Money, Money

I was reading a post of "10 things I wish I knew before I went to Thailand." One of these was to have lots of small bills. I definitely learned this the first time I was in Thailand and it is the same in Nepal. Both have a highly cash economy and many people are poor enough whereby giving them a 1000 rupee note ($10.00) or a 1000 Baht note ($32.00) can cause hardship or even problems.

In Nepal, 1 rupee = 1 cent. They do have 1 and 2 rupee coins, but few people use them. Most just round to the nearest 5 rupees, which is their smallest bill. They have bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 rupees.

This may seem like a lot of money, but it is only about $200. From the bottom you can see 5 (red), 10 (white), 20 (red), 50 (blue), 100 (green, and 1000 (white) notes. I have no 500 rupee notes as they are not used much. The 1000 rupee notes are "the reserve" and the rest is spending cash.

Now, if I go to a big place, a restaurant, a big store, or a western coffee shop, I always break a 1000 rupee bill. That saves the smaller bills for all the tiny stores, Foodmandu, and taxi drivers.

In Thailand the situation is pretty similar. I made the mistake of converting all my Thai Baht to Nepali rupees when I arrived the first time. So, I had to start over collecting small bills when I arrived. That was one reason it was a mistake. The other reason is that foreign money is a treasure in Nepal. It is illegal to take cash out of the country. So, if you do, it is useless as no bank or currency exchange will exchange it for you. My US reserve has been decreasing. So, I plan to take back an extra $2000 - $3000 in Thai Baht to Nepal. Although not as good as US money, any foreign money is coveted by Nepalis and makes them happy and agreeable.

(20, 100, 500, 1000 Baht bills)

In Thailand they have 1, 2, 5, and 10 Baht coins. Bills start at 20 and go 50, 100, 500, 1000 baht. 1 Baht = 3 cents. Again, the 500 baht is seldom used and the 1000 baht note is your cash reserve. Whenever I go to a restaurant, a big store, or a 7-11, I break a 1000 baht bill and accumulate change. The change is needed for small stores, street vendors, and taxis. A taxi ride is usually 70 to 150 baht. If you hand them a 1000 baht note, they will tell you they don't have change and thank you for the tip. Of course, you tell them you want your change. They will happily explain they don't have change and walk with you all over Thailand looking for change. They don't really expect the money. But, they enjoy wasting 30-60 minutes of your time to teach you rich westerner a lesson. So, always have change!

Namaste from the Land Of Smiles (Thailand)

Nepali Transport

Nepal is definitely a third world country. It has one International airport. The restrooms are messy. But, it is small with only 5 gates. So, it is easy to get around and the people are very nice. However, anyone that helps you expects a tip. The one runway is closed a couple of times a year due to lack of maintenance.

Nepal has no railroads. It is landlocked and at the mercy of India. So, Nepalis not only have to pay for graft of Nepali officials, but also Indian officials that can close the border due to "shortages" in India.

Intercity is by plane or bus. Nepal has 2 of the 10 most dangerous airports in the world. Bus travel is semi-reliable.

Intracity, there is both public and private transport.

Public transport starts with buses:

They are old and contribute to lots of smog. To get from the bus stop to your neighborhood, you ride a tempo.

These have a bench on each side. This one is so crowded that someone has to stand on the back step in order to ride. More than half of the tempos are like this. Buses and tempos don't have a schedule. They wait at the end of the route until they are (over)full. For the small Nepali middle class and westerners, there are taxis.

They don't use the meter. Nepalis pay 100 - 200 rupees ($1.00 - $2.00). Westerners always are charged $5.00, no matter where we want to go. So, I very seldom go anywhere.

Personal transportation starts with cars.

This is a big car by Nepali standards. It probably cost about $40,000 after the 300% tax they have on cars and motorcycles. You can get a nice tiny car for $33,000. So, average Nepalis save up for a motorcycle.

Besides walking, of course, they ride bikes, 4 wheel:

3 wheel:

And, 2 wheel:

Business take into account small streets and large taxes by having tiny vans and trucks:

People still manage to get around. Here is a family of 4 on their way somewhere. The little girl is sitting in front of dad and another child is between dad and mom.

It looks like they are dressed uo to go somewhere nice. Note that the motorcycle in front of them also has a family of 4 as both motorcycles weave in and out of traffic. Any space is fair game - in between lanes, in between cars.

Namaste from The Land Of Smiles

Ho Ho Ho

Coke is everywhere in the world. Since it is Christmas time in Nepal, Coke's Santa is everywhere, also.

