other royal family members were killed in a mass shooting during a gathering of the royal family at the palace.  The crown prince was found shot in the head and died three days later.  The crown prince was accused of the massacre (although there are people who believe there was another murderer).  The reigning king’s brother became king after the crown prince died.  In 2006, the reigning king was forced to give up power to parliament after protests by hundreds of thousands of people. In 2008, parliament voted to abolish the monarchy, and the reigning king left the palace to live as a private citizen.  Nepal is a federal democratic republic.  The country has always been independent and has never been under any other country’s rule.
• There are approximately 142 castes/ethnicities.  The caste system is still intact today but the rules are not as rigid as they were in the past. In 1963, a law was passed making it illegal to discriminate against other castes and all castes are to be equally treated by the law.
• The main industries are tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed, cigarettes, cement and brick production.
• The average salary is $2,712  – $11,292 per YEAR. The Gross Domestic Product per capita in the United States was $65,020.35 US dollars in 2023.  Nepal’s GDP per capita was $1,399.01 US dollars in 2023.  We talked with the security guard at our apartment, and he shared he makes $156 USD per month/$1,872 USD per year and works 84 hours per week. 
• Namaste is the primary Nepali greeting.  It is a common way to show respect and it is used at any time of the day.  The greeting is often accompanied by a slight bow and the palms of the hands pressed together in front of the chest, with the fingers pointing upwards and the thumbs close to the chest.  Namaste means “I see the god within you” or “I greet the god within you”. 
• Most of the people practice Hinduism, followed by Buddhism.  Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal in 623 BC.  There are many legends and traditions, including Kumari, the living goddess who is said to be the living incarnation of the goddess Taleju Bhawani.
• A local saying is that Nepal stands for Never Ending Peace and Love.  The people are peaceful and loving.
• “Nepal is a country with more temples than houses, more gods and goddesses than people and more festivals than days in a year”, as said by Sir Kirk Patrick (the first recorded westerner to visit Nepal). 
• They tease about India.  They have a saying India stands for I’ll Never Do It Again.
• Legal drinking age is 18.
• Legal driving age is 18. 
• Many parents raise their children to leave Nepal for a better life.  Many study abroad or move to Qatar and Australia.
• Like other Asian countries, the swastika is seen displayed in many places.  It represents good luck and prosperity.
• Foreigners were allowed into the country in 1951.  Locals typically don’t wear shorts, unless exercising.
• The earthquake in 2015 killed 8,857 people in Nepal and nearly 3.5 million people were left homeless.  You can still see damage from the earthquake and some buildings have supports to stabilize the structure.  As they were recovering from that, COVID hit.  Both events have impacted tourism and the economy. 
• Power goes out daily. The power lines hang low and there are so many of them! 

