A Taste of Nepal

Nepal is Fun! "Namaste" from Nepal! Before we left for Kathmandu, Nepal, we had many fears on safety, food, smell, cleanliness and the people. But our short journey of 3-4 days have awakened us on how nice Nepal is as a country.

We had historical briefs from our tour guide, Mr. B who informed us about the one day revolution led by the Gen Z. Nepal is now under a new govt led by young leaders. Balendra "Balen" Shah, a 35-year-old former rapper and structural engineer, was sworn in as Nepal's youngest-ever Prime Minister on March 27, 2026. The corrupt and former leaders were imprisoned for 2 weeks and released but are still under investigation. Under the 2-month govt there have been drastic reforms which the people supported. Stricter rules on being late to work is imposed. If I remember correctly, there will be penalties if you get late twice. So usually, the working people are in a hurry during the early morning rush hours.

Accdg to Mr. B, the Nepalese people are the "laziest" people in the world because they do not manufacture anything - all goods (cars, equipment, clothes, etc mostly come from China and India). The two countries that "sandwiched" Nepal. This may be the reason why there are many Nepalese who work abroad like our OFWs. At the departure section of the airport, it was crowded with relatives and friends of departing workers to bid them goodbye and wish for blessings (their foreheads are marked with a red spot symbolizing wish for blessings).

The Nepalese people are very nice, kind and honest. They also speak English well because it is required in their schools. They are very confident to speak with foreigners in English unlike in other countries. They are honest - when we were shoping for shawls which usually have a brand, "Cashmere" - the store owner stated that the item is not a real "Cashmere" so he guided us to another shop which sells tha authentic items. They are not "smelly" or "stinky" unlike their curry-loving neighbors - maybe because their curry food is milder than the ones cooked in India?

They are clean like Pinoys - the toilets I used in restos and shops - all have bidets! I was surprised because at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (except the newest wing), the toilets do not have bidets! During our tour around the city, the streets and sidewalks are clean - there are no garbage around - I really observe this cleanliness (as a matter of fact, you can not find any garbage can - I wonder where the people throw their ordinary trash?).

The city and its sorroundings are peaceful. Shops closed at 830pm, except at Thamel, the tourist area. No drinking, no smoking! Walking along the shopping area streets is comfortable although sometimes you need to yield to the motorcycles. There may be some sales people announcing their goods as you walk but they will not pester you. I assume the people are not rich but they seem to have a liking for brands. You can see electric BYD cars everywhere, branded shops for shoes and clothes (North Face, Levi's, Adidas, etc). Popular items for sale are shawls, paintings, daggers and the singing bowl. They are modern people but with tradition and culture intact in them.

Mr. B brought us to different restos for lunch and dinner. So how is their food? It depends on your taste if you have an inkling for their curry flavors ( even biscuits have that flavor), then you will enjoy. Nepali cuisine is a diverse blend of flavors with the common staples like dal bhat (lentil soup and rice) and their "national" food, the savory dumplings known as "momos." I loved their naan flat bread and I just dipped it in any of their curry-flavored delicacies. Their Basmati rice paired with a main curry dish is ok. Mr. B advised us about their food - "just try and taste." And that's what we did - taste and enjoy what we like, reject what we don't like (but taste really depends on the person. Some of us didn't enjoy one delicacy but some of our companions loved eating the same delicacy and even asked for extra serving). There are also Chinese restos and Korean restos with a twist to Nepalese taste. By the way, there is no McDo or Starbucks there. But there is a KFC. There is also the Himalayan Java Coffee shops. Cows are sacred to them, they dont eat beef. They have burgers - maybe the patty meat is from buffalo or chicken. Their agricultural products (rice, fruits, veggies) are not for import just for their own supply. You can say they are self-sustaining with respect to food.

Kathmandu, the city we visited and where our conference was, is like Manila and Baguio City - combined - a city sorrounded by mountains, sometimes with heavy traffic and full of motorbikes along narrow streets. The Hyatt Centric Hotel where we stayed was luxurious. The venue of the conference, Soaltee Kathmandu was attractive. It has well designed conference and meeting rooms. The organizers led by Prod. Amod Dixit of NSET were very welcoming, accommodating and organized.

Of course the number one attraction of Nepal is Mt. Everest which some of us attemped to see via chartered plane but were not successful due to the weather. Mt Everest, inspite being the tallest mountain is shy and evasive (unlike Mt. Fuji of Japan and Mt. Mayon of the Philippines - standing tall and proud!), so you are lucky if you can even have a glimpse of it during your flight to or from Nepal. So if you asked if we will come back to Nepal after that short visit. Hmmmm, the answer is a YES! As a matter of fact, our companions - mostly from the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP are looking forward to a meeting at the AIT, Bangkok, Thailand and they will take this opportunity to have a side-trip to Nepal just to have a view of the Mt. Everest peak.

We were are Kathmandu, Nepal for about 3 to 5 days only. It was just a taste of Nepal. I wonder what kind of experience will there be for those who stay longer for some more than 3 months - the mountain trekkers who invest so much to get to the "Peak of Nepal"?

(Climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest in 2026 generally costs between $40,000 and over $130,000+ per person, with standard guided expeditions averaging around $60,000–$70,000.)