Here are two. But, it seems almost every business has one inside or out.

Namaste from The Land Of Smiles

Rereward

I didn't bring my Bible with me to Thailand (to save weight). However, I do have a pocket New Testament. I brought My Utmost For His Highest and Amy Carmichael's If to study while I am here.

Dec. 31 study in My Utmost For His Highest uses the word rereward. I thought it meant re-reward, which kind of makes sense in context. However, I looked it up on the internet and it is actually an archaic spelling of rearward and it means rearguard. This makes a whole lot of more sense in context of the devotional passage for Dec. 31.

"Our yesterdays present irreparable things to us; it is true that we have lost opportunities which will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future."

"He will watch lest things trip us up again into like failure, as they assuredly would do if He were not our rereward (rearguard.)"

Namaste from The Land Of Smiles

Pacemaker Backup

Things are a bit behind the times here in Nepal. But, hey, if it works . . .

Up, Up, and Awayyyyyyy

I've come to Bangkok (Dec. 28 to Jan 11) for two weeks. My VISA expired on Dec. 30 and I had to leave Nepal for 2 days. I am definitely ready for a break. I am doing well in being thrifty. I am still living on my SSI checks plus my cash savings I brought. I haven't had to spend any money in my stock account except for the tithe, of course.

However, I seem to be snakebit by one luxery: Business Class. It cost $500 for round trip via Kuala Lumpur (3 hours, 16 hour layover, and 2 hours.) It cost $700 for a 3.5 hour flight (round trip) straight to Bangkok. That was definitely preferable. It cost $900 for the same round trip flight to go business class instead of sardine class. Well,

The hot towel says it all. It is nice to get away from the terrible air in Kathmandu valley:

I definitely had more energy when I arrived in Bangkok. Since it is at sea level and Kathmandu is a mile up, there is more oxygen. Without the smog, my lungs can actually absorb the extra oxygen. The view would be amazing if there was no smog.

The Himalayas are beautiful in the background. Nepal is a mostly empty country outside the very crowded Kathmandu Valley. Here is a river valley. I hope to go fishing when I get back to Nepal.

Namaste from The Land Of Smiles (Thailand)

Moooo-ve It!

Saw my first cows, today. It is illegal to kill a cow in Nepal. Some people have them for their milk. Patan is in the Kathmandu Valley next to Kathmandu. It is like Corona and about half the land is still farmed. In the city their are larger gated houses that have room for a cow. The problem is getting rid of them. Apparently, someone left their gate open (on purpose?).

So, this cow was walking down the street. I was going to the store. I came back this way about 30 minutes later and the cow had met a bull that was pushing it backwards.

This picture is taken about 100 feet behind the last picture. Apparently, the cow walked until it met the bull which pushed it backwards (toward the right) all the way back here. It continued pushing it another 50 feet until the cow turned around. Then they walked in circles in the traffic.

They don't have an animal control here. There are about 3 stray dogs per 100 feet of street. At night if one starts barking, then you get barking by all of them for a couple of minutes. They (a volunteer group) did round up all the dogs about a year ago and gave them shots. Then, they returned them to the exact locations where they found them.

Even though you can't get beef, you can get buffalo anywhere. I get buffalo sausages at the cold store. At restaurants you can order buffalo, chicken, or vegetable dishes, like fried rice, momo's, etc. Momo's (translated: steam steam) is a dumpling filled with something and then steamed to cook the dough. Then they are either put in a soup, covered in sauce, or fried. I have had fried buffalo momo a couple of times delivered by foodmandu. I figure the frying will kill anything plus I microwave them to be sure.

Namaste from The Roof Of The World

Traveling To India?

Traveling to India? Nepal and India are sister countries in a way. So, here are a few things to look out for. They apply to Nepal. But, they probably apply to India as well.

1. They can't afford heating/cooling, so they leave their windows open. In addition, most stores and markets are open air, so expect lots of dirt. Think of your house after a month of no dusting. That is a normal day here. Even if you buy a bag of potato chips, you will have to clean it off. They also don't have screens. So, bug lotion may help with the mosquitoes.

2. They have 220 volts and different plugs. Most US electronics are now rated for both 110 and 220 volts. Mine are. Check yours. Be sure to bring a universal adapter for the electrical plug. If you are just bringing a phone, you can buy a small universal adapter just for USB cords.

3. A huge number of people speak English. You shouldn't have any trouble finding English speaking people. Both Nepal and India use the Devangari script. The hard part is their accent. I sometimes have to ask them to repeat themselves 2 or 3 times to understand their English. You have to train your ear for the accent. You can practice by listening to native Indians and Nepalis talk. It is interesting that all schools teach English here in Nepal and in the cities, all classes are taught in English. In fact, they are punished if they speak any Nepali in school.

