Exploring Nepal
The Roof of
the World
An Adventure for
Students in Grades 6-8
The Start of our
Adventure - Making Friends
How are you going to make friends with someone overseas? Is it like making friends at school or in
your hometown?
You’ll have to make the first step and find
someone on the Internet.
This might be a fun way to learn about Nepal.
How about lifestyles? You can be sure their culture is going to be different from
yours.
You might wonder if your opposite in Nepal is
as hesitant as you are. Time to get
started. If your first try does not
work out, try another web pal.
Success at last! You’ve found an interesting web pal in Kathmandu that you can
relate to.
What will you talk about? Maybe you could start by telling them
something about yourself.
Now consult your workbook to answer questions for section 1.
Great news! After some corresponding, your e-mail friend has invited you to come to Nepal for a visit and spend some time with his family. This is a pleasant surprise and you can’t wait to get started.
Passports, Visas and
other Red Tape
Before leaving, there are travel forms to be obtained
and filled out. You never thought
traveling overseas could get so complicated.
Passports, Visas, travel fees, what else?
First thing’s first. You’ll need a Passport from the US Government State Department to establish your identity as a US citizen and to allow you to travel abroad.
http://www.south-asia.com/USA/visitor.htm
http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html
Wow! This thing is long and complicated – five pages. Better let Dad handle it.
Next you’ll need a Visa from the Nepalese Government to allow you to travel through Nepal. Check out the State Dept. website or
http://www.asianamerican.net/nepal.html
http://www.newweb.net/nepal_embassy/
http://travel.state.gov/nepal.html
A passport can be thought of as a bus pass that
get you from home to school while a Visa is the hall pass that allows you to go
from one room to another.
But we’re not done yet. You may need to get some immunization shots
from your doctor to protect you from smallpox, typhoid and other diseases. Back to the US State Department website.
See
workbook for questions to section 2.
Weather and Clothing:
What do I need?
Your passport is all set, now its time to
pack. What do you need? You wonder what the weather is like in
Nepal. See http://wwww.nepallink.com
and
click on weather and travel information to answer some of your traveling
questions. You are traveling to
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal in April.
Now visit http://www.south-asia.com/hmg_home/brief_introduction.htm and/or http://www.south-asia.com/hmg_home/climate_population.htm.
Answer
the questions in section 3.
Money, Does Nepal have
an ATM?
You find out that all-major hotels, shops and
restaurants in Kathmandu will accept
Credit cards such as American Express, Visa and
Master Card. But for this trip, you
will need to exchange your money for Nepalese currency. It’s the law in Nepal
The Nepalese currency is the Rupee. You also find out that many small
shopkeepers’ villages will not accept “foreign currency” such as American
dollars.
Better not forget to save 1000 Rupees for the
airport exit tax when you leave Nepal and fly home.
So how and where do you change your money? Check the following websites. Also check major banks, hotels and the
exchange counters at the Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu.
http://www.visitnepal.com/travelers_guide/money_banking_in_nepal.htm
Nepalese Rupees come in denominations of 1000,
500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2, and 1.
Coins are found in denominations of 10, 25 and
50 paisa. One Rupee equals 100 paisa;
much like our one dollar bill equals 100 pennies. To see what Nepalese money looks like, try the following website.
http://www.atsnotes.com/catalog/nepal/nepal-29.JPG
Money
Right now, one US dollar will buy you about 74 Rupees. The exchange rate will change from day to day and can vary quite a bit over time. For example, in January of 1995, the exchange rate was about 50 Nepalese Rupees to one US dollar.
Complete
the Questions in Workbook section 4
Off to Nepal
It’s time to start getting ready for your journey. How do you get to Nepal?
What Airlines will take you there?
How much will it cost you?
http://dps1.travelocity.com/cannonball.ctl Click on Flights
Since no airline flies directly to Kathmandu,
Nepal, you will have to pick up a connecting flight in Hong Kong or Singapore.
It’s decided.
You are going from your hometown to Hong Kong and from there to Nepal.
Of course we could fly to Frankfort, Germany or
London, England and pick up our connection there, but we will lose a day going
in that direction.
By flying across the Pacific, heading West, you
gain a day. Why is that?
You would like the least expensive fare. Maybe if you’re not too fussy on the
departure date, you can get a better rate.
Turn
to section 5 and answer questions about travel.
You’re in luck! You find an AirTran flight that takes you from Pittsburgh at
7:00am on April 7th to New York LaGuardia airport.
From La Guardia it’s a quick shuttle across
town to Kennedy International to catch the 10:50am flight to Hong Kong. You get a chance to ride in a Boeing 747
non-stop all the way to Hong Kong.
This is going to be a long haul. Better hope they have some good movies on
board!
Hey it’s April 8th, 2:30pm and you’re in Hong
Kong. Now you know what they mean by
the term jet lag.
This is the last leg of your journey. You pick up your Royal Nepal Airlines flight
#410 at 4:05pm and arrive at Kathmandu, Nepal by 6:35pm.
Great Timing!
It’s still daylight and you can see the Himalayas off in the distance as
we approach Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu.
Getting off the plane, you can see your web-pal
friend and her family waiting for you.
