I have decided to break up the description of my adventures into a few parts, the first of which I will focus on cultural differences that were occurring during all of the action. These culture shocks are based on my own experiences in Kathmandu, Doti, Chitwan, Pokhara, and the many stops in between.
FOOD
I am always a little nervous traveling abroad as a vegetarian. Sometimes, you get very lucky and don't have to sacrifice any nutritional value to adapt to what is available. And sometimes, you eat a lot of rice.
While there is a wide variety of food available in many of the tourist areas, ranging from Indian to Italian, the countryside of Nepal is much more limited. In Kathmandu, I enjoyed veggie curry with naan and lassis aside every meal. I even lucked out with some Thai curry or alu paratha, and toast was always a treat for breakfast. Still, even with many restaurants catering to vegetarians, or shaka haaris, my protein intake suffered. I only found one restaurant offering tofu which was two days before I left, and I gobbled up an entire plate with chapatha.
Unfortunately, I did make the mistake of trying a traditional Nepali food, that, while being delicious, also happened to be meat. After sticking it in my mouth, I realized my mistake, but felt I couldn't simply spit it out with everyone watching me....
What is also traditional is eating with your hands. I attempted this in Kathmandu and epicly failed. I ate thali, which means "plate," that dal bhat (rice with dal) is served on with pickle and other items. The other traditional food that saved our taste buds was momos, or Nepali dumplings. We were constantly wishing we had mo' momos, and ordered them until we were sick.
In Doti and many other places that serve only traditional food, I was guaranteed two things every meal: dal bhat. Masu, or meat, is often offered in two dishes to be eaten with the dal bhat. (By the way, for you masu eaters: the Nepalese use as much of the animal as they can, so you will often find more bones on your plate than actual meat. Yum.)
Typically, there was another vegetable dish to also eat with dal bhat, so somedays I could devour cauliflower or peppers as well. While it was delicious, my fruit and protein barometer were going berserk. We were advised to eat nothing that was uncooked, and I stayed away from most dairy products and fruit until giving in during the last week. It also became rather redundant, so I found myself having to "carb my enthusiasm" to the endless supply of rice. What also didn't help was that ever since I was a kid, I have always finished every grain of rice on my plate due to a Chinese saying that suggests for every grain left, it will be a pockmark on your future spouse's face.
I only got sick once during the trip, after eating a fried dough delicacy in Doti that the teachers had prepared for all of us. It was something like a churro, only perhaps more deep fried. We were also very amicably served light bread fried in oil that we were told was very labor intensive but did not make our taste buds or stomaches very happy.
After my first day in Kathmandu experiencing terrible coffee at what was supposed to be a great restaurant, I avoided the beverage altogether until my last day. For an avid coffee drinker, this was rather distressing simply because I love the taste of it. I did have delicious masala tea throughout Doti, but drank too much with my Nepali "churro" and avoided it for the remainder.
What was also a huge change for me was that I did not have dessert. Ever. With the exception of the first night, we were typically too full from dinner or weary of dairy products/fruit that we never ate anything sweet. I think this lack of empty calories compensated for the huge portions we ate throughout the day.
Needless to say, as soon as I stepped off the plane in America, I gave in to purchasing a cup of coffee and banana from the nearest Starbucks in the airport, and somehow, it was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. In the past 24 hours, I have done nothing but eat fruit and ice-cream to my heart's content.
TIME
One of the greatest adjustments for us Americans was the cultural difference of time and punctuality. Having just been to Costa Rica and exposed to "Tico Time," I didn't feel a huge culture shock upon discovering that dinner at 7p.m. usually means leaving at 7:30p.m. and perhaps making it to the restaurant by 8p.m. and eating by 9p.m.
I'd like to think that I typically arrive on time or just "fashionably" late by 10 or 15 minutes max, but it didn't really bother me that our schedule was constantly changing and falling farther and farther behind. I knew it would be a waste of energy getting angry at whomever was "holding up" the events, and that if we showed up "on time," no one else would be prepared.