4. "Wai" or "Wai" not? The Wai is when you put your hands together and bow. It was standard in Thailand by order of the King (for Thais). I haven't seen it Nepal. But, I here it originated in India. As a westerner, I don't wai. I just smile a lot, am polite, and say thank you a lot.

5. Namaste means hello. The "a"'s are like the a in father. the -ste is pronounced like stay. Na-ma-ste. The accent is on the LAST syllable. Na-ma-STE.

6. Gastrointestinal problems - expect them. Bring lots of imodium, at least 50 tablets or so.

a. Drink only bottled water, pop. or beer. Make sure the cap is sealed on the bottled water. They do refill the bottles with tap water. Make sure the plastic cap and ring are still intact AND the shrink wrap plastic is still on the cap. Return any suspicious bottles.

b. Eat only cooked food that is still hot. I avoid coffee at restaurants, though. However, I have had a few Americanos with no problem.

c. Don't eat food that has set out (example: pastries). Bugs have already deposited their germs.

d. If you get sick, you will lose a day on the toilet and feel crappy for a day. Keep taking Immodium until you can fart. That is such a great feeling. The good thing is is that you will be stopped up for 3-5 days and can now be active again.

e. Package food is usually O.K. It is packaged in India, under license if a western brand, like Nescafe or Lay's. Canned goods and food that is cooked during preparation (chips, noodles, coffee, etc) should be O.K. I do stay away from packaged fruit and juice. Canned fruit juice should be O.K.

f. You can bring a steri pen to make sure your water is safe (and extra batteries). There are also tablets you can buy at the camping store. Thinking of this as a zombie apocalypse is good preparation.

g. Tubes or dispensers of waterless soap can be handy. Since you wash your hands with tap water, post washing with waterless soap can be helpful.

7. Money can be gotten from ATM's and money changers. Get a debit card from your bank and memorize the PIN, which shouldn't be anything obvious. Make sure your debit card has a chip. Money changers are usually available. Be sure to tell them how much money you are handing them. They may drop a bill or two while they count your money where you can't see it behind a counter. In fact, count it out first in front of them. I didn't have any problems in Thailand where everything is done in the open. But, I have in Nepal.

8. Washing machines are rare. You will have to send your clothes out to be cleaned. Allow 4 days. Keep that in mind or you may get caught short of clean clothes. You can wash your socks and underwear in the sink or in the shower with you using regular soap (bring soap and toilet paper.) You can let them dry in your room. They don't have wash cloths or extra towels. If you want a wash cloth, bring one.

9. Be sure to be home or near home by dark. They have no street lights and stores are closed. It can get very dark outside. After dark, travel by taxi.

10. Negotiate BEFORE you accept any product or service. If it has a price tag (rare), that is the price. Otherwise, unless you get to know them, the price is what they say it is. A Nepali may pay $1.50 for a cab ride. A westerner may have to accept a price of $5.00 as the drivers may refuse to agree to less. If you don't agree to a price beforehand, you may be charged $20.00.

11. Carry your passport at all times (and keep it safe.) You will have to show your passport and they have to take a photocopy for money changers, phone sims, and hotels. Make sure they give it back to you. NEVER leave your passport with anyone but a police officer or immigration official (and get their name and ID info.) If you leave your passport, they will think up many "charges" you have to pay before they will give it back. You passport may end up costing you $500 - $2000 dollars to get it back. And, the police may side with them (and get a %).

12. Transportation is a nightmare. Except for taxis, don't expect to go anywhere. Women are routinely groped on buses. Taxis are very small. They will take a group of 5 big adults expecting you to fit in a VW bug. Most public transport doesn't have schedules. They go when they are full. New people have to hang out the door and if you are on a seat, you may not be able to get off. Be careful when walking. If walking in the street, cars, trucks, and motorcycles consider 1/2 inch plenty of room between you and them as they whiz by.

13. They don't believe in lines or taking your turn here. Be prepared to assert yourself.

Remember, you are rich. They make $100/month, so, in their mind, you can afford to give them $20 extra. On the other hand, most of these people are extremely nice and will help you whenever they can.

Namaste From The Top Of The World

Flashback: Big Street (Aug 3 - 21)

About 3 blocks away the streets were big enough that I could have a taxi bring me to my area to here at least. I just call this the big street.