Boy!
That was a long trip.
Answer
Questions to section 5
Arriving in Nepal
At the airport you greet your host family and using the good manners that you read about, you remember to extend your right hand for the handshake. The left hand is considered “unclean”. Now you must also remember to eat only with your right hand as well.
Your trip from the airport shows you a little
of the city. You see statues of gods
and goddesses everywhere. Your host
family explains that life in Nepal revolves around religion. 90% of the people practice the Hindu
religion; in fact, Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world. As you pass through the market place you see
food for sale, someone getting a haircut, makeup for sale and even someone
praying.
You get to the house and find that it is four
stories tall plus a roof area that is used regularly by the family. You will be sleeping on a mat on the floor
and you also find that water is carried to each home from a communal water
supply. Go to dogpile.com and look up
communal water supply. Answer the
questions in section 6 of your workbook.
The family is holding a puja, a religious
ceremony, and all their relatives and friends are invited. This is the most important day of the year
for your hosts. It will be a busy day
as there is much to be done in preparation.
Your job is to help make sure the crows do not steal the meat that is
drying outside on the zinc roof. You
spend much time going up and down the ladder that takes you to the roof and
into the kitchen, which is on the 4th floor.
Mohita’s dad is home for this very special
celebration. He works 6 hours away as
an engineer in a power plant and only gets to be home with his family once per
month.
Your “adopted” mom and dad are both hard at
work in the kitchen. Normally families
eat two meals per day consisting of rice and lentil gravy. Today they are preparing cauliflower and
potatoes as well as meat. They will
have “dal” (lentil soup), “dai” (yogurt), “chang” (homemade beer) and “rakshi”
(liquor) for the men.
The puja is held at Swayambhu Temple where
Mohita attends school. Wild monkeys
live in groups at this temple and people call it the “monkey temple”. Hindus make puja, or ritual offerings to the
gods, often consisting of grains and red powder.
The whole day is devoted to celebration and you
enjoy laughing, singing and dancing with the whole family, which includes 3
brothers and 2 sisters as well as mom and dad.
When
evening comes, it is time to go to the temple after you put “tika”, a red
makeup on everyone’s forehead, in preparation for the puja. Wearing tika on your forehead is a spiritual
symbol.
Answer
the questions for this section.
School Daze
What a great opportunity! You have been given permission to attend
school today with your new friend; you are awakened at 7:00 a.m., as you must
catch the bus at 8:00 a.m. The Ananda
Kurti
School is about 2 miles from home. It
is at the back of the Swayanbhu Temple.
You are
surprised
to find that the school separates boys from girls and the children also wear
uniforms. The class has 35 students,
which is a lot in comparison to what you are back home.
The children study social studies, English,
English penmanship, Sanskrit, math science, art and physical education. Each class is 40 minutes and they have 5
classes per day, 5 days per week, plus mornings on Friday. Saturday is the only day you will not attend
school.
Lunchtime is 30 minutes long and the girls
trade foods like bread with butter and jam and cold scrambled eggs. Attending school is a privilege in Nepal and
something that children in the city can take advantage of. You learn that most people live in villages
in Nepal and although some villages have schools, most do not. In rural areas children do not go to school
during harvest or other times because they are needed at home to help with the
farm work. You feel very lucky that
school is so important to people in the United States and for the first time
you understand how education provides you with opportunities that other
children do not have.
See http://www.nepallink.com and
click on lifestyles to read about who goes to school in Nepal.
Now
answer the questions in section 7.
Festivals &
Religion
Tomorrow
is Saturday; there is no school and the beginning of an 8 day long festival
known as Indra Jatra. Everyone is very
excited, as this is an important celebration.
During this festival a young girl who has been chosen the Kumari Devi
rides in a golden cart. See http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nomad/nepal/kathmandu.html
and
click on “The Living Goddess” for more information. Also see http://www.nepallink.com and
click on festivals and religion. With
all of the throngs of people you become separated from your host family.
The smells of the various foods are just too
tempting, so you sample Momo, a Tiebetan dumpling that is similar to
ravioli. They you try Sel Roti, a
deep-fried ring of rice flour that reminds you of a donut. Next you sample some ghee which is a yogurt
made from buffalo-milk. Now that your
tummy is full you begin to wonder how to find your way back to your adopted
family. It is a little scary to be
surrounded by people all speaking a different language from your own, but
everyone is so kind and an older gentlemen directs you to a shopkeeper who
speaks English.
What luck!
The shopkeeper sells wrist malas, a type of bracelet that you read about
back home in the states. In the United
States these bracelets are known as “power beads” or prayer beads. There are many kinds to choose from and
depending on the type of stone, wood or seed that is used, there is a different
meaning connected with each. You pick
yellow jade malas for all the members of your host family since it symbolizes
friendship and you want to give them something that shows how you feel about
your new family. After paying for your
purchase in rupees you explain that you have been separated and he directs you
back to the main square where you find your “family” frantically looking for
you. You apologize and continue to
enjoy the festival under the watchful eye of your friends!
