A hasty retreat

Alas, I have been misled! It turns out that the newspaper report on which I based my musing on the new customs' rules upon entry was written partly in jest. There is apparently no limit on tricycles or used pens, but the limit on 1.15 liters of alcohol (anything stronger than beer) still applies.

With that off my shoulders, let me convey the Sunday-experience:
The family had decided to set forth to Gokarna (http://www.gokarna.com). We have made this trip earlier, and it takes about 20 minutes. The kids can play in the pool, while mum and dad get their golfing more under control at what is surely one of the most scenic driving-ranges anywhere:


This time was different. It was as if traffic was on adrenaline and testosterone combined. Scooters and motorbikes were all over, overtaking and cutting through traffic with scant regard of life and property. After 20 minutes we were not even at the airport. The main culprits in this is not so much traffic - it is the incredibly mismanaged bus-stops.

These are roadside and buses pile up since no bus wants to leave before it's certain that there are really no more passengers to collect. So when bus number 3 in line starts moving back and forth to get out, it will invariably jut into traffic at an acute angle. This will stop traffic from flowing. Of course, being in this position, it has given up its room to move to bus number 4 which has now inched forwards. Also, bus number 2 has not moved, so bus number 3 is not caught and can not move until bus number 2 lurches forwards. In the middle of all this madness, there are hundreds of bikes, scooters, motorcycles and pedestrians making their way in all directions. It is a madhouse, where the biggest vehicle wins. Thankfully, I'm in a Toyota Landcruiser so most traffic parts before me!

Upon getting to Gokarna, 40 minutes behind schedule, bliss set in. The kids hit the pool, we hit the driving range and all to the accompaniment of the sights and sounds of a large and healthy population of monkeys. The kids love'm! After a decent lunch, we made our return which was thankfully a much smoother experience. Thus the days pass...

Where to get the money?

No pictures today, as this is fresh from the press:

The government here has an ambitious and expansive budget for next year, and they expect foreign donors to double their contributions to this budget. That will be a long shot, with the lack of auditability and the haphazard ad hoc grants Nepal showcases so far.

In an effort to strengthen the revenue-base for the government, customs here recently revised the entry-forms for foreigners coming to Nepal. Since they have obviously tired of watching all people arriving hauling stacks of tricycles, arrivals will now only be allowed to bring one. I'm not joking, it's true. Only one tricycle per person. Some bureaucrat deserves an award for coming up with this.

Fishermen are also targetted, so only one rod per person please. And now for the piece de resistance: Only one USED fountain or ball pen per person. Better check if you have a spare pen in the bag somewhere, as it may land you with a hefty fine!

On alcohol, they are remarkably clear: Liquor up to 1.15 liters or 12 cans of beer. There's no mention of wine, but it seems to be OK with 2 bottles. At least I carried that and was waved through. Whether this is from the well-known gweilo/laowei effect is not know.

But why stop here, why not get more creative: "Excuse me, sir, but are you bringing more than one pair of shoes with you? You're going hiking you say? So these boots will be all you need then, sir. Your sandals look nice and are my father's size, thank you. And is that two backpacks you're carrying, sir? What on earth for, sir? You aim to take advantage of our people and use them as porters for the big one while you haul the light one? Sorry, sir, we can not agree to this attitude to the proud people of Nepal. Which one will you keep? The big one? Excellent, my daughter can use a new school-bag and this day-pack looks just the thing! How many pairs of socks do you have, sir? 7? Well you can only wear one pair at a time, with one pair drying - that's why we have the 2-pair limit, sir. Same applies to underwear, sir."

And I thought the US had the award for most inane entry-forms and -processes locked up. This is one area where I'm not happy to see competition. I invite other examples of entry-form madness from my readers!

Let me as a small postcript add that on my entries and exits to and from Nepal, Custom's have been nothing but professional and courteous, so there is evidence that the frontline has more sense than the desk-jockeys.

Newari art

I'm normally not very enthusiastic about non-culinary art. It's simple: I'm not an artsy person (too many black turtle-neck sweatered people uttering how "profound" or "significant" a "piece" is).

I'm also not in agreement with the Lonely Planet brigade of do-goody travellers who insist we always buy nothing but locally produced and sourced handicrafts with no environmental impact and only from locally-run shops (there is a limit to how much handicrafts you can cram into your place, and I'm sure the local economies will be happy to take your moeny also for other goods and services). On that foundation, I'm finding that it is still possible to build a solid appreciation for local skills in many areas.