• Nepal is one of only four countries that doesn’t use the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes.  The lunisolar calendar that they use is based on the phases of the moon and includes extra months to keep it in sync with the solar year.  It is currently the year 2081 in Nepal.  They schedule things based on auspicious days/times. 
• Nepalese cuisine is tasty, flavorful and often very spicy!  Thakali is a traditional meal consisting of Dal:  a flavorful lentil soup, Bhatt: steamed rice, Tarkari:  a vegetable curry, Meat:  often a choice of chicken, mutton, or fish and Buckwheat Finger Chips.  Steamed or fried dumplings, named Momos, are found on almost every menu – with a choice of veggies, chicken, or buff (water buffalo).  Thukpa, noodle soup in a variety of options is very popular.  Juju dhau, a delicious, sweet yogurt made from water buffalo milk is served as dessert in many restaurants.  Burgers are typically chicken, buff (water buffalo) or veg, due to the Hindi influence in Nepal (cows are a revered animal in Hinduism).  Goat and mutton are also typical meats served.  Lassi, a blended drink of yogurt and fruit, is available everywhere.  They have a green variety of oranges (who knew???  I originally thought the oranges weren’t ripe, so I wouldn’t buy them…they are sweeter and juicer than the orange-colored variety we have at home).  Hot milk is served with dry breakfast cereals, like corn flakes. 
• We tried several of the Nepal craft brewery beers:  Ghorka, Barahsinghe, Sherpa, Yeti, and Everest.  They make lagers, pilsners, wheats, Kolschs, reds, and IPAs.  We couldn’t find any porters or stouts.  Our favorite brands were Ghorka and Barahsinghe. 
• Restaurants typically provide one menu for us to share.
• Tables are often low, so your knees are even with the table while eating (which means half of my meal ends up in my lap!).
• Servers clear used dishes almost the second you take the last morsal of food off the plate.  And they take your paper napkin if you set it on the table, even if you were still using it.
• Servers will typically ask Mike, “sir, is everything okay with your meal?”  I guess he’s supposed to be my voice or maybe they don’t remember the English term for addressing women. 
• Food is brought to the table as it is ready.  If you order three things, it may take one hour (even if the restaurant isn’t busy) to get all three items.  Sometimes someone has to go to the store to buy ingredients for what you ordered.  All food is typically shared by everyone at the table. 
• Many stores and restaurants charge a 3 – 4% surcharge when using a credit card.  Since vendors have to pay 3 – 4% to credit card companies, we think it is brilliant that they only charge people using credit cards the surcharge.  Most locals use cash and they don’t have to incur higher prices to cover vendors credit card fees. 
• They sell individual chicken eggs @ .15 US per egg ($1.80 US for a dozen), a small loaf of healthy bread was $1.
• Loved the bowls and plates that were made from leaves!  These bowls were used during festivals and leaving offerings for the deities. 
• Marigolds are an important flower with high religious value. They are used extensively on cultural and social occasions as loose flowers or as garlands.

• Vehicles drive on the left with right hand drive steering.  Lines on roads are merely suggestions, two lanes are often 4 – 6 lanes.  Most cars are Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, and Mahindra (Indian). 
• Many people can’t afford a car – 75% of the vehicles are motorbikes.  Many of the country roads are narrow (basically the size of one of our interstate lanes), wind around mountains and have huge drop offs.  People may want to take motion sickness medicine while traveling on country roads.  It took us two hours to drive thirty-two miles in a bus (outside of Kathmandu).  I would never choose to ride in a bus, in Nepal, during the night.  It’s difficult enough for me to get the courage to board a Nepali bus in the daylight.  It’s harder to control a bus, based on the height and length – a sudden move and the bus could be on two wheels, leaning off the side of a cliff.  I believe horns and brakes are the most critical parts of a bus in Nepal – I have a strong desire to test bus horns and brakes before boarding the bus.  Like other Asian countries, buses and trucks are decorated by the owner with things that are meaningful to the owner.  It seems like a competition to see who can decorate the best.

• We continue to be asked to take photos with locals.
• Steps are rarely the same size within a staircase.  At least one step is a different size and going down the stairs, I almost fall EVERY DANG TIME! 
• Men and women take pleasure in spitting loud and proud, as if they are competing for some type of award!  You definitely know when it’s coming, so you can be sure to get out of the way.  I personally have never been a spitter, so I was unable to enjoy this national past time.  I wonder if we will visit a country where flatulence is revered in a similar way. 🤣
• Picking one’s nose is public is acceptable…I saw people of all ages digging for gold!   
• If you love suspension bridges (which are definitely not my thing), Nepal is the place to be!  There are suspension bridges across huge valleys throughout the country.
• Streets are lined with small specialty shops, hardware, clothing, and convenience stores.

• Nepal is a poor country, however, the country has great potential.  Many Nepalese believe that corruption is widespread, institutionalized and involves political parties, senior government officials, local elected representatives, business communities and civil societies.  It is easy to have white savior complex and want to “fix” their lives. In general people seem happy, at peace, and filled with joy.  They work hard and have little.  Spending two months in Nepal has taught me that I don’t need things that I think I need and often times less is truly more!  

Our path around Nepal