Here is a 3 picture set of the corner I came out of. We see a bicycle rickshaw. Like lots of things in Nepal it requires a big step up. This shuts me out. I guess if you are a Nepali and can't live in the mountains, you make your own mountains. Many steps are 12 - 18 inches high. There are some stores I just don't shop at because of this.

My apartment hotel also has a huge front step. Fortunately, I made it up, which surprised me. I had to pull with both arms. What surprised me is that my left arm didn't hurt when I did it. It hurt a lot when I did the same thing getting into a bus in Kuala Lumpur 3 months ago. So, my left arm is gradually healing. Fortunately, my apartment has a side entrance for little old ladies and me. So, I use it. They are used to  it and come to the door to unlock it when they see me approaching.

Being able to pull myself up using my left arm, as well as my right arm, will be necessary when I take the bus to school in February. They have few curbs here. So, it is a big step up into a bus.

I just noticed that as I took the 3 pictures one after another, you can see the same guy (pink shirt, light blue pants) in all 3 pictures as he walks along.

The second picture is after I turn 45 degrees left and you see the parking lot, which is motorcycles, the predominate mode of transportation here. Because of the 250% import tax for vehicles, motorcycles cost about $3000 for a smaller one (250 - 300 cc's). A small $15,000 car is $52,500 after taxes. That is why there are so few and are expected to run forever. Car parts are not taxed that way, so fixing a car is much cheaper than buying one. This means the taxis are used forever.

The third picture shows how huge this street is. This is an amazingly wide street for Nepal.

I did a lot of shopping on this street. The ATM was on the right side. On the left side were the pharmacy, the bag store, and a shop that now carries peanut butter because I was disappointed they didn't have it. Next time I walked by, the lady held up a bottle and yelled at me, "We have peanut butter!"

Notice how little their trucks are. Their vans are the same way. With such a cheap truck/van, they can get one for $20,000 - $25,000 after import tax.

Namaste from The Top Of The World

Flashback: Freak Street (Aug. 3 - 21)

The first driveable street from the little street of my first hotel was Freak Street. As it happens, they were having the annual Freak Street Festival. Lots of decorations during the day and bands at night.

This is looking north from the intersection toward Durbur Square. They kept the area mostly free of motorcycles by using cops, so pedestrians could walk the festival area easier. Top: Festival week. Bottom: Post Festival week.

On the bottom picture the yellow round sign is Falcha Cafe. I ate Fish and Chips about every third day there (no salad nor salsa, only cooked food.) I also had 1 or 2 Americanos each time.

This is looking out from Falcha Cafe as I watched the people walk by. You can see 3 restaurants across the street, left, right, second floor windows. There are zillions of little businesses here. One of the restaurants, Kumari's, is where I think I got sick the first time. I never went back.

At the corner, Mario and some other creature made an appearance. People rushed to take pictures in the street blocking traffic for a few minutes. The drivers honk continuously. But, the picture takers just ignored them, as did the police.

Looking south from the intersection you can see the local cyber cafe, 20 rupees per hour. It is also where I got my phone card.

Looking east from the intersection is a street that leads to a bigger street where you can catch a taxi (see big street post.) That shop on the corner is a bakery. I was so happy from walking around that day, I bought a cake for the hotel staff, guests, and me. I got sick a second time, either from the cake or a coffee I had at the hotel with the cake. So, no more cake and only cooked food and bottled drinks from the hotel. And, I haven't got sick anymore in these last 4 weeks.

This is looking west, back toward my hotel The last 50 yards opens up. That Ginger cafe on the left is the second place I ate about every third day. For 240 rupees I got eggs, toasts, fries, and a bottled sprite.

Namaste from The Top Of The World

Home, Sweet, Home - 1. The Room

"Honey, I'm home!" After 7 months of living out of my suitcase, I am finally in a place where I can totally unpack. If/when I move, I will hire a couple of people.

There will be 4 related posts dealing with my move in.

I have overspent. But, I think it will be O.K. I had my choice in this place:

200 sq ft room = $300 + 13% VAT
250 sq ft room = $400 + 13% VAT
300 sq ft room + air conditioning = $600 + 13% VAT

I was leaning toward the middle one. However, he made an offer I decided to take advantage of:

The 300 sq ft room + air conditioning for $550, VAT included. This is a savings of over $100. This area of the town is the U.N. area. You will see how this benefits me in all 4 posts. But, basically, there are 12 apartments here. This size is 5 of them and they are the hardest to rent and the other 4 are empty. The other 7 apartments/rooms are rented. The 3 big ones ($1200 + 13% VAT) are 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and they are rented by U.N people with generous housing allowances. 4 of them are the 2 smaller size studio apartments and they are usually rented on a daily basis ($25 & $30 per night) by U.N. people. I'm the odd one here.