An example of this was a ceremony we attended where we handed out backpacks to students. While we were supposed to arrive at 9:30 in order to unload the supplies and begin the speeches by 10, some members of our group went to a temple and didn't arrive back at our hotel until 10. There was some frustration among those waiting that we were being very rude and holding up the ceremony. The reality was that had we showed up at 9:30, no one would have been at the school to welcome us and we would have waited until 11 or so for the ceremony to even begin! So while punctuality may be different than I'm accustomed to, eventually things get done, so you might as well enjoy the views of the mountains or pet some goats instead of worrying.
TOILETS/SANITATION
Ok. So. How does one even write about this subject? How do I begin to describe my experiences with the "toilets" of Nepal?
Traditionally, "toilets" are just holes in the ground. Porcelain holes in the ground. There is a lack of toilet paper and typically a small faucet with which to wash your hands a few inches above the ground. Sometimes there was a bucket under this faucet, but a lot of time the water would just go onto the floor and toward a drainage hole on the opposite side of the bathroom shack. So, when you walk in to use the hole and the floor is wet, you can only guess what you're walking in.
This also becomes a huge issue with sanitation, and a reason it is very rude to eat/pass anything with your left hand. Washing hands is highly encouraged, but when this is unavailable, many children become sick. Also, in Doti, many children don't even have access to "toilets" and just use public areas. I witnessed many people urinating in public in Kathmandu (a good reason to avoid any puddles you can). Many problems form as a result of this.
In all honesty, I would have preferred just using my natural, earthy surroundings to these "bathrooms." Think of the worst toilet at a gas station that you refused to use, and you get a close picture of the public restrooms. Luckily, for many of my hotel experiences, there was an actual standing toilet I was blessed with to use.
Unfortunately, some of the "showers" were just faucets a few feet higher and to the left of the toilet and on the same ground. Shower shoes were a necessity, to say the least.
LANGUAGE/CUSTOMS/HAGGLING
What was perhaps the most frustrating part of the trip was the language barrier. Whenever I travel abroad, I have at least somewhat of a grasp on the language where I can communicate many of my thoughts and have conversations with others. This was not the case in Nepal. I attempted to teach myself a few phrases before we left, and picked up some slang from my good friends who were constantly whispering come-backs to shout at each other.
We had to rely on our native friends for translation, who also happened to be the ones in charge of all of the events. What was frustrating for us must have been hell for them, as we kept pestering them to say something in addition to planning and organizing everything.
I did find that everyone reacted with such surprise and joy when I spoke simple Nepali. I would meet someone and say, "Miro naam Emily ho. Ma khushee laigyo" (My name is Emily, I am happy/nice to meet you) and their eyes would widen and they would repeat what I said with laughter. Even when my grammar was off and I mispronounced easy phrases, everyone greatly appreciated my attempts.
Some cultural customs that I picked up on include nodding your head left to right instead of up and down. Also, when you hand someone anything, you use your right hand and place your left hand near your right elbow so your left arm is folded across your chest. This is considered polite, and many of the venders in touristy areas were shocked when I did these things.
In Thamel, the tourist shopping center, streets are lined with venders all selling the same things. They traditionally try their hardest to rip off tourists, and with exchange rates and other things, it usually works. The first pair of pants I bought I overpaid by 5x and learned my lesson. I am typically terrible at haggling and always want to pay more than I should. After hearing how often tourists are ripped off though, I became adamant about bargaining.
Tips on haggling: walk in and act as if you're somewhat interested in something. Let's say it's a shawl. Then ask "Kati ho?" or "How much?" Perhaps they will reply "500 rubees." From that you shake your head and say "No. Mahango (expensive). 250 rubees." (We were told that whatever they said the price was, divide by two).
They will then reply, "What! This is typical Nepali price. Because we are friends, though, I will give it for 400. This is good." Respond with, "Nope. I can get it down the street for 250 rubees." When they say, "Ok, 300," you then proceed to leave and say, "Nope, I will go down the street." Usually, they will yell, "Ok! Fine! 250!" If not, walk two feet down to the next vender with the same exact item.
Three weeks ago, my mom announced that we were going to Costa Rica. I have become accustomed to making elaborate plans that never follow through (such as backpacking in Peru, driving up to Virginia, skiing in Colorado,