Re: Another thing to note

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: Hi Carl, : I think you hit on my exact feelings. I had to avoid actually naming the travel company in my post just in case mine was an : isolated incident. So at the time of the incident(s) on the bus, I was quite incensed, but after thinking about it (and we all : know how long that bus ride is) I calmed down enough to remember that it was all part of the experience and a simple warning to : other trekkers would serve everyone best rather than hammering on a specific company. Sounds like you already came to the same : feeling. : Personally, I found, for the most part, the Nepalese to be quite friendly and helpful, much more than you'd find in the United States. : But once, when I left Tukulche, I was followed by a single local who always wanted to walk about 5 paces behind me. One time, he : stopped to relieve himself, and me (being nervous about the robbed Israelis near Lemang) took advantage of the opportunity and started : hiking very fast to create some distance between me and him. After about 10 minutes I saw him behind me RUNNING to catch up, and when : he did, there followed that same 5 to 10 pace distance between the two of us. I finally had had enough, took off my pack (and of course, : he stopped too) and I started to angrily question him about his intentions. He spoke no English, but just stood there, staring at me. : I finally said (angrily), "I don't know if you are following me just to keep company, but you're making me very uncomfortable, I'm in your : territory, your country, and you need to move on." He finally did, and I felt somewhat bad having to voice my displeasure in such a way : that he probably didn't understand, but as a lone trekker, there was an air of nervousness in my travels. Many times on the circuit I : trekked with groups of Europeans, Aussies, Israelis, Kiwis, and Canadians. We were all quite nervous after the robbery in Lemang. : So while it's unfair to probably 99% of the Nepalese we will meet on our treks, that 1% out there was/is enough to cause us some grief : and take precautions we normally don't want to deal with on our vacations. And those 99% of the good people who live on that circuit : would undoubtedly help us from the behavior of that 1% bad element. : Even with that nervousness I did have, it's not enough to keep me from coming back to Nepal. The benefits (as you undoubtedly already know) : far outweigh the little problems like the ones I described. The experiences at my favorite areas on the trek: Muktinath temple complex, Manang, : Braga, Danaque, and Thorung La are just something that can't be found anywhere else on the earth. I've already arranged for a journey into : Tibet next year from a travel agent in Katmandu to the Manasorovar-Kailas region. I'm definitely hooked on the region and will go back time : and time again. : It's incredible, places like that live forever in the memory. Most Americans go to places like Cancun or Hawaii. That's fine, to be sure, : if that's what someone wants, but for me, a vacation lying on the beach versus experiencing what Nepal has to offer : can't be compared! : : : Jeff, : : a very interesting post. I was involved in a long thread on soc.culture.nepal (newsgroup) which dealt with the exact opposite of your experience. Needless to say what happened to you should not happen and you quite rightly 'fronted it' and did not get 'had over'. Good on you. : : When I travelled back on the same route in April this year my Nepali friend and guide had to get off the bus at checkpoints and then rejoin around the corner. I was not happy with this. : : In 1998, I had a similar (but more expensive) problem when a Nepal airline refused to carry my guide back from Lukla - even for the 'tourist rate'. I was incensed and bought a ticket for my Sherpa 'brother -in-law' (tourist rate) and pulled more strings than Pinnochio's mate Guiseppe to get him on the flight. He boarded and flew. I am not naive... : : The upshot of this is that I got right out of my tree (lost temper a bit -but in a cool way!) and accused various officials of running a system that paralleled apartheid or the pre Civil Rights issues of the USA. Over the top?? I don't think so. Powerful language but I stick by it. It seemed as though 'keeping the tourists happy' was to be at the expense of the indiginous people. : : In October this year there appeared an article on SCN (reprinted from the KTM Post) which was by a Nepali who suffered much the same fate whilst travelling from KTM to Pokhara. He pretended to be Indian, spoke only in Hindi and by this subterfuge avoided getting thrown off the bus. : : A lively debate ensued (which I joined) although, as always, there are many other issues which I cannot appreciate (mainly political). I felt embarrassed to be a party to this behaviour by the airline and bus company. : : The upshot of this is that the low level corruption of some bus companies impacts upon Nepali people in the same way that you experienced. Neither should occur. : : I don't want to be seen to prosthetylise (??) on this issue and I realise that this may be off-topic but: people on this board (all of us) genuinely love Nepal and it's people. We do not want to be part of the problem and do not ask for, nor require, special treatment. : : Jeff - you have given two good postings on your trip on my last count and this last one was really thought provoking. Good hit. I love reading about these things that broaden the picture somewhat and that is what makes this forum one of the best resources on the web (or anywhere for that matter). : : Are you planning on a return trip? Do tell! : : Sorry everyone to have gone on a bit but you know what I can get like. "The drugs don't work, they just make you worse" (Irony). : : : : Jeff, more please. : : : Carl London UK (going back into the corner and be quiet for a while) : : : :

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