It includes everything, except laundry service. Also, I will have to pay for my cell phone. Laundry will be about $25/month and phone will be less than $5/month. This is about $200 over my budget. However, I still have a couple of dozen Franklins left from my original savings. They will last me a year. By then, I should be back up to least $300/month income from my variants.

Anyway, my Premium Studio Apartment includes a kitchenette with refrigerator, burner, and water boiler. I can request all the pots, pans, plates, silverware, and other utensils I want and they will bring them right up (remember, the U.N. employees are working hard and need all these things (grin)).

I also get a microwave, a jar of good water refilled whenever I want. I will use this for cooking only. I will boil this water first in the water boiler. There is a toaster on top of the microwave.

I also get a flat screen TV with lots of cable channels, although I may never use it.

By the way, my rent includes water, gas, and electric. Also, I pay month-to-month with no deposits or fees of any kind. My apartment in Thailand still has 10,000 baht of mine and I doubt I will ever see that $330 again.

I have a sitting area. This will be my "study Nepali" area two hours every day. To the right is my desk area. It will be my work area for my book and my variants.

This is the other half of the room. I have 2 wardrobes on the left and a bathroom on the right. On the far right where you cannot see is another table for dining. That will be my daily Bible study station, while I drink coffee.

I have a safe to keep my valuables or U.N. secrets in.

Last, I have the typical Asian bathroom with instant heat in the shower. As you can see, it is run on gas rather than electricity - a legacy from when KTM didn't have 24 hour electricity. Can't have U.N workers taking cold showers.

Namaste from The Roof Of The World

Flashback: In the Bowels of Kathmandu

My first hotel, Wanderlust Hotel was a tiny hotel on a tiny "street," south of Durbur Square.

As you can see from inside the gate of the hotel, our street is a whopping 6.5 feet (tiles) wide.

At least 10 motorcycles per minute sped by. This was a shortcut between 2 major roads. Walking down the narrow street was an adventure.

There was no night staff, although you could call their mobile phone at any time and they would answer. They locked the gate around 10:30 or 11:00 pm. Notice the doorbell on the upper left. If the gate was locked, you reached through the bars and pushed the bell and they would come down. They had a room on the first floor (2nd floor to us Americans.)

Here is a picture looking into the hotel doorway. To the left of those steps is a couch that I would sit on reading and watching traffic. Occasionally, someone would stop and talk. Sometimes they would offer to sell me hashish. Remember that sign on the far left.

Here is a shot westward, the opposite way I would leave the hotel. Remember that sign on the left? That little sliver just past it was my hotel. Now imagine motorcycles going both ways passing each other with numerous pedestrians mixed in. It was crazy during the busy hours.

This picture was taken from the same spot as the last picture, except I have turned 180 degrees to the direction I would always go when I left the hotel. Notice it goes awhile and then jogs to the left a bit before opening up a bit.

All stores/business/houses seem to have steps. These are all stores. It is Saturday, their day off and some stores are closed. Even schools, banks, and government offices are open Sunday through Friday. Christian Churches meet on Saturdays in Nepal.

Now, let's walk down the street.

This picture is taken looking back at where I took the last picture.

Turning right 90 degrees we see a street branch off north from the street I am walking on. There are a lot of feral dogs in the area. Lots of people feed them to get good karma. So, they are usually friendly. Just another obstacle for the motorcycle riders.

The earthquake did a lot of damage 2 years ago. Here are 3 pictures; the first shows a building getting ready to be repaired, the second shows a building still not touched by repairs, and the third shows a building with lots of repair progress.

This third building that is 3 stories has an interesting background. A rich man who made his money selling hashish owned the whole block. When he died, his son sold the block, piece by piece. After the earthquake, the new owner hired a crew to rebuild it. When they were laying a new foundation, they found a cache of $5 million dollars left their by the old man who had died and never told his son about. The workers grabbed a bunch of money and split before the owner was notified who ran down to claim and grab it. The original son heard about it and claimed it. The government heard about it and claimed it. It ended up with the government getting half, the current owner getting half, and the original son getting nothing.

On to Freak Street!

Namaste from The Roof of the World

Flashback: Heavy Load

You see a lot of heavy loads in Nepal, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists (like here), motorbikes, or vehicles.

Notice the man in the middle of the picture carrying a refrigerator box full of stuff (hopefully, not an actual refrigerator.)

Namaste from The Roof of the World