You come to realize that from the daily rituals, family celebrations and community festivals religion really plays a big role in life in Nepal. Your host family explains that Nepal is known as the world’s only Hindu Kingdom but Buddhism and other faiths are also practiced in Nepal. Go to http://www.nepallink.com/?s=nepal/hinduism.htm and read about the three gods in Hinduism.
Answer
section 8 in Workbook
Jungle Boogie
Today we are going on a Jungle Safari through
Chitwan National Park.
http://www.welcomenepal.com/chitwan.html
wildlife
On the way to meet our guides you find out that
one of the people guiding us was an uncle on Mahita’s father’s side of the
family. He works for “Tigers R Us,”
which guarantees, your hoping, the viewing of some wildlife. When we arrived, our guides including Uncle
Mahu are waiting. All the guides
introduced themselves surprisingly in English.
Then they take us around the corner to show us our transportation. Outstanding! We are riding elephants with little saddles on them for us to sit
on. Once we are on top of the elephants
you feel like we can see for miles.
Sixteen elephants practically lift you out from under the canopy of
trees, but you’re still in the trees enough to see the wildlife.
During the Safari, you are told something about
the area you are traveling in. Most of
the time it warm year round. It kind of
reminds you of Florida. They also tell
you that the jungle covers most of the lower half of Nepal. On our tour we see various animals such as:
swamp deer, tigers, myna birds, monitor lizards, crocodiles, and a blue
bull. Riding an elephant is the coolest
thing you have done in your whole life.
Wait until the kids back home see these pictures!
On the way back to the car, our guides informs
us that Nepal is very rich in wildlife and natural habitats, which are
preserved or protected from hunters and developers. There are three kinds of protected or preserved areas; they are
National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Game Reserves.
What a great day, you’re exhilarated and
exhausted at the same time!
Answer
the Questions for this section.
Lets Play Ball
The next day, your host family offers you two choices of what to do today. They said we could go see a football game or
an Elephant Polo Match. You’re not sure
because you wanted to see how they played football, if they played it similar
to us or not, but you also wanted to see what an Elephant Polo Match was.
They explained their game of football so that
you could make a better decision. As
they explained it, you realized that it was a lot like soccer in the U.S., and
since you have seen a soccer game before, you didn’t want to pass up the
opportunity to see an Elephant Polo Match.
Especially since you had such a great time riding that elephant yesterday.
On the way to the match they explained the rules.
http://www.elephantpolo.com/Rules/rules98.htm
When you arrived at the match you see a lot of elephants and one of the teams playing was made up of Americans Screwy Tusker. The local team Titanic Tracks from Ireland was playing the Screwy Tuskers the day you go to the match. It was a very slow moving game; done to the fact they were playing on elephants.
http://www.corkscrew-balloon.com/polo/99/imgalf/07.html Click on the movie
You’re really happy the American team won the
match by 7 scores. There was a party
thrown by the Screwy Tuskers but you didn’t stay for it.
So far that was the funniest thing you had seen on this trip.
Complete the Questions in workbook for this section.
How High Can You Go
The day after the Elephant Polo Match we load
up the car and head for the trail that leads to base camp on Everest. At the start of the trail we meet our
guides. It just so happens to be that
one of the guides is related to my host family, an Uncle on the mother’s
side. They inform us that this is going
to be a very hard hike to base camp and that this will take about 3 days with a
chopper ride back.
We stay over night there at the start of the trail to Everest. On the way they tell us that we start at 7,000 feet and Base Camp is at 16,200 feet. There is an optional or different route that would take us up to 18,200 feet. We decide not to take the optional route. My host friend informs you that this trip cost a lot of money, but since we are family it doesn’t cost anything because they need some additional people.
http://www.wowadventure.com/html/nplabout.html Trek Info
At
the end of the first day your feet hurt so bad that you can’t wait to get your
boots off. You are definitely dreading
the second day. We wake up at 5:30 a.m.
to continue hiking; to begin with you are tired and sore from the first
day. It seemed like the second day goes
by a lot easier, your sore feet don’t hurt so much, which makes the hike a
whole lot easier.
During
the day the guides point out Everest and K2.
The view is simply breath taking, and you are already sucking air,
because it is so much thinner the higher you go. After the second day of hiking you are only at 12,500 feet so
that means it is going to be even tougher on the last day.
On the last day you get to Base Camp on Everest
at 2:00 in the afternoon. When you
arrived they have lunch all ready for us.
After lunch we board the chopper for a scenic ride back to the car. It is a lot easier to ride in a chopper than
hiking back, but climbing gives you a view that the chopper couldn’t. We saw Everest and K2 up close. We met a group that was starting their
ascent of Everest the day after we left.
Answer
Questions in Workbook.
Bah bye, back to the USA
When we get back to Kathmandu you have to pack
and get ready to leave for home, the good old U.S.A. You need to remember to bring 1000 rupees for your exit fee. You brought a gift for your host family and
still need to give it to them. You
can’t thank them enough, but on the way to the airport you tell them to come
and visit you in the U.S.A. and that you will show them around your part of the
country. You board the plane and head
for home, a long flight. But the
memories of your experiences and the friends that you have made it all
worthwhile.
Answer
Questions to the last section in Workbook.