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)