Where I grew up, wood-carving conjures up images of traditionally painted woodwork desperately trying to regain some of the magic of Viking-age wood-art, often combined with folk-dancing. But what if there is a place where woodwork traditions have been handed down from generation to generation, a place where the woodworking is not merely for useability - but for sheer beauty? That place could very well be here in Nepal, where a minority called Newaris are famed for their wood-carving skills. The two images are from a Hindu-temple under construction nearby. The carvings are fresh and do not suffer when compared to much older specimens. This is the kind of local art I'd be happy to have one or two fantastic pieces (!) of, and finding these are now on my to-do list!

Dashain is here

Religion is so intertwined with everyday life here in Nepal that it is impossible to ignore or neglect. At times it appears that every streetcorner has a small image of a Hindu deity, a minor shrine or a stupa. Some of the most interesting exploring to be done, is to leave the main roads behind and simply dive into the narrow alleys and backyards in different parts of the city. You will be richly rewarded.

With religion being so pervasive, religious festivals will of course be celebrated with great gusto. We are now celebrating Dashain. Yesterday, several goats had their heads not-so-gently removed from their bodies here at the office, and the resulting blood was splashed liberally over cars, offices and so on. This is a blessing, and will help keep the cars accident-free for the next year. If nothing else, the perception among Hindu Nepalis is that this will prevent accidents, and perception is reality as we all know. So who are we to argue or express disbelief?

In addition to the blood, they also festooned the interior of the cars in myriad ways. The steering-wheel, the handbrake, the pedals and the gear-shift had all been ceremoniously decorated - to the point where small garlands had been hung around the pedals. If there is as much as a scratch on "my" car the next year, there will be nothing to do but buy more goats next Dashain!

Is money ever clean?

In Hong Kong, the Chinese renminbi was referred to as "dirty money" after a tabloid asked a lab to do an analysis of bacteria-counts on different currencies and banknotes. The renminbi "won", having by far the highest number of bacteria. (On a side-note, Hong Kong now loves the renminbi since they believe it is what makes their wheels go round these days).

But is renminbi really the dirtiest? For the bacteria-phobes out there (Mr Panama, are you reading this?), I present a choice selection of Nepali banknotes. Pictures fail to convey just how incredibly sticky they are! A colleague today told me of an experiment he did: He on purpose left money in his trousers during washing, and was surprised that is some cases the money had become so slippery as to slide out from the pockets. What kind fat/wax/bacteria/dirt/dust-combination will cause that?

Exodus

Beijing was doing its very best to look appealing on the day I left. The sky was clear in a way only possible if you shut down factories for months and limit traffic severely. Heavy rains, some winds and the onset of autumn also helped. Beijing looked stunning: Mountains filling the horizon to the north and north-west, trees making an extra effort to be green before autumn sinks its teeth into their leaves and strips them bare. If only Beijing could be like this consistently, it might become a more attractive place to live...

I had a brief stop-over in Hong Kong with the family. I love that city! In what other world-class city can you enjoy a lovely beach in the morning, followed by a little al fresco Thai-food, only to head off to the airport shortly after? Having spent a few days visiting good friends, I moved on via Bangkok. The flight to Kathmandu from Bangkok was full, and I guess it's an auspicious sign that the new prime minister of Nepal was on the same plane as I. He came across as a pleasant man, impeccably behaved - as behooves a statesman.

The drawback was of course the complete shutdown of traffic to and from the airport in Kathmandu. So after clearing all hurdles on the way out, including the incessant requests for taking a taxi somewhere, there was no one there to meet me! My roaming SIM-card proved unable to work in Nepal so I was also incommunicado. Great - not! I was surrounded by eager taxi-touts, all clamoring for my business.

What to do? Here's why I love this part of the world: A man asked if I was waiting for someone, and after a little chatting offered me to use his phone. This I did and all logistical problems were clarified and settled. All I had to do was wait. I have waited in many airports after arrival, and never have I received this level of help from an "innocent bystander".

In the meantime, I stood back from the crowd and took in the view. Surely, there is no airport with more majestic surroundings. Kathmandu rests in a valley, and I could see snow-capped peaks in the distance. As a lover of nature, my heart melts when I see this - and it happens to me every time... I'm such a sucker for a little natural grandeur.

I was soon collected and taken to see our temporary home. After that it was office, meet new colleagues and all that. In the evening we had Korean bbq on a rooftop in Tamel, which was extremely nice and it's a place I will definetely revisit. After that, we called it a night and I headed off to Yak&Yeti Hotel where I tossed and turned for hours before sleeping. Those Himalaya-images in my mind were haunting me...