After saying a reluctant farewell to Bhutan, we took a short flight over the Himalayas to beckoning Nepal.
Random stuff:
- Total population is somewhere in the region of 29 million
- The capital is Kathmandu, once thought by some to be the fabled Shangri-La
- An estimated 2.5 million live in the capital and its streets are heaving with people and traffic
- 8 out of 10 of the world's highest mountains are in Nepal, the highest peak being, of course, Mount Everest (Sagamatha)
- The word ‘Himalaya” in Sanskrit means 'abode of snow'
- Nepal has the densest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Kathmandu Valley comprises the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, home to seven World Heritage Sites
- Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient of all the holy shrines (there was probably a shrine here as far back as the 1st century) in Kathmandu Valley. It's also known as Monkey Temple because of the resident macaque monkeys which roam freely across the site
- Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag. The country's flag is maroon with two stacked triangles but we didn't spot it anywhere
- The traditional greeting is 'Namaste', said with palms together on the chest and head slightly bowed
- Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with about half of its population living below the poverty line and many living in shacks
- Althugh officially secular, Hinduism is the main religion of Nepal (90%) with a dash of Tibetan Buddhism (5%) and a pinch of Islam (3%) and a smidgeon of a few others such as Jainism and Christianity (2%)
- Nepal is the birthplace of the Lord Buddha
- Kathmandu is ranked among the 20 most polluted cities of Asia and the city is often shrouded in a thick haze
- Nepal has over 80 ethnic groups and 123 languages are spoken
- Rice is the staple food with Dal Bhat (lentils and rice) the national dish
- November is rice drying time and the grain is spread on large tarpaulins. Any available space in villages and towns, including the central square, is filled with drying rice, watched over by women who periodically rake and turn it to ensure it is dried evenly
- The favourite national snack is a plate of steamed dumplings or momos which can be either savoury or sweet. We were shown how to make these by a family in Kathmandu who invited us into their home to have lunch
- Kathmandu has the most worryingly chaotic tangle of electric cables and wires ever seen
- Nepal has the only living goddess (Kumari) in the world. She is a pre-pubescent girl selected from the Newari community. The Kumari is revered and worshipped and, whilst there are several throughout Nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu who lives in a palace in the centre of the city. She appears briefly in an upstairs window at certain times. Photographs are forbidden
- Sadhus are wandering holy men ('good men') who have relinquished worldly possessions and attachments including homes and families to dedicate their lives to attaining motska or enlightenment through meditation. The Sadhus cover themselves with ash or chalk, and paint their faces according to the deity they have devoted themselves to