Press your hands together and say Namaste to watch the people of Nepal return your gesture with some of the largest most welcoming smiles in the world. It may seem cliche but Nepal's people are some of the most friendly you will ever encounter. Namaste the common form of greeting each other in Nepal, means in Sanskrit "the divine in me bows to the divine in you".
Nepal is a diverse country and home to multiple religions, race, tribes, and cultures. The country with over 100 ethnic groups is litterly a melting pot of many (more then 90) languages and ethnicity.
It's fascinating to learn how all these different groups of people adapted to their environment in their own ways. Becuase of the innaccessibilty of the mountains you can vistit people for who it seemed time stood still. Oxes plough the land, black smiths make the tools the villagers need still with hand, food is prepared Chulo's the Nepali wood oven's made of mud. Visiting Nepali villages is like visiting an open air history museum.
In the big cities of Nepal modern live is mixed with ancient traditions mostly visible during festivals, but who walks through the small alleys of Kathmandu or Patan where buyers and sellers of handicrafts, spices and clothes give life to a unique city experience you will only find in Nepal its also feels like you are thrown back in history.
Did you know that when you meet people in Nepal they will probably ask; "Have you had your tea?" or "Have you had your lunch?" instead of asking "How are you?". However, the primary intention is to know about your health. So, if you honestly answer that you haven't, then there is a high probability that you'll get invited to their place in the very next conversation.
Perhaps, this is the major reason, why a tourist cannot remain a tourist for a long time in Nepal. Once a tourist begins to know the place and its people, he is no longer a stranger - he is a valued guest, and guests are considered Gods in Nepal.
The best ways to meet the people of Nepal are during trekking, strolling the streets of the cities and during one of several day tours offered by local tourism operators.
Experience to be treated as a God on you next visit to Nepal.
No comments:
Post a Comment